WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                   Ch. 641

(ii) $20,000 for any best management practices
carried out under a pooling agreement.

(2)  State cost sharing funds may be made available
for any project if:

(i) The Department of Agriculture, the soil
conservation district, and a person have executed an agreement
which, among other things, obligates the person to establish,
construct, or install the best management practice in accordance
with technical specifications, to maintain the best management
practice for its expected life span, and to provide the required
matching funds for the project;

(ii) The Board of Public Works has given
approval to the project when the proceeds of State bonds are to
be used to finance the State share; and

(iii) The soil conservation district has
certified to the Department that the project meets all applicable
technical standards, and that all submitted invoices properly
represent eligible costs.

(3)  Before the Department of Agriculture executes a
cost sharing agreement with a farm tenant, it shall obtain the
consent of the landlord to the terms and conditions of the
agreement. The Department may also require the granting to the
State of an appropriate security interest in any equipment,
structures or similar items purchased with State moneys.

(4)  A cost sharing agreement executed as required
under this subtitle may be assigned and transferred to a
successor in title of all or part of a tract of land subject to a
best management practice.

(5)  State general funds may not be used as cost
sharing funds under this subtitle.

(b)  State cost sharing funds shall be disbursed, upon
warrant of the Comptroller, only after the Department has
determined that the best management practice has been established
or in the case of equipment, structures, or similar items, that
it has been received and properly installed. Payment may be made
either to the person when the person has advanced money, or
directly to a vendor or contractor in accordance with the written
agreement required by this section, or supplemental written
agreements with the vendor or contractor.

(c)  (1) The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of
Health and Mental Hygiene shall jointly promulgate rules and
regulations to implement this subtitle. However, rules and
regulations solely involving internal management of the cost
sharing program need only be promulgated by the Secretary of

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