The Office is authorized to make grants to other organizations to pay up to 75 per centum (or, with respect to fiscal years commencing after the expiration of three years following the effective date of the grant provisions of this chapter, up to 50 per centum) of the costs of providing training to professional, administrative, or technical employees and officials of State or local governments if the Office—

(1) finds that State or local governments have requested the proposed program;

(2) determines that the capability to provide such training does not exist, or is not readily available, within the Federal or the State or local governments requesting such program or within associations of State or local governments, or if such capability does exist that such government or association is not disposed to provide such training; and

(3) approves the program as meeting such requirements as may be prescribed by the Office in its regulations pursuant to this chapter.

For the purpose of this section “other organization” means—

(1) a national, regional, statewide, areawide, or metropolitan organization, representing member State or local governments;

(2) an association of State or local public officials; or

(3) a nonprofit organization one of whose principal functions is to offer professional advisory, research, development, educational or related services to governments.

(Pub. L. 91–648, title III, § 304, Jan. 5, 1971, 84 Stat. 1919; 1978 Reorg. Plan No. 2, § 102, eff. Jan. 1, 1979, 43 F.R. 36037, 92 Stat. 3783.)