Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, within the limits of appropriations therefor, the commissioner shall make state assistance payments to municipalities, businesses and not-for-profit organizations located in the state for the cost of reverse vending machines located or to be located in the state. Such state assistance payments shall not exceed fifty percent of the costs of equipment, and/or the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of real property or structures located or to be located in the state related to the collecting, sorting, and packaging of empty beverage containers subject to the provisions of this title. Such payments may include costs related to the establishment of redemption centers, including mobile redemption centers. For the purposes of this section, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations shall have the meaning as defined in section 54-0101 of this chapter and businesses shall mean a dealer, distributor or redemption center as defined in this title that employs less than fifty employees.