28
Judicial Administration
1
2011-07-01
2011-07-01
false

Coordination of Enforcement of Non-discrimination in Federally Assisted Programs
F

Subpart F
Judicial Administration
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
NONDISCRIMINATION; EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY; POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Subpart F—Coordination of Enforcement of Non-discrimination in Federally Assisted Programs

Authority:
Executive Order 12250.

Source:
Order No. 670-76, 41 FR 52669, Dec. 1, 1976, unless otherwise noted.
§ 42.401
Purpose and application.
The purpose of this subpart is to insure that federal agencies which extend financial assistance properly enforce title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and similar provisions in federal grant statutes. Enforcement of the latter statutes is covered by this subpart to the extent that they relate to prohibiting discrimination on the ground of race, color or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance of the type subject to title VI. Responsibility for enforcing title VI rests with the federal agencies which extend financial assistance. In accord with the authority granted the Attorney General under Executive Order 12250, this subpart shall govern the respective obligations of federal agencies regarding enforcement of title VI. This subpart is to be used in conjunction with the 1965 Attorney General Guidelines for Enforcement of title VI, 28 CFR 50.3.
[Order No. 670-76, 41 FR 52669, Dec. 1, 1976, as amended by Order No. 960-81, 46 FR 52357, Oct. 27, 1981]
§ 42.402
Definitions.
For purpose of this subpart:
(a) Title VI refers to title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4. Where appropriate, this term also refers to the civil rights provisions of other federal statutes to the extent that they prohibit discrimination on the ground of race, color or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance of the type subject to title VI itself.
(b) Agency or federal agency refers to any federal department or agency which extends federal financial assistance of the type subject to title VI.
(c) Program refers to programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance of the type subject to title VI.
(d) Assistant Attorney General refers to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice.
(e) Where designation of persons by race, color or national origin is required, the following designations shall be used:
(1) Black, not of Hispanic Origin. A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
(2) Hispanic. A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish Culture or origin, regardless of race.
(3) Asian or Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.
(4) American Indian or Alaskan Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
(5) White, not of Hispanic Origin. A person having origins in any of the original people of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. Additional sub-categories based on national origin or primary language spoken may be used where appropriate, on either a national or a regional basis. Paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(5) of this section, inclusive, set forth in this section are in conformity with the OMB Ad Hoc Committee on Race/Ethnic Categories' recommendations. To the extent that said designations are modified by the OMB Ad Hoc Committee, paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(5) of this section, inclusive, set forth in this section shall be interpreted to conform with those modifications.
(f) Covered employment means employment practices covered by title VI. Such practices are those which:
(1) Exist in a program where a primary objective of the federal financial assistance is to provide employment, or
(2) Cause discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin with respect to beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries of the assisted program.
§ 42.403
Agency regulations.
(a) Any federal agency subject to title VI which has not issued a regulation implementing title VI shall do so as promptly as possible and, no later than the effective date of this subpart, shall submit a proposed regulation to the Assistant Attorney General pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.
(b) Any federal agency which becomes subject to title VI after the effective date of this subpart shall, within 60 days of the date it becomes subject to title VI, submit a proposed regulation to the Assistant Attorney General pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.
(c) Regarding issuance or amendment of its regulation implementing title VI, a federal agency shall take the following steps:
(1) Before publishing a proposed regulation of amendment in the Federal Register, submit it to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division;
(2) After receiving the approval of the Assistant Attorney General, publish the proposed regulation or amendment in the Federal Register for comment;
(3) After final agency approval, submit the regulation or amendment, through the Assistant Attorney General, to the Attorney General for final approval. (Executive Order 12250 delegates to the Attorney General the function, vested in the President by section 602 of title VI, 42 U.S.C. 2000d-1, of approving title VI regulations and amendments to them.)
(d) The title VI regulation of each federal agency shall be supplemented with an appendix listing the types of federal financial assistance, i.e., the statutes authorizing such assistance, to which the regulation applies. Each such appendix shall be kept up-to-date by amendments published, at appropriate intervals, in the Federal Register. In issuing or amending such an appendix, the agency need not follow the procedure set forth in paragraph (c) of this section.
[Order No. 670-76, 41 FR 52669, Dec. 1, 1976, as amended by Order No. 960-81, 46 FR 52357, Oct. 27, 1981]
§ 42.404
Guidelines.
(a) Federal agencies shall publish title VI guidelines for each type of program to which they extend financial assistance, where such guidelines would be appropriate to provide detailed information on the requirements of title VI. Such guidelines shall be published within three months of the effective date of this subpart or of the effective date of any subsequent statute authorizing federal financial assistance to a new type of program. The guidelines shall describe the nature of title VI coverage, methods of enforcement, examples of prohibited practices in the context of the particular type of program, required or suggested remedial action, and the nature of requirements relating to covered employment, data collection, complaints and public information.
(b) Where a federal agency determines that title VI guidelines are not appropriate for any type of program to which it provides financial assistance, the reasons for the determination shall be stated in writing and made available to the public upon request.
§ 42.405
Public dissemination of title VI information.
(a) Federal agencies shall make available and, where appropriate, distribute their title VI regulations and guidelines for use by federal employees, applicants for federal assistance, recipients, beneficiaries and other interested persons.
(b) State agency compliance programs (see § 42.410) shall be made available to the public.
(c) Federal agencies shall require recipients, where feasible, to display prominently in reasonable numbers and places posters which state that the recipients operate programs subject to the nondiscrimination requirements of title VI, summarize those requirements, note the availability of title VI information from recipients and the federal agencies, and explain briefly the procedures for filing complaints. Federal agencies and recipients shall also include information on title VI requirements, complaint procedures and the rights of beneficiaries in handbooks, manuals, pamphlets and other material which are ordinarily distributed to the public to describe the federally assisted programs and the requirements for participation by recipients and beneficiaries. To the extent that recipients are required by law or regulation to publish or broadcast program information in the news media, federal agencies and recipients shall insure that such publications and broadcasts state that the program in question is an equal opportunity program or otherwise indicate that discrimination in the program is prohibited by federal law.
(d)(1) Where a significant number or proportion of the population eligible to be served or likely to be directly affected by a federally assisted program (e.g., affected by relocation) needs service or information in a language other than English in order effectively to be informed of or to participate in the program, the recipient shall take reasonable steps, considering the scope of the program and the size and concentration of such population, to provide information in appropriate languages to such persons. This requirement applies with regard to written material of the type which is ordinarily distributed to the public.
(2) Federal agencies shall also take reasonable steps to provide, in languages other than English, information regarding programs subject to title VI.
§ 42.406
Data and information collection.
(a) Except as determined to be inappropriate in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section or § 42.404(b), federal agencies, as a part of the guidelines required by § 42.404, shall in regard to each assisted program provide for the collection of data and information from applicants for and recipients of federal assistance sufficient to permit effective enforcement of title VI.
(b) Pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, in conjunction with new applications for federal assistance (see 28 CFR 50.3(c) II A) and in any applications for approval of specific projects or significant changes in applications for continuation or renewal of assistance (see 28 CFR 50.3(c) II B), and at other times as appropriate, federal agencies shall require applicants and recipients to provide relevant and current title VI information. Examples of data and information which, to the extent necessary and appropriate for determining compliance with title VI, should be required by agency guidelines are as follows:
(1) The manner in which services are or will be provided by the program in question, and related data necessary for determining whether any persons are or will be denied such services on the basis of prohibited discrimination;
(2) The population eligible to be served by race, color and national origin;
(3) Data regarding covered employment, including use or planned use of bilingual public-contact employees serving beneficiaries of the program where necessary to permit effective participation by beneficiaries unable to speak or understand English;
(4) The location of existing or proposed facilities connected with the program, and related information adequate for determining whether the location has or will have the effect of unnecessarily denying access to any persons on the basis of prohibited discrimination;
(5) The present or proposed membership, by race, color and national origin, in any planning or advisory body which is an integral part of the program;
(6) Where relocation is involved, the requirements and steps used or proposed to guard against unnecessary impact on persons on the basis of race, color or national origin.
(c) Where additional data, such as demographic maps, the racial composition of affected neighborhoods or census data, is necessary or appropriate, for understanding information required in paragraph (b) of this section, federal agencies shall specify, in their guidelines or in other directives, the need to submit such data. Such additional data should be required, however, only to the extent that it is readily available or can be compiled with reasonable effort.
(d) Pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, in all cases, federal agencies shall require:
(1) That each applicant or recipient promptly notify the agency upon its request of any lawsuit filed against the applicant or recipient alleging discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin, and that each recipient notify the agency upon its request of any complaints filed against the recipient alleging such discrimination;
(2) A brief description of any applicant's or recipient's pending applications to other federal agencies for assistance, and of federal asssistance being provided at the time of the application or requested report;
(3) A statement by any applicant describing any civil rights compliance reviews regarding the applicant conducted during the two-year period before the application, and information concerning the agency or organization performing the review; and periodic statements by any recipient regarding such reviews;
(4) A written assurance by any applicant or recipient that it will compile and maintain records required, pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, by the agency's guidelines or other directives.
(e) Federal agencies should inquire whether any agency listed by the applicant or recipient pursuant to paragraph (d)(2) of this section has found the applicant or recipient to be in noncompliance with any relevant civil rights requirement.
(f) Where a federal agency determines that any of the requirements of this section are inapplicable or inappropriate in regard to any program, the basis for this conclusion shall be set forth in writing and made available to the public upon request.
§ 42.407
Procedures to determine compliance.
(a) Agency staff determination responsibility. All federal agency staff determinations of title VI compliance shall be made by, or be subject to the review of, the agency's civil rights office. Where federal agency responsibility for approving applications or specific projects has been assigned to regional or area offices, the agency shall include personnel having title VI review responsibility on the staffs of such offices and such personnel shall perform the functions described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section.
(b) Application review. Prior to approval of federal financial assistance, the federal agency shall make written determination as to whether the applicant is in compliance with title VI (see 28 CFR 50.3(c) II A). The basis for such a determination under “the agency's own investigation” provision (see 28 CFR 50.3(c) II A(2)), shall be submission of an assurance of compliance and a review of the data submitted by the applicant. Where a determination cannot be made from this data, the agency shall require the submission of necessary additional information and shall take other steps necessary for making the determination. Such other steps may include, for example, communicating with local government officials or minority group organizations and field reviews. Where the requested assistance is for construction, a pre-approval review should determine whether the location and design of the project will provide service on a nondiscriminatory basis and whether persons will be displaced or relocated on a nondiscriminatory basis.
(c) Post-approval review. (1) Federal agencies shall establish and maintain an effective program of post-approval compliance reviews regarding approved new applications (see 28 CFR 50.3(c) II A), applications for continuation or renewal of assistance (28 CFR 50.3(c) II B) and all other federally assisted programs. Such reviews are to include periodic submission of compliance reports by recipients to the agencies and, where appropriate, field reviews of a representative number of major recipients. In carrying out this program, agency personnel shall follow agency manuals which establish appropriate review procedures and standards of evaluation. Additionally, agencies should consider incorporating a title VI component into general program reviews and audits.
(2) The results of post-approval reviews shall be committed to writing and shall include specific findings of fact and recommendations. A determination of the compliance status of the recipient reviewed shall be made as promptly as possible.
(d) Notice to assistant attorney general. Federal agencies shall promptly notify the Assistant Attorney General of instances of probable noncompliance determined as the result of application reviews or post-approval compliance reviews.
§ 42.408
Complaint procedures.
(a) Federal agencies shall establish and publish in their guidelines procedures for the prompt processing and disposition of complaints. The complaint procedures shall provide for notification in writing to the complainant and the applicant or recipient as to the disposition of the complaint. Federal agencies should investigate complaints having apparent merit. Where such complaints are not investigated, good cause must exist and must be stated in the notification of disposition. In such cases, the agency shall ascertain the feasibility of referring the complaint to the primary recipient, such as a State agency, for investigation.
(b) Where a federal agency lacks jurisdiction over a complaint, the agency shall, wherever possible, refer the complaint to another federal agency or advise the complainant.
(c) Where a federal agency requires or permits recipient to process title VI complaints, the agency shall ascertain whether the recipients' procedures for processing complaints are adequate. The federal agency shall obtain a written report of each such complaint and investigation and shall retain a review responsibility over the investigation and disposition of each complaint.
(d) Each federal agency shall maintain a log of title VI complaints filed with it, and with its recipients, identifying each complainant by race, color, or national origin; the recipient; the nature of the complaint; the dates the complaint was filed and the investigation completed; the disposition; the date of disposition; and other pertinent information. Each recipient processing title VI complaints shall be required to maintain a similar log. Federal agencies shall report to the Assistant Attorney General on January 1, 1977, and each six months thereafter, the receipt, nature and disposition of all such title VI complaints.
§ 42.409
Employment practices.
Enforcement of title VI compliance with respect to covered employment practices shall not be superseded by state and local merit systems relating to the employment practices of the same recipient.
§ 42.410
Continuing State programs.
Each state agency administering a continuing program which receives federal financial assistance shall be required to establish a title VI compliance program for itself and other recipients which obtain federal assistance through it. The federal agencies shall require that such state compliance programs provide for the assignment of title VI responsibilities to designated state personnel and comply with the minimum standards established in this subpart for federal agencies, including the maintenance of records necessary to permit federal officials to determine the title VI compliance of the state agencies and the sub-recipient.
§ 42.411
Methods of resolving noncompliance.
(a) Effective enforcement of title VI requires that agencies take prompt action to achieve voluntary compliance in all instances in which noncompliance is found. Where such efforts have not been successful within a reasonable period of time, the agency shall initiate appropriate enforcement procedures as set forth in the 1965 Attorney General Guidelines, 28 CFR 50.3. Each agency shall establish internal controls to avoid unnecessary delay in resolving noncompliance, and shall promptly notify the Assistant Attorney General of any case in which negotiations have continued for more than sixty days after the making of the determination of probable noncompliance and shall state the reasons for the length of the negotiations.
(b) Agreement on the part of a noncomplying recipient to take remedial steps to achieve compliance with title VI shall be set forth in writing by the recipient and the federal agency. The remedial plan shall specify the action necessary for the correction of title VI deficiencies and shall be available to the public.
§ 42.412
Coordination.
(a) The Attorney General's authority under Executive Order 12250 is hereby delegated to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division.
(b) Consistent with this subpart and the 1965 Attorney General Guidelines, 28 CFR 50.3, the Assistant Attorney General may issue such directives and take such other action as he deems necessary to insure that federal agencies carry out their responsibilities under title VI. In addition, the Assistant Attorney General will routinely provide to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget copies of all inter-agency survey reports and related materials prepared by the Civil Rights Division that evaluate the effectiveness of an agency's title VI compliance efforts. Where cases or matters are referred to the Assistant Attorney General for investigation, litigation or other appropriate action, the federal agencies shall, upon request, provide appropriate resources to the Assistant Attorney General to assist in carrying out such action.
[Order No. 670-76, 41 FR 52669, Dec. 1, 1976, as amended by Order No. 699-77, 42 FR 15315, Mar. 21, 1977; Order No. 960-81, 46 FR 52357, Oct. 27, 1981]
§ 42.413
Interagency cooperation and delegations.
(a) Where each of a substantial number of recipients is receiving assistance for similar or related purposes from two or more federal agencies, or where two or more federal agencies cooperate in administering assistance for a given class of recipients, the federal agencies shall:
(1) Jointly coordinate compliance with title VI in the assisted programs, to the extent consistent with the federal statutes under which the assistance is provided; and
(2) Designate one of the federal agencies as the lead agency for title VI compliance purposes. This shall be done by a written delegation agreement, a copy of which shall be provided to the Assistant Attorney General and shall be published in the Federal Register.
(b) Where such designations or delegations of functions have been made, the agencies shall adopt adequate written procedures to assure that the same standards of compliance with title VI are utilized at the operational levels by each of the agencies. This may include notification to agency personnel in handbooks, or instructions on any forms used regarding the compliance procedures.
(c) Any agency conducting a compliance review or investigating a complaint of an alleged title VI violation shall notify any other affected agency upon discovery of its jurisdiction and shall subsequently inform it of the findings made. Such reviews or investigations may be made on a joint basis.
(d) Where a compliance review or complaint investigation under title VI reveals a possible violation of Executive Order 11246, title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e), or any other federal law, the appropriate agency shall be notified.
§ 42.414
Federal agency staff.
Sufficient personnel shall be assigned by a federal agency to its title VI compliance program to ensure effective enforcement of title VI.
§ 42.415
Federal agency title VI enforcement plan.
Each federal agency subject to title VI shall develop a written plan for enforcement which sets out its priorities and procedures. This plan shall be available to the public and shall address matters such as the method for selecting recipients for compliance reviews, the establishment of timetables and controls for such reviews, the procedure for handling complaints, the allocation of its staff to different compliance functions, the development of guidelines, the determination as to when guidelines are not appropriate, and the provision of civil rights training for its staff.