[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19379-19381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8858]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Office for Civil Rights; Statement of Organization Functions and 
Delegations of Authority

    Part A of the Office of the Secretary, Statement of Organization, 
Functions, and Delegation of Authority for the Department of Health and 
Human Services is being amended at, Chapter AT, Office for Civil Rights 
(OCR), as last amended at 57 FR 14723, 4/22/92. The changes are to 
streamline the OCR headquarters by establishing an Office of the Deputy 
Director, who will have day-to-day responsibility for OCR

[[Page 19380]]

functions, and realigning the headquarters program operations, policy, 
and resource management functions into the following components; 
Program, Policy and Training Division; Voluntary Compliance and 
Outreach Division; and a Resources Management Division. The changes are 
as follows:

I

    Delete Section AT.00 Mission, At.10 Organization, and AT.20 
Functions paragraph A through the first paragraph of C.4, and replace 
with the following:

Section AT.00  Mission

    The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Office for 
Civil Rights, promotes and ensures that people have equal access to and 
opportunity to participate in and receive services in all HHS programs 
without facing unlawful discrimination. Through prevention and 
elimination of unlawful discrimination, the Office for Civil Rights 
helps HHS carry out its overall mission of improving the health and 
well-being of all people affected by its many programs. Ensuring the 
nondiscriminatory provision of services funded or provided directly by 
the Department is a continuing challenge to all of the Department's 
employees.

Section AT.10  Organization

    The Office for Civil Rights is led by a Director who reports to the 
Secretary. The Director also serves as the Secretary's Special 
Assistant for Civil Rights and is responsible for overall coordination 
of the Department's civil rights compliance and enforcement activities. 
The Office is comprised of the following components:
Office of the Director (ATA)
Office of the Deputy Director (ATB)
    Program, Policy and Training Division (ATB1)
    Voluntary Compliance and Outreach Division (ATB2)
    Resource Management Division (ATB3)
    Regional Offices for Civil Rights (ATD1 through ATDX)

Section AT.20  Functions

    A. Office of the Director (ATA). As the Department's chief officer 
for the enforcement of the nondiscrimination provisions of law and as 
adviser to the Secretary on civil rights, the Director is responsible 
for the overall leadership and operations of the Office for Civil 
Rights; establishes policy and serves as adviser to the Secretary on 
civil rights issues, including intra-departmental activities aimed at 
incorporating civil rights compliance into programs the Department 
administers and/or operates directly; sets overall direction and 
priorities of the Office through budget requests, strategic planning, 
and results-oriented operating and performance plans; maintains liaison 
with other Federal departments and agencies charged with civil rights 
enforcement responsibilities; coordinates with the White House on civil 
rights and related policies; maintains liaison with the Congress in 
coordination and consultation with the Assistant Secretary for 
Legislation, notifying appropriate Congressional committees of 
significant civil rights developments and informing members of 
compliance developments affecting recipients of Federal funds in their 
Congressional districts; determines policies and standards for civil 
rights investigations, enforcement and voluntary compliance and 
outreach programs in coordination with the Secretary and other Federal 
agencies; represents the Secretary before Congress and the Executive 
Office of the President on matters relating to civil rights; and 
solicits the participation of program beneficiaries and recipients of 
HHS funds in implementing the Department's civil rights enforcement, 
voluntary compliance and outreach programs.
    A Principal Deputy Director serves as the alter ego of the Director 
and acts for the Director in his/her absence. The Office of the 
Director ensures that all documents requiring review or approval by the 
Director are assigned, cleared and/or monitored for timely action/
responses to the Office's stakeholders and customers, including the 
Secretary, Departmental components, Congress, other government 
agencies, beneficiary and advocacy organizations, and the public. The 
Office of the Director includes an Executive Secretariat function and a 
central support services coordination function.
    B. Office of the Deputy Director (ATB). This office is headed by a 
Deputy Director who reports to the Office of the Director, OCR. The 
Deputy Director coordinates the day-to-day operations of headquarters, 
overseeing program operations, policy development, and administrative, 
budget and human resources activities, including OCR's internal 
coordination responsibilities.
    The Office of the Deputy Director includes three headquarters units 
that report to the Deputy Director: (1) the Program, Policy and 
Training Division; (2) the Voluntary Compliance and Outreach Division; 
and (3) the Resource Management Division. OCR Regional Managers also 
report to the Deputy Director.
    1. Program, Policy and Training Division (ATB1). This Division 
develops policy and assists in implementation of OCR's compliance and 
enforcement program; plans and coordinates OCR's high priority civil 
rights program initiatives; assesses results of compliance activities, 
including, but not limited to, reviewing challenges; conducts policy 
and HHS program-related research; advises OCR staff nationwide on case 
development and quality; assists in developing negotiation, 
enforcement, and litigation strategies; identifies training needs and 
designs training programs for OCR staff; develops civil rights surveys; 
manages media and public relations; coordinates OCR's inter-
governmental relations activities; and provides civil rights and 
program advice to OCR staff nationwide, other HHS components and 
external stakeholders.
    2. Voluntary Compliance and Outreach Division (ATB2). This Division 
provides technical assistance to and conducts pre-grant reviews of 
providers/applicants seeking Medicare certification and other program 
participation funded by the Department to determine their ability to 
comply with civil rights requirements; provides guidance and assistance 
to OCR field offices, in coordination with the Program, Policy and 
Training Division, for ensuring uniform and efficient implementation of 
pre-grant processing policies and procedures; maintains civil rights 
assurance of compliance forms for permanent reference; maintains 
liaison with and provides civil rights technical assistance and 
advisory services to HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVS), national 
advocacy, beneficiary, and provider groups, and to other Federal 
departments and agencies with respect to civil rights outreach 
programs, initiatives, and mandates.
    3. Resource Management Division (ATB3). This Division implements 
OCR's administrative, financial, information resource management (IRM), 
data collection, and personnel functions. The Division formulates and 
executes OCR's budget; designs and maintains systems and data bases; 
administers OCR networks, including Internet and Intranet coordination; 
develops management, administrative and IRM policy; and manages 
personnel processing and performance management and employee 
recognition systems.
    4. Regional Office for Civil Rights (ATD1 through ATDX). The 
Regional Managers, Office for Civil Rights report directly to the 
Deputy Director.

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II. Delegations of Authority

    All delegations and redelegations of authority to officials of the 
Office for Civil Rights that were in effect prior to the effective date 
of this reorganization shall continue in effect pending further 
redelegation.

    Dated: March 22, 2000.
John J. Callahan,
Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget.
[FR Doc. 00-8858 Filed 4-10-00; 8:45 am]
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