§ 317.1 - Civil rights.

(a) Discrimination is prohibited in programs receiving federal financial assistance from EDA in accordance with the following authorities:

(1) Section 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, codified at 42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq. (proscribing discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin), and the Department of Commerce's implementing regulations found at 15 CFR part 8;

(2) 42 U.S.C. 3123 (proscribing discrimination on the basis of sex);

(3) 29 U.S.C. 794, as amended, and the Department of Commerce's implementing regulations found at 15 CFR part 8b (proscribing discrimination on the basis of disabilities);

(4) 42 U.S.C. 6101, as amended, and the Department of Commerce's implementing regulations found at 15 CFR part 20; and

(5) 42 U.S.C. 6709 (proscribing discrimination on the basis of sex under the Local Public Works Program; and

(6) Other Federal statutes, regulations and Executive Orders as applicable.

(b) No recipient or other party shall intimidate, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against, any person for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by section 601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 42 U.S.C. 3123, 42 U.S.C. 6709, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, or because the person has made a complaint, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this part.

(c) Definitions: (1) Other Parties means, as an elaboration of the definition in 15 CFR part 8, entities which, or which are intended to, create and/or save 15 or more permanent jobs as a result of EDA assistance provided that they are also either specifically named in the application as benefitting from the project, or are or will be located in an EDA building, port, facility, or industrial, commercial or business park prior to EDA's final disbursement of funds awarded for the project.

(2) Additional definitions are provided in EDA's Civil Rights Guidelines and 15 CFR part 8.

(d) All recipients of EDA financial assistance under PWEDA and the Trade Act, and Other Parties are required to submit the following to EDA:

(1) Written assurances that they will comply with EDA regulations and other Department of Commerce regulations, and such other requirements as may be applicable, prohibiting discrimination;

(2) Employment data in such form and manner as determined by EDA;

(3) Information on civil rights status and involvement in charges of discrimination in employment or the provision of services during the 2 years previous to the date of submission of such data as follows:

(i) Description of the status of any lawsuits, complaints or the results of compliance reviews; and

(ii) Statement indicating any administrative findings by a Federal or State agency.

(4) Whenever deemed necessary by EDA to determine that applicants and other parties are in compliance with civil rights regulations, such applicants and other parties shall submit additional information in the form and manner requested by EDA; and

(5) In addition to employment record requirements found in 15 CFR 8.7, complete records on all employees and applicants for employment, including information on race, sex, national origin, age, education and job-related criteria must be retained by employers and made accessible to the responsible Department official.

(e) To enable EDA to determine that there is no discrimination in the distribution of benefits in projects which provide service benefits, EDA may require that applicants submit a project service map and information on which to determine that services are provided to all segments of the area being assisted. Applicants may be required to submit any other information EDA may deem necessary for such determination.

(f) EDA assisted planning organizations must meet the following requirements:

(1) For the selection of representatives, EDA expects planning organizations and CEDS committees to take appropriate steps to ensure, where appropriate to the area, that there is adequate representation of minority and low-income populations, women, people with disabilities and Federal and State recognized American Indian tribes and that such representation is accomplished in a nondiscriminatory manner; and

(2) EDA assisted planning organizations and CEDS committees shall take appropriate steps to ensure that no individual will be subject to discrimination in employment because of their race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

(3) Prior to approval of EDA initial funding, and for district designations, each district and other planning organizations so supported by EDA is required to report to EDA the membership of its governing bodies, executive committees, and staff. This report shall include the following items:

(i) The total population and minority population of the area served by the organization;

(ii) A list of organizations in the area representing the interests of minorities, women, and people with disabilities;

(iii) A list of the membership of the governing board, executive committee indicating race, sex, national origin, age, and those who self-identify, as having disabilities;

(iv) A description of actions taken and methods used in its diversity efforts to promote, as much as possible, the participation of all segments of the areas served;

(v) Information regarding how they notified and provided organizations, including neighborhood associations representing the interests of minorities, women, and people with disabilities, the opportunity to select members and their own representatives;

(vi) A list of employees on the staff of the organization by name, position title, salary, funding source, and hiring date, indicating race, sex, national origin, and age; and

(vii) A brief summary of any economic development activities undertaken during the previous 12 months that may have impacted the covered persons in the area. This information is required with the initial application and annually thereafter for continuation planning funding.

(4) Prior to approval of continuation funding for a planning grant each district and other planning organization so supported by EDA is required to submit a report which includes the items outlined in paragraph (f)(3) of this section except items in paragraphs (f)(3)(ii) and (v), (although paragraph (f)(3)(v) may be required when changes to the boards and committees affecting minorities, women, people with disabilities have occurred), and a summary indicating the annual progress made in the diversity efforts including a list by name, race, national origin, sex, and age of all hires, promotions, terminations, and composition of applicant pools since the last reporting period and steps taken to ensure nondiscrimination and to provide equal employment opportunity.

(5) In order to determine whether districts and other planning organizations supported by EDA are complying with the requirements in paragraph (f)(4) of this section, EDA shall conduct annual compliance reviews of these organizations through either an in-depth desk audit or onsite review.

(g) Applicants for Revolving Loan Funds will provide information describing the make-up of the existing or proposed RLF Loan Board members by race, national origin, gender, age, and those who voluntarily self-identify as having disabilities. The reports submitted to EDA by RLF grantees will be used to monitor civil rights compliance. Additional information may be requested as needed to determine compliance. Compliance issues which will be reviewed and monitored include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) The representation of minorities, women, and those who voluntarily self-identify as having disabilities, as well as the age of members on the RLF Loan Board;

(2) Recipient's plans to openly market the RLF to prospective minority, disabled, and women business borrowers; and

(3) Recipient's monitoring plans for borrowers’ compliance with civil rights requirements concerning employees or applicants for employment, and/or providers of goods and services.

(h) Reporting and other procedural matters are set forth in 15 CFR parts 8, 8b, 8c, and 20 and the Civil Rights Guidelines which are available from EDA's Regional Offices. See part 300 of this chapter.