TITLE 7 - AGRICULTURE

SUBTITLE A - OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

PART 15 - NONDISCRIMINATION

subpart a - NONDISCRIMINATION IN FEDERALLY - ASSISTED PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE - EFFECTUATION OF TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

15.5 - Compliance.

  (a) Cooperation and assistance. Each Agency shall to the fullest extent practicable seek the cooperation of recipients in obtaining compliance with the regulations and this part and shall provide assistance and guidance to recipients to help them comply voluntarily with the regulations in this part. As a normal part of the administration of Federal financial assistance covered by the regulations in this part, designated personnel will in their reviews and other activities or as specifically directed by the Agency, review the activities of recipients to determine whether they are complying with the regulations in this part. Reports by such personnel shall include statements regarding compliance and instances, if any, of noncompliance. In the event of noncompliance, the Agency shall seek to secure voluntary compliance by all appropriate means.

  (b) Compliance reports. Each recipient shall keep such records and submit to the Agency timely, complete and accurate compliance reports at such times, and in such form and containing such information, as the Agency may determine to be necessary to ascertain whether the recipient has complied or is complying with the regulations in this part. In the case in which a primary recipient extends Federal financial assistance to any other recipient, such other recipient shall also submit such compliance reports to the primary recipient as may be necessary to enable the primary recipient to carry out its obligations under the regulations in this part. In general, recipients should have available for the Agency racial and ethnic data showing the extent to which members of minority groups are beneficiaries of federally assisted programs.

  (c) Access to sources of information. Each recipient shall permit access by authorized employees of this Department during normal business hours to such of its books, records, accounts, and other sources of information, and its facilities as may be pertinent to ascertain compliance with the regulations in this part. Where any information required of a recipient is in the exclusive possession of any other agency, institution or person and this agency, institution or person shall fail or refuse to furnish this information, the recipient shall so certify in its report and shall set forth what efforts it has made to obtain the information.

  (d) Information to beneficiaries and participants. Each recipient shall make available to participants, beneficiaries, and other interested persons such information regarding the provisions of the regulations in this part and their applicability to the program for Federal statutes, authorities, or other means by which Federal financial assistance is extended and which the recipient receives Federal financial assistance, and make such information available to them in such manner, as the Department or its Agencies finds necessary to apprise such persons of the protections against discrimination assured them by the Act and the regulations in this part.

[29 FR 16274, Dec. 4, 1964, as amended at 29 FR 16966, Dec. 11, 1964; 38 FR 17926, July 5, 1973; 68 FR 51341, Aug. 26, 2003]