Civil Rights Obligations of Recovery Act Grantors and Applicants

Notice on Civil Rights Obligations Applicable to the Distribution of Funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Federal Agency Obligations

Federal agencies distributing funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) must do so in accordance with all nondiscrimination and equal opportunity statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders that apply to the distribution of funds under the Recovery Act.  Agencies that grant funds also must ensure that their recipients and subrecipients comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting race, color, and national origin discrimination), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (prohibiting disability discrimination), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (prohibiting sex discrimination in education and training programs), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (prohibiting age discrimination in the provision of services), and a variety of program-specific statutes with nondiscrimination requirements.

Recipient and Subrecipient Obligations

Recipients and subrecipients of Recovery Act funds or other Federal financial assistance must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and a variety of program-specific statutes with nondiscrimination requirements.

Other civil rights laws may impose additional requirements on recipients and subrecipients. These laws include, but are not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting race, color, national origin, religious, and sex discrimination in employment), the Americans with Disabilities Act (prohibiting disability discrimination in employment and in services provided by State and local governments, businesses, and non-profit agencies), and the Fair Housing Act (prohibiting discriminatory housing practices based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status), as well as any other applicable civil rights laws.

For more information about these civil rights obligations or for technical assistance, please contact the Civil Rights Division of the HHS Office for Civil Rights at (202) 619-0403 or email at OCRmail@hhs.gov, or visit their website at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/index.html