The purpose of these regulations is to implement the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as Amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance. In accordance with the Age Discrimination Act, federally assisted programs or activities and recipients of Federal funds may continue to use age distinctions and factors other than age which meet the requirements of the Act and these regulations.

(a) These regulations apply to each program or activity which receives Federal financial assistance provided by DOE.

(b) These regulations do not apply to—

(1) An age distinction contained in that part of a Federal, State, or local statute or ordinance adopted by an elected, general purpose legislative body which:

(i) Provides any benefits or assistance to persons based on age; or

(ii) Establishes criteria for participation in age-related terms; or

(iii) Describes intended beneficiaries or target groups in age-related terms.

(2) Any employment practice of any employer, employment agency, labor organization, or any labor-management joint apprenticeship training program.

(a) Act means the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 as amended title III of Pub. L. 94-135, 42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.

(b) Action means any act, activity, policy, rule, standard or method of administration; or the use of any policy, rule, standard, or method of administration.

(c) Age means how old a person is or the number of years from the date of a person's birth.

(d) Age distinction means any action using age or an age-related term (for example, “18 or over”).

(e) Age-related term means a word or words which necessarily imply a particular age or range of ages (for example, “children”, “adult”, “older persons”, but not “student”).

(f) Days mean calendar days.

(g) Discrimination means unlawful treatment based on age.

(h) FERC means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

(i) Field Civil Rights Officer means the official in each DOE field office with responsibility for administering DOE's Civil Rights Program related to nondiscrimination in Federally assisted programs or activities.

(j) Recipient means any State or its political subdivision, instrumentality of a State or its political subdivision, any public or private agency, institution, organization, or other entity, or any person to which Federal financial assistance is extended, directly or through another recipient. Recipient includes any successor, assignee, or transferee, but excludes an individual who is the ultimate beneficiary of the assistance.

(k) Secretary means the Secretary, Department of Energy.

The rules stated in this section are limited by the exceptions contained in § 1040.86 and of these regulations.

(a) General rule. No person in the United States shall, on the basis of age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

(b) Specific rules. A recipient may not, in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, directly or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements use age distinctions or take any other actions which have the effect, on the basis of age, of:

(1) Excluding individuals from, denying them the benefits of, or subjecting them to discrimination under, a program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance; or

(2) Denying or limiting individuals in their opportunity to participate in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

(3) The specific forms of age discrimination listed in paragraph (b) of this section do not necessarily constitute a complete list.

For purpose of §§ 1040.86 and 1040.87, the terms normal operation and statutory objective shall have the following meanings:

(a) Normal operation means the operation of a program or activity without significant changes that would impair its ability to meet its objectives.

(b) Statutory objective means any purpose of a program or activity expressly stated in any Federal, State, or local statute or ordinance adopted by an elected, general purpose legislative body.

A recipient is permitted to take an action, otherwise prohibited by § 1040.84, if the action reasonably takes into account age as a factor necessary to the normal operation or the achievement of any statutory objective of a program or activity. An action reasonably takes into account age as a factor necessary to the normal operation of a program or activity if:

(a) Age is used as a measure or approximation of one or more other characteristics;

(b) The other characteristic(s) must be measured or approximated in order for the normal operation of the program or activity to continue or to achieve any statutory objective of the program or activity;

(c) The other characteristic(s) can be reasonably measured or approximated by the use of age; and

(d) The other characteristic(s) are impractical to measure directly on an individual basis.

A recipient is permitted to take an action otherwise prohibited by § 1040.84 which is based on a factor other than age, even though that action may have a disproportionate effect on persons of different ages. An action may be based on a factor other than age only if the factor bears a direct and substantial relationship to the normal operation of the program or activity or to the achievement of a statutory objective.

(a) Where a recipient is found to have discriminated on the basis of age, the recipient shall take such remedial action as the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, considers necessary to overcome the effects of the discrimination.

(b) Even in the absence of a finding of discrimination, a recipient may take affirmative action to overcome the effects of conditions that resulted in limited participation in the recipient's program or activity on the basis of age.

(c) If a recipient operating a program or activity which serves the elderly or children, in addition to persons of other ages, provides special benefits to the elderly or to children, the provision of those benefits shall be presumed to be voluntary affirmative action provided that it does not have the effect of excluding otherwise eligible persons from participation in the program or activity.

The burden of proving that an age distinction or other action falls within the exceptions outlined in §§ 1040.86 and 1040.87 is on the recipient of Federal financial assistance.

Each DOE recipient has primary responsibility to ensure that its programs or activities are in compliance with the Act and these regulations. A recipient also has responsibility to maintain records, provide information, and afford access to its records to DOE, to the extent required to determine whether it is in compliance with the Act and these regulations.

Where a recipient awards Federal financial assistance from DOE to its subrecipients, the recipient shall provide the subrecipients written notice of their obligations under these regulations.

Each recipient shall: (a) Upon request make available to DOE information necessary to determine whether the recipient is complying with the Act and these regulations.

(b) Permit reasonable access by DOE, upon request, to the books, records, accounts, and other recipient facilities and sources of information to the extent necessary to determine whether the recipient is in compliance with the Act and these regulations.

(a) DOE may conduct preaward and postaward compliance reviews of recipients as prescribed in this part or use other similar procedures that will permit it to investigate and correct violations of the Act and these regulations. DOE may conduct these reviews even in the absence of a complaint against a recipient. The review may be as comprehensive as necessary to determine whether a violation of these regulations has occurred.

(b) If a compliance review indicates a violation of the Act or these regulations, DOE will attempt to achieve voluntary compliance with the Act. If voluntary compliance cannot be achieved, DOE will arrange for enforcement as described in § 1040.89-10.

(a) Any person, individually or as a member of a class or on behalf of others, may file a written complaint with DOE alleging discrimination prohibited by the Act or these regulations. A complainant must file a complaint within 180 days from the date he/she first had knowledge of the alleged act of discrimination. For good cause shown, however, the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, may extend the time limit for filing a complaint. Complaints may be submitted to Field Civil Rights Officers located in DOE's field offices or to the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, D.C. 20585.

(b) The Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, will attempt to facilitate the filing of complaints wherever possible, including taking the following measures:

(1) Accepting as a sufficient complaint any written statement which identifies the parties involved and the date the complainant first had knowledge of the alleged violation, describes generally the action or practice complained of, and is signed by the complainant.

(2) Freely permitting a complainant to add information to the complaint to meet the requirements of a sufficient complaint.

(3) Widely disseminating information regarding the obligations of recipients under the Act and these regulations.

(4) Notifying the complainant and the recipient of their rights and obligations under the complaint procedure, including the right to have a representative at all stages of the complaint procedure.

(5) Notifying the complainant and the recipient (or their representatives) of their right to contact DOE for information and assistance regarding the complaint resolution process.

(c) The Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, will refer any complaint outside the jurisdiction of DOE to the proper Federal department or agency and will also notify the complainant and the recipient of the referral. The notification will contain an explanation for the referral and the name, telephone number, and address of the Federal department or agency office having jurisdiction over the matter complained.

(a) Referral of complaints for mediation. DOE will refer to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, in accordance with 45 CFR 90.43(c)(3), all complaints that:

(1) Fall within the jurisdiction of the Act and these regulations; and

(2) Contain all information necessary for further processing.

(b) Both the complainant and the recipient shall participate in the mediation process to the extent necessary to reach an agreement or make an informed judgment that an agreement is not possible. There must be at least one meeting with the mediator before the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, will accept a judgment that an agreement is not possible. However, the recipient and the complainant need not meet with the mediator at the same time.

(c) If the complainant and the recipient reach an agreement, the mediator shall prepare a written statement of the agreement and have the complainant and the recipient sign it. The mediator shall send a copy of the agreement to the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, DOE. DOE will take no further action on the complaint unless the complainant or the recipient fails to comply with the agreement.

(d) DOE will use the mediation process for a maximum of 60 days after referring a complaint to mediation. Mediation ends if:

(1) 60 days elapse from the time the mediation agency receives the complaint; or

(2) Prior to the end of the 60 day mediation period, an agreement is reached; or

(3) Prior to the end of that 60 day mediation period, the mediator determines that an agreement cannot be reached.

(e) The mediator shall return unresolved complaints to the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, DOE.

(a) Informal Investigation. (1) The Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, will review complaints that are unresolved after mediation or are reopened because of a violation of a mediation agreement.

(2) As part of this review, Field Civil Rights Officers will use informal fact finding methods, including joint or separate discussions with the complainant and recipient, to establish the facts and, if possible, settle the complaint on terms that are mutually agreeable to the parties.

(3) If the complaint is resolved during the informal investigation, DOE will put the agreement in writing and have it signed by the parties and the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity.

(4) The settlement shall not affect the operation of any other enforcement effort of DOE, including compliance reviews and investigation of other complaints which may involve the recipient.

(5) The settlement is not a finding of discrimination against a recipient.

(b) Formal Investigation. If Field Civil Rights Officers cannot resolve the complaint through informal inquiry, the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, will assign an Investigator to conduct a formal investigation of the complaint. If the investigation indicates a violation of the Act or these regulations, DOE will attempt to obtain voluntary compliance. If DOE cannot obtain voluntary compliance, it will begin enforcement as described in § 1040.89-10 and 10 CFR part 1040, subpart H, § 1040.111.

A recipient may not engage in acts of intimidation or retaliation against any person who:

(a) Attempts to assert a right protected by the Act or these regulations; or

(b) Cooperates in any mediation, investigation, hearing, or other part of DOE's investigation, conciliation, and enforcement process.

(a) DOE may enforce the Act and these regulations through procedures precribed in subpart H of DOE regulation 10 CFR part 1040—Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs or Activities, which calls for—

(1) Termination of a recipient's Federal financial assistance from DOE for a program activity in which the recipient has violated the Act or these regulations. The determination of the recipient's violation may be made only after a recipient has had an opportunity for a hearing on the record before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Therefore, cases which are settled in mediation, or prior to a hearing, will not involve termination of a recipient's Federal financial assistance from DOE under this section.

(2) Any other means authorized by law including, but not limited to:

(i) Referral to the Department of Justice for proceedings to enforce any rights of the United States or obligations of the recipient created by the Act or these regulations, or under the terms of the Federal financial assistance.

(ii) Use of any requirement of, or referral to, any Federal, State, or local government agency that will have the effect of correcting a violation of the Act of these regulations.

(b) DOE will limit any termination under § 1040.89-9(a)(1) to the particular recipient and particular program or activity DOE finds in violation of these regulations. DOE will not base any part of a termination on a finding with respect to any program or activity of the recipient which does not receive Federal financial assistance from DOE.

(c) DOE will take no action under paragraph (a) until:

(1) The Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, has advised the recipient of its failure to comply with the Act, these regulations, or the terms of the Federal financial assistance and has determined that voluntary compliance cannot be obtained.

(2) Thirty (30) days have elapsed after the Secretary or the Secretary's designee has sent a written report of the circumstances and grounds of the action to the committees of the Congress having legislative jurisdiction over the program or activity involved. The Secretary will file a report whenever any action is taken under paragraph (a) of this section.

(d) DOE also may defer granting new Federal financial assistance to a recipient when a hearing under § 1040.89-10 is initiated.

(1) New Federal financial assistance from DOE includes all assistance for which DOE requires an application or approval, including renewal or continuation of existing activities, or authorization of new activities during the deferral period. New Federal financial assistance from DOE does not include increases in funding as a result of changes, computation of formula awards, or assistance awarded prior to the beginning of a hearing under § 1040.89-10.

(2) DOE will not defer new assistance until the recipient has received a notice of an opportunity for a hearing under § 1040.89-10. DOE will not continue a deferral for more than 60 days unless a hearing has begun within that time or the time for beginning the hearing has been extended by mutual consent of the recipient and FERC. DOE will not continue a deferral for more than 30 days after the close of the hearing, unless the hearing resulted in a finding against the recipient.

DOE procedural provisions applicable to title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 apply to DOE enforcement of these regulations. They are 10 CFR subpart H §§ 1040.121 through 1040.124.

Where the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, finds a recipient has discriminated on the basis of age, the recipient shall take such remedial action as the Director, OEO, may require to end the discrminatory practice or policy and/or to overcome the effects of the discrimination.

(a) When DOE withholds funds from a recipient under these regulations, the Secretary or designee may disburse the withheld funds directly to an alternate recipient(s), any public or private organization or agency, or State or political subdivision of the State.

(b) The Secretary or designee will require any alternate recipient to demonstrate:

(1) The ability to comply with these regulations; and

(2) The ability to achieve the goals of the Federal statute authorizing the Federal financial assistance.

(a) A complainant may file a civil action following the exhaustion of administrative remedies under the Act. Administrative remedies are exhausted if:

(1) One hundred eighty (180) days have elapsed since the complainant filed the complaint and DOE has made no findings with regard to the complainant; or

(2) DOE issues any findings in favor of the recipient.

(b) If DOE fails to make a finding within 180 days or issues a finding in favor of the recipient, the Director, Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, will:

(1) Promptly advise the complainant of this fact; and

(2) Advise the complainant of his or her right to bring a civil action for injunctive relief; and

(3) Inform the complainant:

(i) That the complainant may bring a civil action only in a United States District Court for the district in which the recipient is located or transacts business;

(ii) That a complainant prevailing in a civil action has the right to be awarded the costs of the action, including reasonable attorney fees, but that the complainant must demand these costs in the complaint;

(iii) That, before commencing the action, the complainant shall give 30 days notice, by registered mail, to the Secretary of DOE, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Attorney General of the United States, and the recipient;

(iv) That the notice must state: the alleged violation of the Act and these regulations; the relief requested; the court in which the complainant is bringing the action; and whether or not attorney fees are demanded in the event the complainant prevails; and

(v) That the complainant may not bring an action if the same alleged violation of the Act by the same recipient is the subject of a pending action in any court of the United States.