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Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office for Civil Rights Washingtan, D.C. 2053/ August 24, 2005 The Honorable Darrell Vanyo County of Cass P.O. Box 2806 Fargo, ND 58108 Dear Chainnan Vanyo: Congratulations on your recent award. In establishing financial assistance programs, Congress linked the receipt of Federal funding to compliance with Federal civil rights laws. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice is responsible for ensuring that recipients of financial aid from OJP, its component offices and bureaus, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) comply with applicable Federal civil rights statutes and regulations. We at OCR are available to help you and your organization meet the civil rights requirements that come with Justice Department funding. As you know, Federal laws prohibit recipients of financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or disability in funded programs or activities, not only in respect to employment practices but also in the delivery of services or benefits. Federal law also prohibits funded programs or activities from discriminating on the basis of age in the delivery of services or benefits. In addition to these general prohibitions, your organization, which is a recipient of financial assistance subject to the nondiscrimination provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (Safe Streets Act) of 1968, 42 U.S.C. ~ 3789d(c), must meet two additional requirements:(l) complying with Federal regulations pertaining to the development of an Equal Employment Opportunity Plan (EEOP), 28 C.F.R. ~ 42.301-.308, and (2) submitting to OCR Findings of Discrimination (see 28 C.F.R. ~~ 42.205(5) or 31.202(5)). Complying with the EEOP Requirement In accordance with Federal regulations, and Assurance No.6 in the Standard Assurances, your organization must comply with the following EEOP reporting requirements: If your organization has received an award for $500,000 or more and has 50 or more employees (counting both full- and part-time employees but excluding political appointees), then it has to prepare an EEOP and submit it to OCR for review within 60 days from the date ofthis letter. For assistance in developing an EEOP, please consult OCR's website at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ocr/. You may also request technical assistance from an EEOP specialist at OCR by dialing (202) 616-3208. If your organization received an award between $25,000 and $500,000 and has 50 or more employees, your organization still has to prepare an EEOP, but it does not have submit the EEOP to OCR for review. Instead, your organization has to maintain the EEOP on file and make it available for review on request. In addition, your organization has to complete Section B of the enclosed Certification Fonn and return it to OCR. If your organization received an award for less than $25,000; or if your organization has less than 50 employees, regardless of the amount of the award; or if your organization is a medical institution, educational institution, nonprofit organization or Indian tribe, then your organization is exempt from the EEOP requirement. However, your organization must complete Section A of the enclosed Certification Fonn and return it to OCR.