Rules Regarding Equal Opportunity, 57343-57351 [2018-24613]
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57343
Proposed Rules
Federal Register
Vol. 83, No. 221
Thursday, November 15, 2018
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains notices to the public of the proposed
issuance of rules and regulations. The
purpose of these notices is to give interested
persons an opportunity to participate in the
rule making prior to the adoption of the final
rules.
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
12 CFR Part 268
[Docket No. R–1630]
RIN 7100–AF 23
Rules Regarding Equal Opportunity
Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
AGENCY:
The Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System (the Board) is
proposing to revise and expand its equal
employment opportunity regulation to
adopt recent changes the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) had made to its rules. The
Board’s proposed rule is intended to
provide Board employees, applicants for
employment, and others with the same
substantive and procedural rights
generally guaranteed to others under
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
the Equal Pay Act, the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act, and
the Rehabilitation Act and thus to
comply with the spirit of those laws.
The Board’s proposed rule also clarifies
provisions related to Board employees’
right to bring a claim before the Merit
System Protection Board and the
Federal Labor Relations Board.
DATES: Comments on the notice of
proposed rulemaking must be received
on or before December 17, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by Docket No. R–[1630 and
RIN 7100–AF 23], by any of the
following methods:
• Agency Website:
www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments at
www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/
foia/ProposedRegs.cfm.
• Email: regs.comments@
federalreservegov. Include the docket
number in the subject line of the
message.
• Fax: (202) 452–3819 or (202) 452–
3102.
• Mail: Ann E. Misback, Secretary,
Board of Governors of the Federal
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SUMMARY:
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Reserve System, 20th Street and
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20551.
All public comments will be made
available on the Board’s website at
https://www.federalreserve.gov/
generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm as
submitted, unless modified for technical
reasons or to remove personally
identifiable information at the
commenter’s request. Accordingly,
comments will not be edited to remove
any identifying or contact information.
Public comments may also be viewed
electronically or in paper in Room 3515,
1801 K Street NW (between 18th and
19th Streets NW), between 9:00 a.m. and
5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sheila Clark, Program Director, Office of
Diversity and Inclusion, Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, (202) 452–2883. For the hearing
impaired only, Telecommunications
Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may
contact 202–263–4869.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The terms
of Board employment are established by
the Federal Reserve Act and rules
established by the Board. 12 U.S.C. 244
(Section 244 provides that the
‘‘employment, compensation, leave, and
expenses’’ of Board employees ‘‘shall be
governed solely by the provisions of this
chapter and rules and regulations of the
Board not inconsistent therewith.’’)
Although the Board has broad discretion
to establish the terms of Board
employment and can establish terms
that deviate from the rights afforded to
other government employees, the Board,
as a matter of policy, has long aligned
its employment practices with federal
laws that provide for equal employment
opportunity. Pursuant to this policy,
Part 268 was issued by the Board to
provide equal opportunity in
employment in compliance with the
spirit of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 (Title VII), the Equal Pay Act,
the Age Discrimination in Employment
Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. Part 268
has not been updated in several years,
and the Board is now proposing to
amend it in order to better align its
practices with those of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission’s
(EEOC’s) rules. The proposed revisions
to Part 268 would:
1. Amend section 268.101 to prohibit
discrimination on the basis of genetic
information to ensure compliance with
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the Genetic Information
Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)
and to make conforming changes
throughout to reflect this proposed
change.
2. Amend section 268.102(b)(3) to
clarify that the Board follows
Commission guidance and management
directives relating to advice for ensuring
compliance with Title VII, the Equal Pay
Act, the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act, GINA, and the
Rehabilitation Act.
3. Amend section 268.1 to remove
references to hiring and granting
information access since those rules will
be incorporated into internal Board
policies;
4. Amend section 268.106(a)(5) to
adopt the EEOC’s rule requiring
dismissal of complaints that allege
discrimination on the basis of proposed
personnel actions or other preliminary
steps unless the complainant has
alleged that the proposal or preliminary
step is retaliatory;
5. Amend section 268.107(e) to
require Board staff, EEO investigators,
and complainants to comply with the
Board’s program for the security of
Federal Open Market Committee
(FOMC) information when investigating
and processing complaints that require
access to FOMC information;
6. Amend section 268.107(g) to adopt
the EEOC’s rule on investigating
complaints which requires agencies that
have not completed an investigation
within EEOC’s time limits to send a
notice to the complainant indicating the
investigation is not complete, providing
the date by which it will be completed,
and explaining that the complainant has
the right to request a hearing or file a
lawsuit;
7. Amend section 268.201 to reflect
updated address information for the
EEOC;
8. Amend section 268.203 to more
closely reflect the EEOC’s approach to
designing an affirmative action plan for
individuals with disabilities;
9. Amend section 268.204 and section
268.401 to reflect the EEOC’s rules for
processing class complaints;
10. Remove section 268.205 since its
subject is not related to equal
employment opportunity rules and
since rules for hiring and granting
access to information will be
incorporated into the Board’s internal
policies;
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11. Remove section 268.302 to
eliminate procedures for handling
mixed case complaints since mixed case
complaints cannot be brought against
the Board;
12. Amend section 268.403 to update
address information and to incorporate
the EEOC’s rule that agencies submit
appellate records and complaint files to
the EEOC in a digital format that is
acceptable to the EEOC;
13. Add a new section 268.405(b) to
adopt the EEOC’s procedures for class
complaints which provide that an
administrative judge’s decision on the
merits of a class complaint is a final
decision which the Board can fully
implement or appeal in its final action
and to provide for expedited processing
of appeals of decisions to accept or
dismiss class complaints;
14. Amend section 268.502(c) to
adopt the EEOC’s rule which permits
agencies up to 120 days to provide the
particular relief the EEOC ordered; and
15. Amend section 268.710 to make
changes to headings and titles to
conform to the EEOC’s rules and to the
Board’s functional titles.
Changes To Align With EEOC Rules
Except as described below, the above
changes are necessary to align the
Board’s employment practices and
complaint processing with the EEOC’s
rules. The proposed revisions to Part
268 are designed to align the Board’s
practices with changes the EEOC has
made to its rules on Federal Sector
Equal Employment Opportunity found
at 29 CFR part 1614. In addition, the
amendment to section 268.102(b)(3) is
proposed in order to clarify that the
Board follows Commission guidance
and management directives relating to
advice for ensuring compliance with
Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act,
GINA, and the Rehabilitation Act.
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Complying With FOMC Security
Requirements
Currently part 268 requires Board
staff, EEO investigators, and
complainants to protect confidential
information of the Board but does not
expressly address confidential FOMC
information. Because it is conceivable
that a complaint could require access to
FOMC information, and because FOMC
information is not solely Board
information, the Board proposes
amending section 268.107(e)(2) to
expressly require those seeking access to
FOMC information to agree to abide by
the Program for Security of FOMC
Information before being granted access
to such information. This will ensure
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that FOMC information is protected in
the same manner as other confidential
Board information.
Remove Rules Related to Hiring and
Granting Information Access
The revisions also eliminate section
268.205, which discusses the Board’s
rules for hiring non-citizens and for
allowing access to confidential
supervisory information (CSI) and
FOMC information. The subject matter
of this section is not relevant to the
Board’s equal employment opportunity
rules. Thus, the proposed revisions
would remove this section from the
Board’s equal employment opportunity
regulation. Going forward, rules relating
to the hiring of non-citizens and
governing access to CSI and FOMC
information will be incorporated in the
Board’s internal management policies.
Eliminate References to Mixed Case
Complaints
The revisions would eliminate section
268.302, which addresses procedures
that apply to ‘‘mixed case complaints.’’
A mixed case complaint is an
employment complaint which raises
violations of both EEO laws (over which
the EEOC retains jurisdiction) and merit
system principles, created by certain
civil service laws over which the Merit
Systems Protection Board (MSPB)
retains jurisdiction. The Board is not
subject to the MSPB’s jurisdiction in
light of its employment authorities
under the Federal Reserve Act. Thus,
the revisions would remove this
provision of the regulation.
Update Titles To Reflect the Board’s
Organizational Structure
The revisions proposed to Subpart H
reflect changes to the Board’s
organizational structure since the last
time the Board updated its EEO
Regulation. Subpart H prohibits
discrimination on the basis of disability
in programs or activities conducted by
the Board and describes how to file
complaints alleging such
discrimination. The complaint process
described in Subpart H incorporates
references to position titles that are no
longer in use at the Board. For example,
Subpart H refers to the Equal
Employment Opportunity Office, which
has since been replaced by the Office of
Diversity and Inclusion; to an EEO
Program Director, which has since been
replaced by the Office of Diversity and
Inclusion Program Director; and to a
Staff Director for Management, which
has been replaced by the Chief
Operating Officer. The amendments to
Subpart H replace the out-of-date titles
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with up-to-date information each place
the rule refers to such titles.
Regulatory Analysis
A. Paperwork Reduction Act
Certain provisions of the proposed
rule contain ‘‘collection of information’’
requirements within the meaning of the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3501–3521). In accordance
with the requirements of the PRA, the
Board may not conduct or sponsor, and
the respondent is not required to
respond to, an information collection
unless it displays a currently valid
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) control number. The OMB
control number for the Board is 7100–
0313. The Board will address the
information collection requirements
associated with this proposed rule
under a separate Federal Register
notice.
B. Regulatory Flexibility Act: Initial
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5
U.S.C. 601 et seq., requires a regulatory
flexibility analysis only for rules that
will have a significant impact on a
substantial number of small entities.
Because this rulemaking applies
exclusively to Board employees and
applicants for employment, the
Regulatory Flexibility Act does not
apply.
C. Plain Language
Section 722 of the Gramm-LeachBliley Act requires each federal banking
agency to use plain language in all rules
published after January 1, 2000. In light
of this requirement, the Board believes
this rule is presented in a simple and
straightforward manner and is
consistent with this ‘‘plain language’’
directive.
List of Subjects
12 CFR Part 268
Administrative practice and
procedure, Aged, Civil rights, Equal
employment opportunity, Federal
buildings and facilities, Genetic
information, Government employees,
Individuals with disabilities, Religious
discrimination, Sex discrimination,
Wages.
Authority and Issuance
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, the Board proposes to amend
12 CFR part 268 as set forth below:
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PART 268—RULES REGARDING
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Subpart A—General Provisions and
Administration
1. The authority citation for part 268
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 12 U.S.C. 244 and 248(i), (k)
and (l).
2. In § 268.1 revise paragraph (b) to
read as follows:
■
§ 268.1
Authority, purpose and scope.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) Purpose and scope. This part sets
forth the Board’s policy, program and
procedures for providing equal
opportunity to Board employees and
applicants for employment without
regard to race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, disability, or
genetic information. It also sets forth the
Board’s policy, program and procedures
for prohibiting discrimination on the
basis of disability in programs and
activities conducted by the Board.
■ 3. Revise § 268.101 to read as follows:
§ 268.101 General policy for equal
opportunity.
(a) It is the policy of the Board to
provide equal opportunity in
employment for all persons, to prohibit
discrimination in employment because
of race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, age, disability, or genetic
information and to promote the full
realization of equal opportunity in
employment through a continuing
affirmative program.
(b) No person shall be subject to
retaliation for opposing any practice
made unlawful by Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act (title VII) (42 U.S.C. 2000e et
seq.), the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act (ADEA) (29 U.S.C. 621
et seq.), the Equal Pay Act (29 U.S.C.
206(d)), the Rehabilitation Act (29
U.S.C. 791 et seq.), or the Genetic
Information Nondiscrimination Act
(GINA) (42 U.S.C. 2000ff et seq.) or for
participating in any stage of
administrative or judicial proceedings
under those statutes.
■ 4. In § 268.102 revise paragraphs
(a)(4), (b)(3) and (4) to read as follows:
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§ 268.102 Board program for equal
employment opportunity.
(a) * * *
(4) Communicate the Board’s equal
employment opportunity policy and
program and its employment needs to
all sources of job candidates without
regard to race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age disability, or genetic
information, and solicit their
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recruitment assistance on a continuing
basis;
*
*
*
*
*
(b) * * *
(3) Appraise its personnel operations
at regular intervals to assure their
conformity with the Board’s program,
this part 268 and the instructions
contained in the Commission’s
management directives relating to
advice for ensuring compliance with the
provisions of title VII, the Equal Pay
Act, the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act, GINA, and the
Rehabilitation Act.
(4) Designate a Director for Equal
Employment Opportunity (EEO
Programs Director), EEO Officer(s), and
such Special Emphasis Program
Managers/Coordinators (e.g., People
with Disabilities Program, Federal
Women’s Program and Hispanic
Employment Program), clerical and
administrative support as may be
necessary to carry out the functions
described in this part in all
organizational units of the Board and at
all Board installations. The EEO
Programs Director shall be under the
immediate supervision of the Chair. The
EEO Programs Director may also serve
as the Director of the Office of Diversity
and Inclusion.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 5. In § 268.103 revise paragraph (a) to
read as follows:
§ 268.103 Complaints of discrimination
covered by this part.
(a) Individual and class complaints of
employment discrimination and
retaliation prohibited by title VII
(discrimination on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex and national origin),
the ADEA (discrimination on the basis
of age when the aggrieved person is at
least 40 years of age), the Rehabilitation
Act (discrimination on the basis of
disability), the Equal Pay Act (sex-based
wage discrimination), or GINA
(discrimination on the basis of genetic
information) shall be processed in
accordance with this part. Complaints
alleging retaliation prohibited by these
statutes are considered to be complaints
of discrimination for purposes of this
part.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 6. In § 268.104 revise intro paragraph
(a) and paragraph (d) to read as follows:
§ 268.104
Pre-complaint processing.
(a) Aggrieved persons who believe
they have been discriminated against on
the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age disability, or genetic
information must consult a Counselor
prior to filing a complaint in order to try
to informally resolve the matter.
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* * *
(d) Unless the aggrieved person agrees
to a longer counseling period under
paragraph (e) of this section, or the
aggrieved person chooses an alternative
dispute resolution procedure in
accordance with paragraph (b)(2) of this
section, the Counselor shall conduct the
final interview with the aggrieved
person within 30 days of the date the
aggrieved person contacted the Board’s
Office of Diversity and Inclusion to
request counseling. If the matter has not
been resolved, the aggrieved person
shall be informed in writing by the
Counselor, not later than the thirtieth
day after contacting the Counselor, of
the right to file a discrimination
complaint with the Board. This notice
shall inform the complainant of the
right to file a discrimination complaint
within 15 days of receipt of the notice,
of the appropriate official with whom to
file a complaint and of the
complainant’s duty to assure that the
Programs Director is informed
immediately if the complainant retains
counsel or a representative.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 7. In § 268.106 revise paragraphs (a)(4)
and (5) to read as follows:
§ 268.106
Dismissals of complaints.
(a) * * *
(4) Reserved.
(5) That is moot or alleges that a
proposal to take a personnel action, or
other preliminary step to taking a
personnel action, is discriminatory,
unless the complaint alleges that the
proposal or preliminary step is
retaliatory;
*
*
*
*
*
■ 8. Amend § 268.107 by:
■ a. Adding a sentence at the end of
paragraph (e)(2);
■ b. Redesignating paragraph (g) as
paragraph (h) and adding new
paragraph (g).
The additions and redesignation read
as follows.
§ 268.107
Investigation of complaints.
*
*
*
*
*
(e) (1) * * *
(2) * * * Confidential supervisory
information, as defined in 12 CFR
261.2(c), and other confidential
information of the Board may be
included in the investigative file by the
investigator, the EEO Programs Director,
or another appropriate officer of the
Board, where such information is
relevant to the complaint. Neither the
complainant nor the complainant’s
personal representative may make
further disclosure of such information,
however, except in compliance with the
Board’s Rules Regarding Availability of
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Information, 12 CFR part 261, and
where applicable, the Board’s Rules
Regarding Access to Personal
Information under the Privacy Act of
1974, 12 CFR part 261a. Any party or
individual, including an investigator,
who requires access to FOMC
information must agree to abide by the
Program for Security of FOMC
Information before being granted access
to such information.
*
*
*
*
*
(g) If the Board does not send the
notice required in paragraph (f) of this
section within the applicable time
limits, it shall, within those same time
limits, issue a written notice to the
complainant informing the complainant
that it has been unable to complete its
investigation within the time limits
required by § 268.107(f) and estimating
a date by which the investigation will be
completed. Further, the notice must
explain that if the complainant does not
want to wait until the agency completes
the investigation, he or she may request
a hearing in accordance with paragraph
(h) of this section, or file a civil action
in an appropriate United States District
Court in accordance with § 268.406(b).
Such notice shall contain information
about the hearing procedures.
■ 8. In § 268.108 revise the subject
heading of paragraph (g) to read as
follows:
§ 268.108
Hearings.
*
*
*
*
*
(g) Summary Judgement. * * *
*
*
*
*
*
■ 9. Amend § 268.201 by revising
paragraph (a) and introductory text
paragraph (c) to read as follows:
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§ 268.201 Age Discrimination in
Employment Act.
(a) As an alternative to filing a
complaint under this part, an aggrieved
individual may file a civil action in a
United States district court under the
ADEA against the agency after giving
the Commission not less than 30 days’
notice of the intent to file such an
action. Such notice must be filed in
writing with EEOC, at P.O. Box 77960,
Washington, DC 20013, or by personal
delivery or facsimile within 180 days of
the occurrence of the alleged unlawful
practice.
* * *
(c) When an individual has filed an
administrative complaint alleging age
discrimination, administrative remedies
will be considered to be exhausted for
purposes of filing a civil action:
* * *
■ 10. Revise § 268.203 to read as
follows:
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§ 268.203
Rehabilitation Act.
(a) Definitions. The following
definitions apply for purposes of this
section:
(1) The term ADA means title I of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
as amended (42 U.S.C. 12101 through
12117), title V of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, as amended (42 U.S.C.
12201 through 12213), as it applies to
employment, and the regulations of the
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission implementing titles I and V
of the ADA at 29 CFR part 1630.
(2) The term disability means
disability as defined under 29 CFR
1630.2(g) through (l).
(3) The term hiring authority that
takes disability into account means a
hiring authority established under
written Board policy that permits the
Board to consider disability status
during the hiring process.
(4) The term personal assistance
service provider means an employee or
independent contractor whose primary
job functions include provision of
personal assistance services.
(5) The term personal assistance
services means assistance with
performing activities of daily living that
an individual would typically perform if
he or she did not have a disability, and
that is not otherwise required as a
reasonable accommodation, including,
for example, assistance with removing
and putting on clothing, eating, and
using the restroom.
(6) The term Plan means an
affirmative action plan for the hiring,
placement, and advancement of
individuals with disabilities.
(7) Reserved.
(8) The term Section 501 means
section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 791).
(9) The term targeted disability means
a disability that is designated as a
‘‘targeted disability or health condition’’
on the Office of Personnel
Management’s Standard Form 256 or
that falls under one of the first 12
categories of disability listed in Part A
of question 5 of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission’s
Demographic Information on Applicants
form.
(10) The term undue hardship has the
meaning set forth in 29 CFR part 1630.
(b) Nondiscrimination. The Board
shall not discriminate on the basis of
disability in regard to the hiring,
advancement or discharge of employees,
employee compensation, job training, or
other terms, conditions, and privileges
of employment. The standards used to
determine whether Section 501 has been
violated in a complaint alleging
employment discrimination under this
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part shall be the standards applied
under the ADA.
(c) Model employer. The Board shall
be a model employer of individuals
with disabilities. The Board shall give
full consideration to the hiring,
advancement, and retention of qualified
individuals with disabilities in its
workforce. The Board shall also take
affirmative action to promote the
recruitment, hiring, and advancement of
qualified individuals with disabilities,
with the goal of eliminating underrepresentation of individuals with
disabilities in the Board’s workforce.
(d) Affirmative action plan. The Board
shall adopt and implement a Plan that
provides sufficient assurances,
procedures, and commitments to
provide adequate hiring, placement, and
advancement opportunities for
individuals with disabilities at all levels
of Board employment. The Board’s Plan
must meet the following criteria:
(1) Disability hiring and advancement
program—
(i) Recruitment. The Plan shall require
the Board to take specific steps to
ensure that a broad range of individuals
with disabilities, including individuals
with targeted disabilities, will be aware
of and be encouraged to apply for job
vacancies when eligible. Such steps
shall include, at a minimum—
(A) Use of programs and resources
that identify job applicants with
disabilities, including individuals with
targeted disabilities, who are eligible to
be appointed under a hiring authority
that takes disability into account,
examples of which could include
programs that provide the qualifications
necessary for particular positions within
the Board to individuals with
disabilities, databases of individuals
with disabilities who previously applied
to the Board but were not hired for the
positions they applied for, and training
and internship programs that lead
directly to employment for individuals
with disabilities; and
(B) Establishment and maintenance of
contacts (which may include formal
agreements) with organizations that
specialize in providing assistance to
individuals with disabilities, including
individuals with targeted disabilities, in
securing and maintaining employment,
such as American Job Centers, State
Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, the
Veterans’ Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Program, Centers for
Independent Living, and Employment
Network service providers.
(ii) Application process. The Plan
shall ensure that the Board has
designated sufficient staff to handle any
disability-related issues that arise
during the application and selection
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processes, and shall require the Board to
provide such individuals with sufficient
training, support, and other resources to
carry out their responsibilities under
this section. Such responsibilities shall
include, at a minimum—
(A) Ensuring that disability-related
questions from members of the public
regarding the agency’s application and
selection processes are answered
promptly and correctly, including
questions about reasonable
accommodations needed by job
applicants during the application and
selection processes and questions about
how individuals may apply for
appointment under hiring authorities
that take disability into account;
(B) Processing requests for reasonable
accommodations needed by job
applicants during the application and
placement processes, and ensuring that
the Board provides such
accommodations when required to do so
under the standards set forth in 29 CFR
part 1630;
(C) Accepting applications for
appointment under hiring authorities
that take disability into account, if
permitted under written Board policy;
(D) If an individual has applied for
appointment to a particular position
under a hiring authority that takes
disability into account, determining
whether the individual is eligible for
appointment under such authority, and,
if so, forwarding the individual’s
application to the relevant hiring
officials with an explanation of how and
when the individual may be appointed,
consistent with all applicable laws;
(E) Overseeing any other Board
programs designed to increase hiring of
individuals with disabilities.
(iii) Advancement program. The Plan
shall require the Board to take specific
steps to ensure that current employees
with disabilities have sufficient
opportunities for advancement. Such
steps may include, for example—
(A) Efforts to ensure that employees
with disabilities are informed of and
have opportunities to enroll in relevant
training, including management training
when eligible;
(B) Development or maintenance of a
mentoring program for employees with
disabilities; and
(C) Administration of exit interviews
that include questions on how the Board
could improve the recruitment, hiring,
inclusion, and advancement of
individuals with disabilities.
(2) Disability anti-harassment policy.
The Plan shall require the Board to state
specifically in its anti-harassment policy
that harassment based on disability is
prohibited, and to include in its training
materials examples of the types of
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conduct that would constitute
disability-based harassment.
(3) Reasonable accommodation—
(i) Procedures. The Plan shall require
the Board to adopt, post on its public
website, and make available to all job
applicants and employees in written
and accessible formats, reasonable
accommodation procedures that are
easy to understand and that, at a
minimum—
(A) Explain relevant terms such as
‘‘reasonable accommodation,’’
‘‘disability,’’ ‘‘interactive process,’’
‘‘qualified,’’ and ‘‘undue hardship,’’
consistent with applicable statutory and
regulatory definitions, using examples
where appropriate;
(B) Explain that reassignment to a
vacant position for which an employee
is qualified, and not just permission to
compete for such position, is a
reasonable accommodation, and that the
Board must consider providing
reassignment to a vacant position as a
reasonable accommodation when it
determines that no other reasonable
accommodation will permit an
employee with a disability to perform
the essential functions of his or her
current position;
(C) Notify supervisors and other
relevant Board employees how and
where they are to conduct searches for
available vacancies when considering
reassignment as a reasonable
accommodation;
(D) Explain that an individual may
request a reasonable accommodation
orally or in writing at any time, need not
fill out any specific form in order for the
interactive process to begin, and need
not have a particular accommodation in
mind before making a request, and that
the request may be made to a supervisor
or manager in the individual’s chain of
command, the office designated by the
Board to oversee the reasonable
accommodation process, any Board
employee connected with the
application process, or any other
individual designated by the Board to
accept such requests;
(E) Include any forms the Board uses
in connection with a reasonable
accommodation request as attachments,
and indicate that such forms are
available in alternative formats that are
accessible to people with disabilities;
(F) Describe the Board’s process for
determining whether to provide a
reasonable accommodation, including
the interactive process, and provide
contact information for the individual or
program office from whom requesters
will receive a final decision;
(G) Provide guidance to supervisors
on how to recognize requests for
reasonable accommodation;
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(H) Require that decision makers
communicate, early in the interactive
process and periodically throughout the
process, with individuals who have
requested a reasonable accommodation;
(I) Explain when the Board may
require an individual who requests a
reasonable accommodation to provide
medical information that is sufficient to
explain the nature of the individual’s
disability, his or her need for reasonable
accommodation, and how the requested
accommodation, if any, will assist the
individual to apply for a job, perform
the essential functions of a job, or enjoy
the benefits and privileges of the
workplace;
(J) Explain the Board’s right to request
relevant supplemental medical
information if the information
submitted by the requester is
insufficient for the purposes specified in
paragraph (d)(3)(i)(I) of this section;
(K) Explain the Board’s right to have
medical information reviewed by a
medical expert of the Board’s choosing
at the Board’s expense;
(L) Explain the Board’s obligation to
keep medical information confidential,
in accordance with applicable laws and
regulations, and the limited
circumstances under which such
information may be disclosed;
(M) Designate the maximum amount
of time the Board has, absent
extenuating circumstances, to either
provide a requested accommodation or
deny the request, and explain that the
time limit begins to run when the
accommodation is first requested;
(N) Explain that the Board will not be
expected to adhere to its usual timelines
if an individual’s health professional
fails to provide needed documentation
in a timely manner;
(O) Explain that, where a particular
reasonable accommodation can be
provided in less than the maximum
amount of time permitted under
paragraph (d)(3)(i)(M) of this section,
failure to provide the accommodation in
a prompt manner may result in a
violation of the Rehabilitation Act;
(P) Provide for expedited processing
of requests for reasonable
accommodations that are needed sooner
than the maximum allowable time frame
permitted under paragraph (d)(3)(i)(M)
of this section;
(Q) Explain that, when all the facts
and circumstances known to the Board
make it reasonably likely that an
individual will be entitled to a
reasonable accommodation, but the
accommodation cannot be provided
immediately, the Board shall provide an
interim accommodation that allows the
individual to perform some or all of the
essential functions of his or her job, if
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it is possible to do so without imposing
undue hardship on the Board;
(R) Inform applicants and employees
how they may track the processing of
requests for reasonable accommodation;
(S) Explain that, where there is a
delay in either processing a request for
or providing a reasonable
accommodation, the Board must notify
the individual of the reason for the
delay, including any extenuating
circumstances that justify the delay;
(T) Explain that individuals who have
been denied reasonable
accommodations have the right to file
complaints pursuant to 12 CFR 268.105;
(U) Encourage the use of voluntary
informal dispute resolution processes
that individuals may use to obtain
prompt reconsideration of denied
requests for reasonable accommodation;
(V) Provide that the Board shall give
the requester a notice consistent with
the requirements of paragraph (d)(3)(iii)
of this section at the time a request for
reasonable accommodation is denied;
and
(W) Provide information on how to
access additional information regarding
reasonable accommodation, including,
at a minimum, Commission guidance
and technical assistance documents.
(ii) Cost of accommodations. The Plan
shall require the Board to take specific
steps to ensure that requests for
reasonable accommodation are not
denied for reasons of cost, and that
individuals with disabilities are not
excluded from employment due to the
anticipated cost of a reasonable
accommodation, if the resources
available to the Board as a whole,
excluding those designated by statute
for a specific purpose that does not
include reasonable accommodation,
would enable it to provide an effective
reasonable accommodation without
undue hardship. Such steps shall be
reasonably designed to, at a minimum—
(A) Ensure that anyone who is
authorized to grant or deny requests for
reasonable accommodation or to make
hiring decisions is aware that, pursuant
to the regulations implementing the
undue hardship defense at 29 CFR part
1630, all resources available to the
agency as a whole, excluding those
designated by statute for a specific
purpose that does not include
reasonable accommodation, are
considered when determining whether a
denial of reasonable accommodation
based on cost is lawful; and
(B) Ensure that anyone authorized to
grant or deny requests for reasonable
accommodation or to make hiring
decisions is aware of, and knows how
to arrange for the use of, Board
resources available to provide the
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accommodation, including any
centralized fund the Board may have for
that purpose.
(iii) Notification of basis for denial.
The Plan shall require the Board to
provide a job applicant or employee
who is denied a reasonable
accommodation with a written notice at
the time of the denial, in an accessible
format when requested, that—
(A) Explains the reasons for the denial
and notifies the job applicant or
employee of any available internal
appeal or informal dispute resolution
processes;
(B) Informs the job applicant or
employee of the right to challenge the
denial by filing a complaint of
discrimination under this part;
(C) Provides instructions on how to
file such a complaint; and
(D) Explains that, pursuant to 12 CFR
268.105, the right to file a complaint
will be lost unless the job applicant or
employee initiates contact with an EEO
Counselor within 45 days of the denial,
regardless of whether the applicant or
employee participates in an informal
dispute resolution process.
(4) Accessibility of facilities and
technology—
(i) Notice of rights. The Plan shall
require the Board to adopt, post on its
public website, and make available to
all employees in written and accessible
formats, a notice that—
(A) Explains their rights under
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, 29 U.S.C. 794d, concerning the
accessibility of agency technology, and
the Architectural Barriers Act, 42 U.S.C.
4151 through 4157, concerning the
accessibility of agency building and
facilities;
(B) Provides contact information for a
Board employee who is responsible for
ensuring the physical accessibility of
the Board’s facilities under the
Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, and
a Board employee who is responsible for
ensuring that the electronic and
information technology purchased,
maintained, or used by the agency is
readily accessible to, and usable by,
individuals with disabilities, as required
by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973; and
(C) Provides instructions on how to
file complaints alleging violations of the
accessibility requirements of the
Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973.
(ii) Assistance with filing complaints
at other agencies. If the Board’s
investigation of a complaint filed under
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 or the Architectural Barriers Act of
1968 shows that a different entity is
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responsible for the alleged violation, the
Plan shall require the Board to inform
the individual who filed the complaint
where he or she may file a complaint
against the other entity, if possible.
(5) Personal assistance services
allowing employees to participate in the
workplace—
(i) Obligation to provide personal
assistance services. The Plan shall
require the Board to provide an
employee with, in addition to
professional services required as a
reasonable accommodation under the
standards set forth in 29 CFR part 1630,
personal assistance services during
work hours and job-related travel if
(A) The employee requires such
services because of a targeted disability;
(B) Provision of such services would,
together with any reasonable
accommodations required under the
standards set forth in 29 CFR part 1630,
enable the employee to perform the
essential functions of his or her
position; and
(C) Provision of such services would
not impose undue hardship on the
Board.
(ii) Service providers. The Plan shall
state that personal assistance services
required under paragraph (d)(5)(i) of
this section must be performed by a
personal assistance service provider.
The Plan may permit the Board to
require personal assistance service
providers to provide personal assistance
services to more than one individual.
The Plan may also permit the Board to
require personal assistance service
providers to perform tasks unrelated to
personal assistance services, but only to
the extent that doing so does not result
in failure to provide personal assistance
services required under paragraph
(d)(5)(i) of this section in a timely
manner.
(iii) No adverse action. The Plan shall
prohibit the Board from taking adverse
actions against job applicants or
employees based on their need for, or
perceived need for, personal assistance
services.
(iv) Selection of personal assistance
service providers. The Plan shall require
the Board, when selecting someone who
will provide personal assistance
services to a single individual, to give
primary consideration to the
individual’s preferences to the extent
permitted by law.
(v) Written procedures. The Plan shall
require the Board to adopt, post on its
public website, and make available to
all job applicants and employees in
written and accessible formats,
procedures for processing requests for
personal assistance services. The Board
may satisfy this requirement by stating,
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in the procedures required under
paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this section, that
the process for requesting personal
assistance services, the process for
determining whether such services are
required, and the Board’s right to deny
such requests when provision of the
services would pose an undue hardship,
are the same as for reasonable
accommodations.
(6) Utilization analysis—
(i) Current utilization. The Plan shall
require the Board to perform a
workforce analysis annually to
determine the percentage of its
employees at each grade and salary level
who have disabilities, and the
percentage of its employees at each
grade and salary level who have targeted
disabilities.
(ii) Source of data. For purposes of
the analysis required under paragraph
(d)(6)(i) of this section an employee may
be classified as an individual with a
disability or an individual with a
targeted disability on the basis of—
(A) The individual’s selfidentification as an individual with a
disability or an individual with a
targeted disability on a form, including
but not limited to the Office of
Personnel Management’s Standard Form
256, which states that the information
collected will be kept confidential and
used only for statistical purposes, and
that completion of the form is voluntary;
(B) Records relating to the
individual’s appointment under a hiring
authority that takes disability into
account, if applicable; and
(C) Records relating to the
individual’s requests for reasonable
accommodation, if any.
(iii) Data accuracy. The Plan shall
require the Board to take steps to ensure
that data collected pursuant to
paragraph (d)(6)(i) of this section are
accurate.
(7) Goals—
(i) Adoption. The Plan shall commit
the Board to the goal of ensuring that—
(A) No less than 12% of employees
who have salaries equal to or greater
than employees at the GS–11, step 1
level in the Washington, DC locality, are
individuals with disabilities;
(B) No less than 12% of employees
who have salaries less than employees
at the GS–11, step 1 level in the
Washington, DC locality, are individuals
with disabilities;
(C) No less than 2% of employees
who have salaries equal to or greater
than employees at the GS–11, step 1
level in the Washington, DC locality, are
individuals with targeted disabilities;
and
(D) No less than 2% of employees
who have salaries less than employees
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at the GS–11, step 1 level in the
Washington, DC locality, are individuals
with targeted disabilities.
(ii) Progression toward goals. The
Plan shall require the Board to take
specific steps that are reasonably
designed to gradually increase the
number of persons with disabilities or
targeted disabilities employed at the
Board until it meets the goals
established pursuant to paragraph
(d)(7)(i) of this section. Examples of
such steps include, but are not limited
to—
(A) Increased use of hiring authorities
that take disability into account to hire
or promote individuals with disabilities
or targeted disabilities, as applicable;
(B) To the extent permitted by
applicable laws, consideration of
disability or targeted disability status as
a positive factor in hiring, promotion, or
assignment decisions;
(C) Disability-related training and
education campaigns for all employees
in the Board;
(D) Additional outreach or
recruitment efforts;
(E) Increased efforts to hire and retain
individuals who require supported
employment because of a disability,
who have retained the services of a job
coach at their own expense or at the
expense of a third party, and who may
be given permission to use the job coach
during work hours as a reasonable
accommodation without imposing
undue hardship on the Board; and
(F) Adoption of training, mentoring,
or internship programs for individuals
with disabilities.
(8) Recordkeeping. The Plan shall
require the Board to keep records that it
may use to determine whether it is
complying with the nondiscrimination
and affirmative action requirements
imposed under Section 501, and to
make such records available to the
Commission upon the Commission’s
request, including, at a minimum,
records of—
(i) The number of job applications
received from individuals with
disabilities, and the number of
individuals with disabilities who were
hired by the Board;
(ii) The number of job applications
received from individuals with targeted
disabilities, and the number of
individuals with targeted disabilities
who were hired by the Board;
(iii) All rescissions of conditional job
offers, demotions, and terminations
taken against applicants or employees as
a result of medical examinations or
inquiries;
(iv) All Board employees hired under
special hiring authority for person with
certain disabilities, and each such
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employee’s date of hire, entering grade
level, probationary status, and current
grade level;
(v) The number of employees
appointed under special hiring
authority for persons with certain
disabilities who successfully completed
the Board’s Provisional Employment
period and the number of such
employees who were terminate prior to
the end of their Provisional
Employment period; and
(vi) Details about each request for
reasonable accommodation including, at
a minimum—
(A) The specific reasonable
accommodation requested, if any;
(B) The job sought by the requesting
applicant or held by the requesting
employee;
(C) Whether the accommodation was
needed to apply for a job, perform the
essential functions of a job, or enjoy the
benefits and privileges of employment;
(D) Whether the request was granted
(which may include an accommodation
different from the one requested) or
denied;
(E) The identity of the deciding
official;
(F) If denied, the basis for such denial;
and
(G) The number of days taken to
process the request.
(e) Reporting—
(1) Submission to the Commission. On
an annual basis the Board shall submit
to the Commission at such time and in
such manner as the Commission deems
appropriate—
(i) A copy of its current Plan;
(ii) The results of the two most recent
workforce analyses performed pursuant
to paragraph (d)(6) of this section
showing the percentage of employees
with disabilities and employees with
targeted disabilities in each of the
designated pay groups;
(iii) The number of individuals
appointed to positions within the Board
under special hiring authority for
persons with certain disabilities during
the previous year, and the total number
of employees whose employment at the
Board began by appointment under
special hiring authority for persons with
certain disabilities; and
(iv) A list of changes made to the Plan
since the prior submission, if any, and
an explanation of why those changes
were made.
(2) Availability to the public. The
Board shall make the information
submitted to the Commission pursuant
to paragraph (e)(1) of this section
available to the public by, at a
minimum, posting a copy of the
submission on its public website and
providing a means by which members of
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the public may request copies of the
submission in accessible formats.
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■ 11. Amend § 268.204 by revising
paragraphs (i) through (k); and the third
sentence of paragraph (l)(3) to read as
follows:
§ 268.204
Class complaints.
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(i) Decisions. The administrative
judge shall transmit to the agency and
class agent a decision on the complaint,
including findings, systemic relief for
the class and any individual relief,
where appropriate, with regard to the
personnel action or matter that gave rise
to the complaint. If the administrative
judge finds no class relief appropriate,
he or she shall determine if a finding of
individual discrimination is warranted
and if so, shall order appropriate relief.
(j) Board final action. (1) Within 60
days of receipt of the administrative
judge’s decision on the complaint, the
Board shall take final action by issuing
a final order. The final order shall notify
the class agent whether or not the Board
will fully implement the decision of the
administrative judge and shall contain
notice of the class agent’s right to appeal
to the Commission, the right to file a
civil action in federal district court, the
name of the proper defendant in any
such lawsuit, and the applicable time
limits for appeals and lawsuits. If the
final order does not fully implement the
decision of the administrative judge,
then the Board shall simultaneously file
an appeal in accordance with § 268.403
and append a copy of the appeal to the
final order. A copy of EEOC Form 573
shall be attached to the final order.
(2) If the Board does not issue a final
order within 60 days of receipt of the
administrative judge’s decision, then the
decision of the administrative judge
shall become the final action of the
Board.
(3) A final order on a class complaint
shall, subject to subpart E of this part,
be binding on all members of the class
and the Board.
(k) Notification of final action: The
Board shall notify class members of the
final action and the relief awarded, if
any, through the same media employed
to give notice of the existence of the
class complaint. The notice, where
appropriate, shall include information
concerning the rights of class members
to seek individual relief, and of the
procedures to be followed. Notice shall
be given by the Board within 10 days of
the transmittal of the final action to the
agent.
(l) * * *
(3) * * * The claim must include a
specific detailed showing that the
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claimant is a class member who was
affected by the discriminatory policy or
practice, and that this discriminatory
action took place within the period of
time for which class-wide
discrimination was found in the final
order. * * *
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§ 268.205
■
[Removed and Reserved]
12. Remove and Reserve § 268.205.
§ 268.302
[Removed and Reserved]
13. Remove and Reserve § 268.302.
14. Amend § 268.401 by revising
paragraph (c) to read as follows:
■
■
§ 268.401 Appeals to the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission.
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(c) A class agent or the Board may
appeal an administrative judge’s
decision accepting or dismissing all or
part of a class complaint; a class agent
may appeal the Board’s final action or
the Board may appeal an administrative
judge’s decision on a class complaint; a
class member may appeal a final
decision on a claim for individual relief
under a class complaint; and a class
member, a class agent or the Board may
appeal a final decision on a petition
pursuant to § 268.204(g)(4).
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■ 15. In § 268.403, revise paragraph (a)
and add new paragraph (g) to read as
follows:
§ 268.403
How to appeal.
(a) The complainant, the Board, agent
or individual class claimant (hereinafter
appellant) must file an appeal with the
Director, Office of Federal Operations,
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, at P.O. Box 77960,
Washington, DC 20013, or
electronically, or by personal delivery or
facsimile. The appellant should use
EEOC Form 573, Notice of Appeal/
Petition, and should indicate what is
being appealed.
*
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(g) The Board will submit appeals,
complaint files, and other filings to the
Commission’s Office of Federal
Operations in a digital format acceptable
to the Commission, absent a showing of
good cause why the Board cannot
submit digital records. Appellants are
encouraged, but not required, to submit
digital appeals and supporting
documentation to the Commission’s
Office of Federal Operations in a format
acceptable to the Commission.
■ 16. Amend § 268.405 by revising the
third sentence to paragraph (a), revising
paragraphs (b) and (c), and adding (d).
The addition and revisions read as
follows:
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§ 268.405
Decisions on appeals.
(a) * * * The Office of Federal
Operations, on behalf of the
Commission, shall issue a written
decision setting forth its reasons for the
decision. The Commission shall dismiss
appeals in accordance with §§ 268.106,
268.403(c) and 268.408. The decision
shall be based on the preponderance of
the evidence. The decision on an appeal
from the Board’s final action shall be
based on a de novo review, except that
the review of the factual findings in a
decision by an administrative judge
issued pursuant to § 268.108(i) shall be
based on a substantial evidence
standard of review. If the decision
contains a finding of discrimination,
appropriate remedy(ies) shall be
included and, where appropriate, the
entitlement to interest, attorney’s fees or
costs shall be indicated. The decision
shall reflect the date of its issuance,
inform the complainant of his or her
civil action rights, and be transmitted to
the complainant and the Board by first
class mail. * * *
(b) The Office of Federal Operations,
on behalf of the Commission, shall issue
decisions on appeals of decisions to
accept or dismiss a class complaint
issued pursuant to § 268.204(d)(7)
within 90 days of receipt of the appeal.
(c) A decision issued under paragraph
(a) of this section is final within the
meaning of § 268.406 unless the Board
issues a final decision under paragraph
(d) of this section or unless a timely
request for reconsideration is filed by a
party to the case. A party may request
reconsideration within 30 days of
receipt of a decision of the Commission,
which the Commission in its discretion
may grant, if the party demonstrates
that:
(1) The appellate decision involved a
clearly erroneous interpretation of
material fact or law; or
(2) The decision will have a
substantial impact on the policies,
practices, or operations of the Board.
(d) The Board, within 30 days of
receiving a decision of the Commission,
may issue a final decision based upon
that decision, which shall be final
within the meaning of § 268.406.
■ 17. In § 268.502, revise paragraphs
(b)(2) and (c) to read as follows:
§ 268.502 Compliance with final
Commission decisions.
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(b) * * *
(2) When the Board requests
reconsideration, it may delay the
payment of any amounts ordered to be
paid to the complainant until after the
request for reconsideration is resolved.
If the Board delays payment of any
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amount pending the outcome of the
request to reconsider and the resolution
of the request (including under
§ 268.405(d)) requires the Board to make
the payment, then the Board shall pay
interest from the date of the original
appellate decision until payment is
made.
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(c) When no request for
reconsideration or final decision under
§ 268.405(d) is filed or when a request
for reconsideration is denied, the Board
shall provide the relief ordered and
there is no further right to delay
implementation of the ordered relief.
The relief shall be provided in full not
later than 120 days after receipt of the
final decision unless otherwise ordered
in the decision.
■ 18. In § 268.504 revise paragraph (c) to
read as follows:
§ 268.504 Compliance with settlement
agreements and final actions.
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(c) Prior to rendering its
determination, the Commission may
request that the parties submit whatever
additional information or
documentation it deems necessary or
may direct that an investigation or
hearing on the matter be conducted. If
the Commission determines that the
Board is not in compliance with a
decision or a settlement agreement, and
the noncompliance is not attributable to
acts or conduct of the complainant, it
may order such compliance with the
decision or settlement agreement, or,
alternatively, for a settlement
agreement, it may order that the
complaint be reinstated for further
processing from the point processing
ceased. Allegations that subsequent acts
of discrimination violate a settlement
agreement shall be processed as separate
complaints under §§ 268.105 or 268.204,
as appropriate, rather than under this
section.
■ 19. Amend § 268.710 by:
■ a. Removing the words ‘‘EEO’’ each
place it appears;
■ b. Removing the words ‘‘Staff Director
for Management’’ each place they
appear and replace them with the words
‘‘Chief Operating Officer’’;
■ c. Revising paragraph (c) to remove
the words ‘‘EEO Programs Director’’ and
replace them with the words ‘‘Office of
Diversity and Inclusion Programs
Director’’ (‘Programs Director’)’’;
■ d. Revising the second sentence of
paragraph (d)(4) to insert the words
‘‘Office of Diversity and Inclusion’’ after
the words ‘‘Programs Director’’ and
before the words ‘‘Board of Governors.’’
The revisions read as follows:
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§ 268.710
Compliance procedures.
*
*
*
*
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(c) Responsible official. The Office of
Diversity and Inclusion Programs
Director’’ (‘Programs Director’) shall be
responsible for coordinating
implementation of this section.
(d) * * *
(4) * * * How to file. Complaints may
be delivered or mailed to the
Administrative Governor, the Chief
Operating Officer, the EEO Programs
Director, the Federal Women’s Program
Manager, the Hispanic Employment
Program Coordinator, or the People with
Disabilities Program Coordinator.
Complaints should be sent to the
Programs Director, Office of Diversity
and Inclusion, Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System, 20th and C
Street NW, Washington, DC 20551. If
any Board official other than the
Programs Director receives a complaint,
he or she shall forward the complaint to
the Programs Director.* * *
*
*
*
*
*
By order of the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System, November 1, 2018.
Ann Misback,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2018–24613 Filed 11–14–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210–01–P
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
12 CFR Chapter II
[Docket No. OP–1625]
Potential Federal Reserve Actions To
Support Interbank Settlement of Faster
Payments, Request for Comments
As part of its overall mission,
the Federal Reserve has a fundamental
interest in ensuring there is a safe and
robust U.S. payment system, including
a settlement infrastructure on which the
private sector can provide innovative
faster payment services that serve the
broad public interest. Accordingly, the
Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System (Board) is seeking input
on potential actions that the Federal
Reserve could take to promote
ubiquitous, safe, and efficient faster
payments in the United States by
facilitating real-time interbank
settlement of faster payments. While the
Board is not committing to any specific
actions, potential actions include the
Federal Reserve Banks developing a
service for 24x7x365 real-time interbank
settlement of faster payments; and a
liquidity management tool that would
enable transfers between Federal
Reserve accounts on a 24x7x365 basis to
support services for real-time interbank
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
57351
settlement of faster payments, whether
those services are provided by the
private sector or the Federal Reserve
Banks. The Board is seeking input on
whether these actions, separately or in
combination, or alternative approaches,
would help achieve ubiquitous,
nationwide access to safe and efficient
faster payments.
DATES: Comments on the potential
actions must be received on or before
December 14, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
identified by Docket No. OP–1625, by
any of the following methods:
• Agency Website: https://
www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments at
https://www.federalreserve.gov/general
info/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm.
• Email: regs.comments@
federalreserve.gov. Include docket
number in the subject line of the
message.
• FAX: (202) 452–3819 or (202) 452–
3102.
• Mail: Ann Misback, Secretary,
Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System, 20th Street and
Constitution Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20551.
All public comments will be made
available on the Board’s website at
https://www.federalreserve.gov/general
info/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm as
submitted, unless modified for technical
reasons or to remove personally
identifiable information at the
commenter’s request. Accordingly,
comments will not be edited to remove
any identifying or contact information.
Public comments may also be viewed
electronically or in paper in Room 3515,
1801 K Street NW (between 18th and
19th Streets NW), between 9:00 a.m. and
5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kirstin Wells, Principal Economist
(202–452–2962), Mark Manuszak,
Manager (202–721–4509), Susan V.
Foley, Senior Associate Director (202–
452–3596), Division of Reserve Bank
Operations and Payment Systems, or
Gavin Smith, Senior Counsel, Legal
Division (202–452–3474), Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve
System; for the hearing impaired and
users of Telecommunications Device for
the Deaf (TDD) only, contact 202–263–
4869.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Context for Public Comment
A. The Reasons for Faster Payments
Broad trends in society based on
technological advancements have
changed the ways that people interact
E:\FR\FM\15NOP1.SGM
15NOP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 221 (Thursday, November 15, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 57343-57351]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24613]
========================================================================
Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 221 / Thursday, November 15, 2018 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 57343]]
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
12 CFR Part 268
[Docket No. R-1630]
RIN 7100-AF 23
Rules Regarding Equal Opportunity
AGENCY: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the
Board) is proposing to revise and expand its equal employment
opportunity regulation to adopt recent changes the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had made to its rules. The Board's
proposed rule is intended to provide Board employees, applicants for
employment, and others with the same substantive and procedural rights
generally guaranteed to others under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act,
and the Rehabilitation Act and thus to comply with the spirit of those
laws. The Board's proposed rule also clarifies provisions related to
Board employees' right to bring a claim before the Merit System
Protection Board and the Federal Labor Relations Board.
DATES: Comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking must be received
on or before December 17, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. R-[1630
and RIN 7100-AF 23], by any of the following methods:
Agency Website: www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments at www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm.
Email: [email protected] Include the docket
number in the subject line of the message.
Fax: (202) 452-3819 or (202) 452-3102.
Mail: Ann E. Misback, Secretary, Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20551.
All public comments will be made available on the Board's website
at https://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm as
submitted, unless modified for technical reasons or to remove
personally identifiable information at the commenter's request.
Accordingly, comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or
contact information. Public comments may also be viewed electronically
or in paper in Room 3515, 1801 K Street NW (between 18th and 19th
Streets NW), between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila Clark, Program Director, Office
of Diversity and Inclusion, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, (202) 452-2883. For the hearing impaired only,
Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) users may contact 202-263-
4869.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The terms of Board employment are
established by the Federal Reserve Act and rules established by the
Board. 12 U.S.C. 244 (Section 244 provides that the ``employment,
compensation, leave, and expenses'' of Board employees ``shall be
governed solely by the provisions of this chapter and rules and
regulations of the Board not inconsistent therewith.'') Although the
Board has broad discretion to establish the terms of Board employment
and can establish terms that deviate from the rights afforded to other
government employees, the Board, as a matter of policy, has long
aligned its employment practices with federal laws that provide for
equal employment opportunity. Pursuant to this policy, Part 268 was
issued by the Board to provide equal opportunity in employment in
compliance with the spirit of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
(Title VII), the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment
Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. Part 268 has not been updated in
several years, and the Board is now proposing to amend it in order to
better align its practices with those of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission's (EEOC's) rules. The proposed revisions to Part
268 would:
1. Amend section 268.101 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of
genetic information to ensure compliance with the Genetic Information
Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) and to make conforming changes
throughout to reflect this proposed change.
2. Amend section 268.102(b)(3) to clarify that the Board follows
Commission guidance and management directives relating to advice for
ensuring compliance with Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act, GINA, and the Rehabilitation Act.
3. Amend section 268.1 to remove references to hiring and granting
information access since those rules will be incorporated into internal
Board policies;
4. Amend section 268.106(a)(5) to adopt the EEOC's rule requiring
dismissal of complaints that allege discrimination on the basis of
proposed personnel actions or other preliminary steps unless the
complainant has alleged that the proposal or preliminary step is
retaliatory;
5. Amend section 268.107(e) to require Board staff, EEO
investigators, and complainants to comply with the Board's program for
the security of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) information when
investigating and processing complaints that require access to FOMC
information;
6. Amend section 268.107(g) to adopt the EEOC's rule on
investigating complaints which requires agencies that have not
completed an investigation within EEOC's time limits to send a notice
to the complainant indicating the investigation is not complete,
providing the date by which it will be completed, and explaining that
the complainant has the right to request a hearing or file a lawsuit;
7. Amend section 268.201 to reflect updated address information for
the EEOC;
8. Amend section 268.203 to more closely reflect the EEOC's
approach to designing an affirmative action plan for individuals with
disabilities;
9. Amend section 268.204 and section 268.401 to reflect the EEOC's
rules for processing class complaints;
10. Remove section 268.205 since its subject is not related to
equal employment opportunity rules and since rules for hiring and
granting access to information will be incorporated into the Board's
internal policies;
[[Page 57344]]
11. Remove section 268.302 to eliminate procedures for handling
mixed case complaints since mixed case complaints cannot be brought
against the Board;
12. Amend section 268.403 to update address information and to
incorporate the EEOC's rule that agencies submit appellate records and
complaint files to the EEOC in a digital format that is acceptable to
the EEOC;
13. Add a new section 268.405(b) to adopt the EEOC's procedures for
class complaints which provide that an administrative judge's decision
on the merits of a class complaint is a final decision which the Board
can fully implement or appeal in its final action and to provide for
expedited processing of appeals of decisions to accept or dismiss class
complaints;
14. Amend section 268.502(c) to adopt the EEOC's rule which permits
agencies up to 120 days to provide the particular relief the EEOC
ordered; and
15. Amend section 268.710 to make changes to headings and titles to
conform to the EEOC's rules and to the Board's functional titles.
Changes To Align With EEOC Rules
Except as described below, the above changes are necessary to align
the Board's employment practices and complaint processing with the
EEOC's rules. The proposed revisions to Part 268 are designed to align
the Board's practices with changes the EEOC has made to its rules on
Federal Sector Equal Employment Opportunity found at 29 CFR part 1614.
In addition, the amendment to section 268.102(b)(3) is proposed in
order to clarify that the Board follows Commission guidance and
management directives relating to advice for ensuring compliance with
Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act,
GINA, and the Rehabilitation Act.
Complying With FOMC Security Requirements
Currently part 268 requires Board staff, EEO investigators, and
complainants to protect confidential information of the Board but does
not expressly address confidential FOMC information. Because it is
conceivable that a complaint could require access to FOMC information,
and because FOMC information is not solely Board information, the Board
proposes amending section 268.107(e)(2) to expressly require those
seeking access to FOMC information to agree to abide by the Program for
Security of FOMC Information before being granted access to such
information. This will ensure that FOMC information is protected in the
same manner as other confidential Board information.
Remove Rules Related to Hiring and Granting Information Access
The revisions also eliminate section 268.205, which discusses the
Board's rules for hiring non-citizens and for allowing access to
confidential supervisory information (CSI) and FOMC information. The
subject matter of this section is not relevant to the Board's equal
employment opportunity rules. Thus, the proposed revisions would remove
this section from the Board's equal employment opportunity regulation.
Going forward, rules relating to the hiring of non-citizens and
governing access to CSI and FOMC information will be incorporated in
the Board's internal management policies.
Eliminate References to Mixed Case Complaints
The revisions would eliminate section 268.302, which addresses
procedures that apply to ``mixed case complaints.'' A mixed case
complaint is an employment complaint which raises violations of both
EEO laws (over which the EEOC retains jurisdiction) and merit system
principles, created by certain civil service laws over which the Merit
Systems Protection Board (MSPB) retains jurisdiction. The Board is not
subject to the MSPB's jurisdiction in light of its employment
authorities under the Federal Reserve Act. Thus, the revisions would
remove this provision of the regulation.
Update Titles To Reflect the Board's Organizational Structure
The revisions proposed to Subpart H reflect changes to the Board's
organizational structure since the last time the Board updated its EEO
Regulation. Subpart H prohibits discrimination on the basis of
disability in programs or activities conducted by the Board and
describes how to file complaints alleging such discrimination. The
complaint process described in Subpart H incorporates references to
position titles that are no longer in use at the Board. For example,
Subpart H refers to the Equal Employment Opportunity Office, which has
since been replaced by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion; to an EEO
Program Director, which has since been replaced by the Office of
Diversity and Inclusion Program Director; and to a Staff Director for
Management, which has been replaced by the Chief Operating Officer. The
amendments to Subpart H replace the out-of-date titles with up-to-date
information each place the rule refers to such titles.
Regulatory Analysis
A. Paperwork Reduction Act
Certain provisions of the proposed rule contain ``collection of
information'' requirements within the meaning of the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521). In accordance with
the requirements of the PRA, the Board may not conduct or sponsor, and
the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection
unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) control number. The OMB control number for the Board is 7100-
0313. The Board will address the information collection requirements
associated with this proposed rule under a separate Federal Register
notice.
B. Regulatory Flexibility Act: Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., requires a
regulatory flexibility analysis only for rules that will have a
significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. Because
this rulemaking applies exclusively to Board employees and applicants
for employment, the Regulatory Flexibility Act does not apply.
C. Plain Language
Section 722 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires each federal
banking agency to use plain language in all rules published after
January 1, 2000. In light of this requirement, the Board believes this
rule is presented in a simple and straightforward manner and is
consistent with this ``plain language'' directive.
List of Subjects
12 CFR Part 268
Administrative practice and procedure, Aged, Civil rights, Equal
employment opportunity, Federal buildings and facilities, Genetic
information, Government employees, Individuals with disabilities,
Religious discrimination, Sex discrimination, Wages.
Authority and Issuance
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Board proposes to
amend 12 CFR part 268 as set forth below:
[[Page 57345]]
PART 268--RULES REGARDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Subpart A--General Provisions and Administration
0
1. The authority citation for part 268 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 12 U.S.C. 244 and 248(i), (k) and (l).
0
2. In Sec. 268.1 revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:
Sec. 268.1 Authority, purpose and scope.
* * * * *
(b) Purpose and scope. This part sets forth the Board's policy,
program and procedures for providing equal opportunity to Board
employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color,
religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic
information. It also sets forth the Board's policy, program and
procedures for prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in
programs and activities conducted by the Board.
0
3. Revise Sec. 268.101 to read as follows:
Sec. 268.101 General policy for equal opportunity.
(a) It is the policy of the Board to provide equal opportunity in
employment for all persons, to prohibit discrimination in employment
because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age,
disability, or genetic information and to promote the full realization
of equal opportunity in employment through a continuing affirmative
program.
(b) No person shall be subject to retaliation for opposing any
practice made unlawful by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (title VII)
(42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
(ADEA) (29 U.S.C. 621 et seq.), the Equal Pay Act (29 U.S.C. 206(d)),
the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 791 et seq.), or the Genetic
Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) (42 U.S.C. 2000ff et seq.) or
for participating in any stage of administrative or judicial
proceedings under those statutes.
0
4. In Sec. 268.102 revise paragraphs (a)(4), (b)(3) and (4) to read as
follows:
Sec. 268.102 Board program for equal employment opportunity.
(a) * * *
(4) Communicate the Board's equal employment opportunity policy and
program and its employment needs to all sources of job candidates
without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age
disability, or genetic information, and solicit their recruitment
assistance on a continuing basis;
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(3) Appraise its personnel operations at regular intervals to
assure their conformity with the Board's program, this part 268 and the
instructions contained in the Commission's management directives
relating to advice for ensuring compliance with the provisions of title
VII, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, GINA,
and the Rehabilitation Act.
(4) Designate a Director for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO
Programs Director), EEO Officer(s), and such Special Emphasis Program
Managers/Coordinators (e.g., People with Disabilities Program, Federal
Women's Program and Hispanic Employment Program), clerical and
administrative support as may be necessary to carry out the functions
described in this part in all organizational units of the Board and at
all Board installations. The EEO Programs Director shall be under the
immediate supervision of the Chair. The EEO Programs Director may also
serve as the Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
* * * * *
0
5. In Sec. 268.103 revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:
Sec. 268.103 Complaints of discrimination covered by this part.
(a) Individual and class complaints of employment discrimination
and retaliation prohibited by title VII (discrimination on the basis of
race, color, religion, sex and national origin), the ADEA
(discrimination on the basis of age when the aggrieved person is at
least 40 years of age), the Rehabilitation Act (discrimination on the
basis of disability), the Equal Pay Act (sex-based wage
discrimination), or GINA (discrimination on the basis of genetic
information) shall be processed in accordance with this part.
Complaints alleging retaliation prohibited by these statutes are
considered to be complaints of discrimination for purposes of this
part.
* * * * *
0
6. In Sec. 268.104 revise intro paragraph (a) and paragraph (d) to
read as follows:
Sec. 268.104 Pre-complaint processing.
(a) Aggrieved persons who believe they have been discriminated
against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
age disability, or genetic information must consult a Counselor prior
to filing a complaint in order to try to informally resolve the matter.
* * *
(d) Unless the aggrieved person agrees to a longer counseling
period under paragraph (e) of this section, or the aggrieved person
chooses an alternative dispute resolution procedure in accordance with
paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the Counselor shall conduct the final
interview with the aggrieved person within 30 days of the date the
aggrieved person contacted the Board's Office of Diversity and
Inclusion to request counseling. If the matter has not been resolved,
the aggrieved person shall be informed in writing by the Counselor, not
later than the thirtieth day after contacting the Counselor, of the
right to file a discrimination complaint with the Board. This notice
shall inform the complainant of the right to file a discrimination
complaint within 15 days of receipt of the notice, of the appropriate
official with whom to file a complaint and of the complainant's duty to
assure that the Programs Director is informed immediately if the
complainant retains counsel or a representative.
* * * * *
0
7. In Sec. 268.106 revise paragraphs (a)(4) and (5) to read as
follows:
Sec. 268.106 Dismissals of complaints.
(a) * * *
(4) Reserved.
(5) That is moot or alleges that a proposal to take a personnel
action, or other preliminary step to taking a personnel action, is
discriminatory, unless the complaint alleges that the proposal or
preliminary step is retaliatory;
* * * * *
0
8. Amend Sec. 268.107 by:
0
a. Adding a sentence at the end of paragraph (e)(2);
0
b. Redesignating paragraph (g) as paragraph (h) and adding new
paragraph (g).
The additions and redesignation read as follows.
Sec. 268.107 Investigation of complaints.
* * * * *
(e) (1) * * *
(2) * * * Confidential supervisory information, as defined in 12
CFR 261.2(c), and other confidential information of the Board may be
included in the investigative file by the investigator, the EEO
Programs Director, or another appropriate officer of the Board, where
such information is relevant to the complaint. Neither the complainant
nor the complainant's personal representative may make further
disclosure of such information, however, except in compliance with the
Board's Rules Regarding Availability of
[[Page 57346]]
Information, 12 CFR part 261, and where applicable, the Board's Rules
Regarding Access to Personal Information under the Privacy Act of 1974,
12 CFR part 261a. Any party or individual, including an investigator,
who requires access to FOMC information must agree to abide by the
Program for Security of FOMC Information before being granted access to
such information.
* * * * *
(g) If the Board does not send the notice required in paragraph (f)
of this section within the applicable time limits, it shall, within
those same time limits, issue a written notice to the complainant
informing the complainant that it has been unable to complete its
investigation within the time limits required by Sec. 268.107(f) and
estimating a date by which the investigation will be completed.
Further, the notice must explain that if the complainant does not want
to wait until the agency completes the investigation, he or she may
request a hearing in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section, or
file a civil action in an appropriate United States District Court in
accordance with Sec. 268.406(b). Such notice shall contain information
about the hearing procedures.
0
8. In Sec. 268.108 revise the subject heading of paragraph (g) to read
as follows:
Sec. 268.108 Hearings.
* * * * *
(g) Summary Judgement. * * *
* * * * *
0
9. Amend Sec. 268.201 by revising paragraph (a) and introductory text
paragraph (c) to read as follows:
Sec. 268.201 Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
(a) As an alternative to filing a complaint under this part, an
aggrieved individual may file a civil action in a United States
district court under the ADEA against the agency after giving the
Commission not less than 30 days' notice of the intent to file such an
action. Such notice must be filed in writing with EEOC, at P.O. Box
77960, Washington, DC 20013, or by personal delivery or facsimile
within 180 days of the occurrence of the alleged unlawful practice.
* * *
(c) When an individual has filed an administrative complaint
alleging age discrimination, administrative remedies will be considered
to be exhausted for purposes of filing a civil action:
* * *
0
10. Revise Sec. 268.203 to read as follows:
Sec. 268.203 Rehabilitation Act.
(a) Definitions. The following definitions apply for purposes of
this section:
(1) The term ADA means title I of the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990, as amended (42 U.S.C. 12101 through 12117), title V of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 12201 through
12213), as it applies to employment, and the regulations of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission implementing titles I and V of the
ADA at 29 CFR part 1630.
(2) The term disability means disability as defined under 29 CFR
1630.2(g) through (l).
(3) The term hiring authority that takes disability into account
means a hiring authority established under written Board policy that
permits the Board to consider disability status during the hiring
process.
(4) The term personal assistance service provider means an employee
or independent contractor whose primary job functions include provision
of personal assistance services.
(5) The term personal assistance services means assistance with
performing activities of daily living that an individual would
typically perform if he or she did not have a disability, and that is
not otherwise required as a reasonable accommodation, including, for
example, assistance with removing and putting on clothing, eating, and
using the restroom.
(6) The term Plan means an affirmative action plan for the hiring,
placement, and advancement of individuals with disabilities.
(7) Reserved.
(8) The term Section 501 means section 501 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 791).
(9) The term targeted disability means a disability that is
designated as a ``targeted disability or health condition'' on the
Office of Personnel Management's Standard Form 256 or that falls under
one of the first 12 categories of disability listed in Part A of
question 5 of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Demographic
Information on Applicants form.
(10) The term undue hardship has the meaning set forth in 29 CFR
part 1630.
(b) Nondiscrimination. The Board shall not discriminate on the
basis of disability in regard to the hiring, advancement or discharge
of employees, employee compensation, job training, or other terms,
conditions, and privileges of employment. The standards used to
determine whether Section 501 has been violated in a complaint alleging
employment discrimination under this part shall be the standards
applied under the ADA.
(c) Model employer. The Board shall be a model employer of
individuals with disabilities. The Board shall give full consideration
to the hiring, advancement, and retention of qualified individuals with
disabilities in its workforce. The Board shall also take affirmative
action to promote the recruitment, hiring, and advancement of qualified
individuals with disabilities, with the goal of eliminating under-
representation of individuals with disabilities in the Board's
workforce.
(d) Affirmative action plan. The Board shall adopt and implement a
Plan that provides sufficient assurances, procedures, and commitments
to provide adequate hiring, placement, and advancement opportunities
for individuals with disabilities at all levels of Board employment.
The Board's Plan must meet the following criteria:
(1) Disability hiring and advancement program--
(i) Recruitment. The Plan shall require the Board to take specific
steps to ensure that a broad range of individuals with disabilities,
including individuals with targeted disabilities, will be aware of and
be encouraged to apply for job vacancies when eligible. Such steps
shall include, at a minimum--
(A) Use of programs and resources that identify job applicants with
disabilities, including individuals with targeted disabilities, who are
eligible to be appointed under a hiring authority that takes disability
into account, examples of which could include programs that provide the
qualifications necessary for particular positions within the Board to
individuals with disabilities, databases of individuals with
disabilities who previously applied to the Board but were not hired for
the positions they applied for, and training and internship programs
that lead directly to employment for individuals with disabilities; and
(B) Establishment and maintenance of contacts (which may include
formal agreements) with organizations that specialize in providing
assistance to individuals with disabilities, including individuals with
targeted disabilities, in securing and maintaining employment, such as
American Job Centers, State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies, the
Veterans' Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, Centers for
Independent Living, and Employment Network service providers.
(ii) Application process. The Plan shall ensure that the Board has
designated sufficient staff to handle any disability-related issues
that arise during the application and selection
[[Page 57347]]
processes, and shall require the Board to provide such individuals with
sufficient training, support, and other resources to carry out their
responsibilities under this section. Such responsibilities shall
include, at a minimum--
(A) Ensuring that disability-related questions from members of the
public regarding the agency's application and selection processes are
answered promptly and correctly, including questions about reasonable
accommodations needed by job applicants during the application and
selection processes and questions about how individuals may apply for
appointment under hiring authorities that take disability into account;
(B) Processing requests for reasonable accommodations needed by job
applicants during the application and placement processes, and ensuring
that the Board provides such accommodations when required to do so
under the standards set forth in 29 CFR part 1630;
(C) Accepting applications for appointment under hiring authorities
that take disability into account, if permitted under written Board
policy;
(D) If an individual has applied for appointment to a particular
position under a hiring authority that takes disability into account,
determining whether the individual is eligible for appointment under
such authority, and, if so, forwarding the individual's application to
the relevant hiring officials with an explanation of how and when the
individual may be appointed, consistent with all applicable laws;
(E) Overseeing any other Board programs designed to increase hiring
of individuals with disabilities.
(iii) Advancement program. The Plan shall require the Board to take
specific steps to ensure that current employees with disabilities have
sufficient opportunities for advancement. Such steps may include, for
example--
(A) Efforts to ensure that employees with disabilities are informed
of and have opportunities to enroll in relevant training, including
management training when eligible;
(B) Development or maintenance of a mentoring program for employees
with disabilities; and
(C) Administration of exit interviews that include questions on how
the Board could improve the recruitment, hiring, inclusion, and
advancement of individuals with disabilities.
(2) Disability anti-harassment policy. The Plan shall require the
Board to state specifically in its anti-harassment policy that
harassment based on disability is prohibited, and to include in its
training materials examples of the types of conduct that would
constitute disability-based harassment.
(3) Reasonable accommodation--
(i) Procedures. The Plan shall require the Board to adopt, post on
its public website, and make available to all job applicants and
employees in written and accessible formats, reasonable accommodation
procedures that are easy to understand and that, at a minimum--
(A) Explain relevant terms such as ``reasonable accommodation,''
``disability,'' ``interactive process,'' ``qualified,'' and ``undue
hardship,'' consistent with applicable statutory and regulatory
definitions, using examples where appropriate;
(B) Explain that reassignment to a vacant position for which an
employee is qualified, and not just permission to compete for such
position, is a reasonable accommodation, and that the Board must
consider providing reassignment to a vacant position as a reasonable
accommodation when it determines that no other reasonable accommodation
will permit an employee with a disability to perform the essential
functions of his or her current position;
(C) Notify supervisors and other relevant Board employees how and
where they are to conduct searches for available vacancies when
considering reassignment as a reasonable accommodation;
(D) Explain that an individual may request a reasonable
accommodation orally or in writing at any time, need not fill out any
specific form in order for the interactive process to begin, and need
not have a particular accommodation in mind before making a request,
and that the request may be made to a supervisor or manager in the
individual's chain of command, the office designated by the Board to
oversee the reasonable accommodation process, any Board employee
connected with the application process, or any other individual
designated by the Board to accept such requests;
(E) Include any forms the Board uses in connection with a
reasonable accommodation request as attachments, and indicate that such
forms are available in alternative formats that are accessible to
people with disabilities;
(F) Describe the Board's process for determining whether to provide
a reasonable accommodation, including the interactive process, and
provide contact information for the individual or program office from
whom requesters will receive a final decision;
(G) Provide guidance to supervisors on how to recognize requests
for reasonable accommodation;
(H) Require that decision makers communicate, early in the
interactive process and periodically throughout the process, with
individuals who have requested a reasonable accommodation;
(I) Explain when the Board may require an individual who requests a
reasonable accommodation to provide medical information that is
sufficient to explain the nature of the individual's disability, his or
her need for reasonable accommodation, and how the requested
accommodation, if any, will assist the individual to apply for a job,
perform the essential functions of a job, or enjoy the benefits and
privileges of the workplace;
(J) Explain the Board's right to request relevant supplemental
medical information if the information submitted by the requester is
insufficient for the purposes specified in paragraph (d)(3)(i)(I) of
this section;
(K) Explain the Board's right to have medical information reviewed
by a medical expert of the Board's choosing at the Board's expense;
(L) Explain the Board's obligation to keep medical information
confidential, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and
the limited circumstances under which such information may be
disclosed;
(M) Designate the maximum amount of time the Board has, absent
extenuating circumstances, to either provide a requested accommodation
or deny the request, and explain that the time limit begins to run when
the accommodation is first requested;
(N) Explain that the Board will not be expected to adhere to its
usual timelines if an individual's health professional fails to provide
needed documentation in a timely manner;
(O) Explain that, where a particular reasonable accommodation can
be provided in less than the maximum amount of time permitted under
paragraph (d)(3)(i)(M) of this section, failure to provide the
accommodation in a prompt manner may result in a violation of the
Rehabilitation Act;
(P) Provide for expedited processing of requests for reasonable
accommodations that are needed sooner than the maximum allowable time
frame permitted under paragraph (d)(3)(i)(M) of this section;
(Q) Explain that, when all the facts and circumstances known to the
Board make it reasonably likely that an individual will be entitled to
a reasonable accommodation, but the accommodation cannot be provided
immediately, the Board shall provide an interim accommodation that
allows the individual to perform some or all of the essential functions
of his or her job, if
[[Page 57348]]
it is possible to do so without imposing undue hardship on the Board;
(R) Inform applicants and employees how they may track the
processing of requests for reasonable accommodation;
(S) Explain that, where there is a delay in either processing a
request for or providing a reasonable accommodation, the Board must
notify the individual of the reason for the delay, including any
extenuating circumstances that justify the delay;
(T) Explain that individuals who have been denied reasonable
accommodations have the right to file complaints pursuant to 12 CFR
268.105;
(U) Encourage the use of voluntary informal dispute resolution
processes that individuals may use to obtain prompt reconsideration of
denied requests for reasonable accommodation;
(V) Provide that the Board shall give the requester a notice
consistent with the requirements of paragraph (d)(3)(iii) of this
section at the time a request for reasonable accommodation is denied;
and
(W) Provide information on how to access additional information
regarding reasonable accommodation, including, at a minimum, Commission
guidance and technical assistance documents.
(ii) Cost of accommodations. The Plan shall require the Board to
take specific steps to ensure that requests for reasonable
accommodation are not denied for reasons of cost, and that individuals
with disabilities are not excluded from employment due to the
anticipated cost of a reasonable accommodation, if the resources
available to the Board as a whole, excluding those designated by
statute for a specific purpose that does not include reasonable
accommodation, would enable it to provide an effective reasonable
accommodation without undue hardship. Such steps shall be reasonably
designed to, at a minimum--
(A) Ensure that anyone who is authorized to grant or deny requests
for reasonable accommodation or to make hiring decisions is aware that,
pursuant to the regulations implementing the undue hardship defense at
29 CFR part 1630, all resources available to the agency as a whole,
excluding those designated by statute for a specific purpose that does
not include reasonable accommodation, are considered when determining
whether a denial of reasonable accommodation based on cost is lawful;
and
(B) Ensure that anyone authorized to grant or deny requests for
reasonable accommodation or to make hiring decisions is aware of, and
knows how to arrange for the use of, Board resources available to
provide the accommodation, including any centralized fund the Board may
have for that purpose.
(iii) Notification of basis for denial. The Plan shall require the
Board to provide a job applicant or employee who is denied a reasonable
accommodation with a written notice at the time of the denial, in an
accessible format when requested, that--
(A) Explains the reasons for the denial and notifies the job
applicant or employee of any available internal appeal or informal
dispute resolution processes;
(B) Informs the job applicant or employee of the right to challenge
the denial by filing a complaint of discrimination under this part;
(C) Provides instructions on how to file such a complaint; and
(D) Explains that, pursuant to 12 CFR 268.105, the right to file a
complaint will be lost unless the job applicant or employee initiates
contact with an EEO Counselor within 45 days of the denial, regardless
of whether the applicant or employee participates in an informal
dispute resolution process.
(4) Accessibility of facilities and technology--
(i) Notice of rights. The Plan shall require the Board to adopt,
post on its public website, and make available to all employees in
written and accessible formats, a notice that--
(A) Explains their rights under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794d, concerning the accessibility of agency
technology, and the Architectural Barriers Act, 42 U.S.C. 4151 through
4157, concerning the accessibility of agency building and facilities;
(B) Provides contact information for a Board employee who is
responsible for ensuring the physical accessibility of the Board's
facilities under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, and a Board
employee who is responsible for ensuring that the electronic and
information technology purchased, maintained, or used by the agency is
readily accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities, as
required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and
(C) Provides instructions on how to file complaints alleging
violations of the accessibility requirements of the Architectural
Barriers Act of 1968 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
(ii) Assistance with filing complaints at other agencies. If the
Board's investigation of a complaint filed under Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
shows that a different entity is responsible for the alleged violation,
the Plan shall require the Board to inform the individual who filed the
complaint where he or she may file a complaint against the other
entity, if possible.
(5) Personal assistance services allowing employees to participate
in the workplace--
(i) Obligation to provide personal assistance services. The Plan
shall require the Board to provide an employee with, in addition to
professional services required as a reasonable accommodation under the
standards set forth in 29 CFR part 1630, personal assistance services
during work hours and job-related travel if
(A) The employee requires such services because of a targeted
disability;
(B) Provision of such services would, together with any reasonable
accommodations required under the standards set forth in 29 CFR part
1630, enable the employee to perform the essential functions of his or
her position; and
(C) Provision of such services would not impose undue hardship on
the Board.
(ii) Service providers. The Plan shall state that personal
assistance services required under paragraph (d)(5)(i) of this section
must be performed by a personal assistance service provider. The Plan
may permit the Board to require personal assistance service providers
to provide personal assistance services to more than one individual.
The Plan may also permit the Board to require personal assistance
service providers to perform tasks unrelated to personal assistance
services, but only to the extent that doing so does not result in
failure to provide personal assistance services required under
paragraph (d)(5)(i) of this section in a timely manner.
(iii) No adverse action. The Plan shall prohibit the Board from
taking adverse actions against job applicants or employees based on
their need for, or perceived need for, personal assistance services.
(iv) Selection of personal assistance service providers. The Plan
shall require the Board, when selecting someone who will provide
personal assistance services to a single individual, to give primary
consideration to the individual's preferences to the extent permitted
by law.
(v) Written procedures. The Plan shall require the Board to adopt,
post on its public website, and make available to all job applicants
and employees in written and accessible formats, procedures for
processing requests for personal assistance services. The Board may
satisfy this requirement by stating,
[[Page 57349]]
in the procedures required under paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this section,
that the process for requesting personal assistance services, the
process for determining whether such services are required, and the
Board's right to deny such requests when provision of the services
would pose an undue hardship, are the same as for reasonable
accommodations.
(6) Utilization analysis--
(i) Current utilization. The Plan shall require the Board to
perform a workforce analysis annually to determine the percentage of
its employees at each grade and salary level who have disabilities, and
the percentage of its employees at each grade and salary level who have
targeted disabilities.
(ii) Source of data. For purposes of the analysis required under
paragraph (d)(6)(i) of this section an employee may be classified as an
individual with a disability or an individual with a targeted
disability on the basis of--
(A) The individual's self-identification as an individual with a
disability or an individual with a targeted disability on a form,
including but not limited to the Office of Personnel Management's
Standard Form 256, which states that the information collected will be
kept confidential and used only for statistical purposes, and that
completion of the form is voluntary;
(B) Records relating to the individual's appointment under a hiring
authority that takes disability into account, if applicable; and
(C) Records relating to the individual's requests for reasonable
accommodation, if any.
(iii) Data accuracy. The Plan shall require the Board to take steps
to ensure that data collected pursuant to paragraph (d)(6)(i) of this
section are accurate.
(7) Goals--
(i) Adoption. The Plan shall commit the Board to the goal of
ensuring that--
(A) No less than 12% of employees who have salaries equal to or
greater than employees at the GS-11, step 1 level in the Washington, DC
locality, are individuals with disabilities;
(B) No less than 12% of employees who have salaries less than
employees at the GS-11, step 1 level in the Washington, DC locality,
are individuals with disabilities;
(C) No less than 2% of employees who have salaries equal to or
greater than employees at the GS-11, step 1 level in the Washington, DC
locality, are individuals with targeted disabilities; and
(D) No less than 2% of employees who have salaries less than
employees at the GS-11, step 1 level in the Washington, DC locality,
are individuals with targeted disabilities.
(ii) Progression toward goals. The Plan shall require the Board to
take specific steps that are reasonably designed to gradually increase
the number of persons with disabilities or targeted disabilities
employed at the Board until it meets the goals established pursuant to
paragraph (d)(7)(i) of this section. Examples of such steps include,
but are not limited to--
(A) Increased use of hiring authorities that take disability into
account to hire or promote individuals with disabilities or targeted
disabilities, as applicable;
(B) To the extent permitted by applicable laws, consideration of
disability or targeted disability status as a positive factor in
hiring, promotion, or assignment decisions;
(C) Disability-related training and education campaigns for all
employees in the Board;
(D) Additional outreach or recruitment efforts;
(E) Increased efforts to hire and retain individuals who require
supported employment because of a disability, who have retained the
services of a job coach at their own expense or at the expense of a
third party, and who may be given permission to use the job coach
during work hours as a reasonable accommodation without imposing undue
hardship on the Board; and
(F) Adoption of training, mentoring, or internship programs for
individuals with disabilities.
(8) Recordkeeping. The Plan shall require the Board to keep records
that it may use to determine whether it is complying with the
nondiscrimination and affirmative action requirements imposed under
Section 501, and to make such records available to the Commission upon
the Commission's request, including, at a minimum, records of--
(i) The number of job applications received from individuals with
disabilities, and the number of individuals with disabilities who were
hired by the Board;
(ii) The number of job applications received from individuals with
targeted disabilities, and the number of individuals with targeted
disabilities who were hired by the Board;
(iii) All rescissions of conditional job offers, demotions, and
terminations taken against applicants or employees as a result of
medical examinations or inquiries;
(iv) All Board employees hired under special hiring authority for
person with certain disabilities, and each such employee's date of
hire, entering grade level, probationary status, and current grade
level;
(v) The number of employees appointed under special hiring
authority for persons with certain disabilities who successfully
completed the Board's Provisional Employment period and the number of
such employees who were terminate prior to the end of their Provisional
Employment period; and
(vi) Details about each request for reasonable accommodation
including, at a minimum--
(A) The specific reasonable accommodation requested, if any;
(B) The job sought by the requesting applicant or held by the
requesting employee;
(C) Whether the accommodation was needed to apply for a job,
perform the essential functions of a job, or enjoy the benefits and
privileges of employment;
(D) Whether the request was granted (which may include an
accommodation different from the one requested) or denied;
(E) The identity of the deciding official;
(F) If denied, the basis for such denial; and
(G) The number of days taken to process the request.
(e) Reporting--
(1) Submission to the Commission. On an annual basis the Board
shall submit to the Commission at such time and in such manner as the
Commission deems appropriate--
(i) A copy of its current Plan;
(ii) The results of the two most recent workforce analyses
performed pursuant to paragraph (d)(6) of this section showing the
percentage of employees with disabilities and employees with targeted
disabilities in each of the designated pay groups;
(iii) The number of individuals appointed to positions within the
Board under special hiring authority for persons with certain
disabilities during the previous year, and the total number of
employees whose employment at the Board began by appointment under
special hiring authority for persons with certain disabilities; and
(iv) A list of changes made to the Plan since the prior submission,
if any, and an explanation of why those changes were made.
(2) Availability to the public. The Board shall make the
information submitted to the Commission pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) of
this section available to the public by, at a minimum, posting a copy
of the submission on its public website and providing a means by which
members of
[[Page 57350]]
the public may request copies of the submission in accessible formats.
* * * * *
0
11. Amend Sec. 268.204 by revising paragraphs (i) through (k); and the
third sentence of paragraph (l)(3) to read as follows:
Sec. 268.204 Class complaints.
* * * * *
(i) Decisions. The administrative judge shall transmit to the
agency and class agent a decision on the complaint, including findings,
systemic relief for the class and any individual relief, where
appropriate, with regard to the personnel action or matter that gave
rise to the complaint. If the administrative judge finds no class
relief appropriate, he or she shall determine if a finding of
individual discrimination is warranted and if so, shall order
appropriate relief.
(j) Board final action. (1) Within 60 days of receipt of the
administrative judge's decision on the complaint, the Board shall take
final action by issuing a final order. The final order shall notify the
class agent whether or not the Board will fully implement the decision
of the administrative judge and shall contain notice of the class
agent's right to appeal to the Commission, the right to file a civil
action in federal district court, the name of the proper defendant in
any such lawsuit, and the applicable time limits for appeals and
lawsuits. If the final order does not fully implement the decision of
the administrative judge, then the Board shall simultaneously file an
appeal in accordance with Sec. 268.403 and append a copy of the appeal
to the final order. A copy of EEOC Form 573 shall be attached to the
final order.
(2) If the Board does not issue a final order within 60 days of
receipt of the administrative judge's decision, then the decision of
the administrative judge shall become the final action of the Board.
(3) A final order on a class complaint shall, subject to subpart E
of this part, be binding on all members of the class and the Board.
(k) Notification of final action: The Board shall notify class
members of the final action and the relief awarded, if any, through the
same media employed to give notice of the existence of the class
complaint. The notice, where appropriate, shall include information
concerning the rights of class members to seek individual relief, and
of the procedures to be followed. Notice shall be given by the Board
within 10 days of the transmittal of the final action to the agent.
(l) * * *
(3) * * * The claim must include a specific detailed showing that
the claimant is a class member who was affected by the discriminatory
policy or practice, and that this discriminatory action took place
within the period of time for which class-wide discrimination was found
in the final order. * * *
* * * * *
Sec. 268.205 [Removed and Reserved]
0
12. Remove and Reserve Sec. 268.205.
Sec. 268.302 [Removed and Reserved]
0
13. Remove and Reserve Sec. 268.302.
0
14. Amend Sec. 268.401 by revising paragraph (c) to read as follows:
Sec. 268.401 Appeals to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
* * * * *
(c) A class agent or the Board may appeal an administrative judge's
decision accepting or dismissing all or part of a class complaint; a
class agent may appeal the Board's final action or the Board may appeal
an administrative judge's decision on a class complaint; a class member
may appeal a final decision on a claim for individual relief under a
class complaint; and a class member, a class agent or the Board may
appeal a final decision on a petition pursuant to Sec. 268.204(g)(4).
* * * * *
0
15. In Sec. 268.403, revise paragraph (a) and add new paragraph (g) to
read as follows:
Sec. 268.403 How to appeal.
(a) The complainant, the Board, agent or individual class claimant
(hereinafter appellant) must file an appeal with the Director, Office
of Federal Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, at P.O.
Box 77960, Washington, DC 20013, or electronically, or by personal
delivery or facsimile. The appellant should use EEOC Form 573, Notice
of Appeal/Petition, and should indicate what is being appealed.
* * * * *
(g) The Board will submit appeals, complaint files, and other
filings to the Commission's Office of Federal Operations in a digital
format acceptable to the Commission, absent a showing of good cause why
the Board cannot submit digital records. Appellants are encouraged, but
not required, to submit digital appeals and supporting documentation to
the Commission's Office of Federal Operations in a format acceptable to
the Commission.
0
16. Amend Sec. 268.405 by revising the third sentence to paragraph
(a), revising paragraphs (b) and (c), and adding (d).
The addition and revisions read as follows:
Sec. 268.405 Decisions on appeals.
(a) * * * The Office of Federal Operations, on behalf of the
Commission, shall issue a written decision setting forth its reasons
for the decision. The Commission shall dismiss appeals in accordance
with Sec. Sec. 268.106, 268.403(c) and 268.408. The decision shall be
based on the preponderance of the evidence. The decision on an appeal
from the Board's final action shall be based on a de novo review,
except that the review of the factual findings in a decision by an
administrative judge issued pursuant to Sec. 268.108(i) shall be based
on a substantial evidence standard of review. If the decision contains
a finding of discrimination, appropriate remedy(ies) shall be included
and, where appropriate, the entitlement to interest, attorney's fees or
costs shall be indicated. The decision shall reflect the date of its
issuance, inform the complainant of his or her civil action rights, and
be transmitted to the complainant and the Board by first class mail. *
* *
(b) The Office of Federal Operations, on behalf of the Commission,
shall issue decisions on appeals of decisions to accept or dismiss a
class complaint issued pursuant to Sec. 268.204(d)(7) within 90 days
of receipt of the appeal.
(c) A decision issued under paragraph (a) of this section is final
within the meaning of Sec. 268.406 unless the Board issues a final
decision under paragraph (d) of this section or unless a timely request
for reconsideration is filed by a party to the case. A party may
request reconsideration within 30 days of receipt of a decision of the
Commission, which the Commission in its discretion may grant, if the
party demonstrates that:
(1) The appellate decision involved a clearly erroneous
interpretation of material fact or law; or
(2) The decision will have a substantial impact on the policies,
practices, or operations of the Board.
(d) The Board, within 30 days of receiving a decision of the
Commission, may issue a final decision based upon that decision, which
shall be final within the meaning of Sec. 268.406.
0
17. In Sec. 268.502, revise paragraphs (b)(2) and (c) to read as
follows:
Sec. 268.502 Compliance with final Commission decisions.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(2) When the Board requests reconsideration, it may delay the
payment of any amounts ordered to be paid to the complainant until
after the request for reconsideration is resolved. If the Board delays
payment of any
[[Page 57351]]
amount pending the outcome of the request to reconsider and the
resolution of the request (including under Sec. 268.405(d)) requires
the Board to make the payment, then the Board shall pay interest from
the date of the original appellate decision until payment is made.
* * * * *
(c) When no request for reconsideration or final decision under
Sec. 268.405(d) is filed or when a request for reconsideration is
denied, the Board shall provide the relief ordered and there is no
further right to delay implementation of the ordered relief. The relief
shall be provided in full not later than 120 days after receipt of the
final decision unless otherwise ordered in the decision.
0
18. In Sec. 268.504 revise paragraph (c) to read as follows:
Sec. 268.504 Compliance with settlement agreements and final actions.
* * * * *
(c) Prior to rendering its determination, the Commission may
request that the parties submit whatever additional information or
documentation it deems necessary or may direct that an investigation or
hearing on the matter be conducted. If the Commission determines that
the Board is not in compliance with a decision or a settlement
agreement, and the noncompliance is not attributable to acts or conduct
of the complainant, it may order such compliance with the decision or
settlement agreement, or, alternatively, for a settlement agreement, it
may order that the complaint be reinstated for further processing from
the point processing ceased. Allegations that subsequent acts of
discrimination violate a settlement agreement shall be processed as
separate complaints under Sec. Sec. 268.105 or 268.204, as
appropriate, rather than under this section.
0
19. Amend Sec. 268.710 by:
0
a. Removing the words ``EEO'' each place it appears;
0
b. Removing the words ``Staff Director for Management'' each place they
appear and replace them with the words ``Chief Operating Officer'';
0
c. Revising paragraph (c) to remove the words ``EEO Programs Director''
and replace them with the words ``Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Programs Director'' (`Programs Director')'';
0
d. Revising the second sentence of paragraph (d)(4) to insert the words
``Office of Diversity and Inclusion'' after the words ``Programs
Director'' and before the words ``Board of Governors.''
The revisions read as follows:
Sec. 268.710 Compliance procedures.
* * * * *
(c) Responsible official. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Programs Director'' (`Programs Director') shall be responsible for
coordinating implementation of this section.
(d) * * *
(4) * * * How to file. Complaints may be delivered or mailed to the
Administrative Governor, the Chief Operating Officer, the EEO Programs
Director, the Federal Women's Program Manager, the Hispanic Employment
Program Coordinator, or the People with Disabilities Program
Coordinator. Complaints should be sent to the Programs Director, Office
of Diversity and Inclusion, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, 20th and C Street NW, Washington, DC 20551. If any Board
official other than the Programs Director receives a complaint, he or
she shall forward the complaint to the Programs Director.* * *
* * * * *
By order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, November 1, 2018.
Ann Misback,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2018-24613 Filed 11-14-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-P