Civil Rights Responsibilities for Grant Recipients

Any organization that receives FEMA financial assistance cannot discriminate or prevent participation in a program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, nationality, national origin, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status, as applicable.

The FEMA Office of Civil Rights is responsible for ensuring all grant recipients and subrecipients (i.e., recipients who receive funding as part of a federal award) comply with applicable civil rights laws and regulations.

Assurance of Compliance

All recipients are required to sign and submit an assurance of compliance document, which affirms that the recipients’ programs, activities, or services will comply with all applicable civil rights laws.

More information on assurance of compliance documents is available at:

Civil Rights Evaluation Tool

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), has a comprehensive compliance program to make sure recipients are carrying out their programs and activities in a nondiscriminatory manner.

FEMA OCR and DHS CRCL work together to make sure that grant recipients understand and meet their civil rights requirements.

Learn more about the Civil Rights Evaluation Tool and access DHS resources and training opportunities at: DHS Civil Rights Evaluation Tool | Homeland Security.

Authorities

The FEMA Office of Civil Rights has the authority to:

Conduct compliance reviews and investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination by FEMA or its grant recipients and subrecipients.

Offer recommendations, technical assistance, and training, regarding federal civil rights laws, regulations, executive orders, and guidance documents on the responsibilities of FEMA, and its grant recipients and subrecipients.