[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 49, Volume 1] [Revised as of October 1, 2002] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 49CFR26.61] [Page 283] TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION SUBTITLE A--OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION PART 26--PARTICIPATION BY DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES IN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS--Table of Contents Subpart D--Certification Standards Sec. 26.61 How are burdens of proof allocated in the certification process? (a) In determining whether to certify a firm as eligible to participate as a DBE, you must apply the standards of this subpart. (b) The firm seeking certification has the burden of demonstrating to you, by a preponderance of the evidence, that it meets the requirements of this subpart concerning group membership or individual disadvantage, business size, ownership, and control. (c) You must rebuttably presume that members of the designated groups identified in Sec. 26.67(a) are socially and economically disadvantaged. This means that they do not have the burden of proving to you that they are socially and economically disadvantaged. However, applicants have the obligation to provide you information concerning their economic disadvantage (see Sec. 26.67). (d) Individuals who are not presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged, and individuals concerning whom the presumption of disadvantage has been rebutted, have the burden of proving to you, by a preponderance of the evidence, that they are socially and economically disadvantaged. (See Appendix E of this part.) (e) You must make determinations concerning whether individuals and firms have met their burden of demonstrating group membership, ownership, control, and social and economic disadvantage (where disadvantage must be demonstrated on an individual basis) by considering all the facts in the record, viewed as a whole.