[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR6.7]

[Page 51-52]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
          Subtitle A--Office of the Secretary of Transportation
 
PART 6_IMPLEMENTATION OF EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT IN AGENCY PROCEEDINGS
--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart A_General Provisions
 
Sec.  6.7  Eligibility of applications.

    (a) To be eligible for an award of attorney fees and other expenses 
under the Act, the applicant must be a party to an adversary 
adjudication for which it seeks an award. The term ``party'' is defined 
in 5 U.S.C. 504(b)(1)(B). The applicant must show that it meets all 
conditions of eligibility set out in this subpart and in paragraph (b) 
of this section.
    (b) The types of eligible applicants are as follows:
    (1) An individual with a net worth of not more than $2 million;
    (2) The sole owner of an unincorporated business who has a net worth 
of not more than $7 million, including both personal and business 
interests, and not more than 500 employees.
    (3) A charitable or other tax-exempt organization as described in 
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) 
with not more than 500 employees;
    (4) A cooperative association as defined in section 15(a) of the 
Agricultural Marketing Act (12 U.S.C. 1141j(a)) with a net worth of not 
more than $5 million and not more than 500 employees.

[[Page 52]]

    (5) Any other partnership, corporation, association, or public or 
private organization with a net worth of not more than $7 million and 
not more than 500 employees.
    (6) For the purposes of Sec.  6.9(b), eligible applicants include 
small entities as defined in 5 U.S.C. 601.
    (c) For the purpose of eligibility, the net worth and number of 
employees of an applicant shall be determined as of the date the 
proceeding was designated.
    (d) An applicant who owns an unincorporated business will be 
considered an ``individual'' rather than a ``sole owner of an 
unincorporated business'' if the issues on which the applicant prevails 
are related primarily to personal interests rather than to business 
interests.
    (e) The number of employees of an applicant includes all persons who 
regularly perform services for remuneration for the applicant, under the 
applicant's direction and control. Part-time employees shall be included 
on a proportional basis.
    (f) The net worth and number of employees of the applicant and all 
of its affiliates shall be aggregated to determine eligibility. Any 
individual, corporation or other entity that directly or indirectly 
controls or owns a majority of the voting shares or other interest of 
the applicant, or any corporation or other entity of which the applicant 
directly or indirectly owns or controls a majority of the voting shares 
or other interest, will be considered an affiliate for purposes of this 
part, unless the administrative law judge determines that such treatment 
would be unjust and contrary to the purposes of the Act in light of the 
actual relationship between the affiliated entities. In addition, the 
administrative law judge may determine that financial relationships of 
the applicant other than those described in this paragraph constitute 
special circumstances that would make an award unjust.
    (g) An applicant that participates in a proceeding primarily on 
behalf of one or more other persons or entities that would be ineligible 
is not itself eligible for an award.
    (h) An applicant who appears pro se in a proceeding is ineligible 
for award of attorney fees. However, eligibility for other expenses is 
not affected by pro se representation.

[48 FR 1070, Jan. 10, 1983, as amended at 62 FR 19234, Apr. 21, 1997]