[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR15b.3]

[Page 397-399]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
PART 15b_NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR 
ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart A_General Provisions
 
Sec. 15b.3  Definitions.

    As used in this part, the term or phrase:
    (a) The Act means the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Public Law 93-112, 
87 Stat. 390 (1973), as amended by the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 
1974, Public Law 93-651, 89 Stat. 2 (1974) and Public Law 93-516, 88 
Stat. 1617 (1974) and the Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Services and 
Developmental Disabilities Amendments of 1978, Public Law 95-602, 92 
Stat. 2955 (1978). The Act appears at 29 U.S.C. 701-794.
    (b) Section 504 means section 504 of the Act, 29 U.S.C. 794.
    (c) Education of the Handicapped Act means the Education of the 
Handicapped Act, Public Law 92-230, Title VI, 84 Stat. 175 (1970), as 
amended by the Education of the Handicapped Amendments of 1974, Public 
Law 93-380, Title VI, 88 Stat. 576 (1974), the Education for All 
Handicapped Children Act of 1975, Public Law 94-142, 89 Stat. 773 
(1975), and the Education of the Handicapped Amendments of 1977, Public 
Law 95-49, 91 Stat. 230 (1977). The Education of the Handicapped Act 
appears at 20 U.S.C. 1401-1461.
    (d) Department means the Department of Agriculture and includes each 
of its operating agencies and other organizational units.
    (e) Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture or any officer or 
employee of the Department to whom the Secretary has delegated or may 
delegate the authority to act under the regulations of this part.
    (f) Recipient means any State or its political subdivision, any 
instrumentality of a State or its political subdivision, any public or 
private agency, institution, organization, or other entity, or any 
person to which Federal financial assistance is extended directly or 
through another recipient, including any successor, assignee, or 
transferee of a recipient, but excluding the ultimate beneficiary of the 
assistance.
    (g) Federal financial assistance or assistance means any grant, 
contract (other than a procurement contract or a contract of insurance 
or guaranty), cooperative agreement, formula allocation, loan, or any 
other arrangement by which the Department provides or otherwise makes 
available assistance in the form of:
    (1) Funds;
    (2) Services of Federal personnel;
    (3) Real and personal Federal property or any interest in Federal 
property, including:

[[Page 398]]

    (i) A sale, transfer, lease or use (on other than a casual or 
transient basis) of Federal property for less than fair market value, 
for reduced consideration or in recognition of the public nature of the 
recipient's program or activity; and
    (ii) Proceeds from a subsequent sale, transfer or lease of Federal 
property if the Federal share of its fair market value is not returned 
to the Federal Government.
    (4) Any other thing of value.
    (h) Facility means all or any portion of buildings, structures, 
equipment, roads, walks, parking lots, or other real or personal 
property or interest in such property.
    (i) Handicapped person means any person who has a physical or mental 
impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, 
has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an 
impairment.
    (j) Physical or mental impairment means (1) any physiological 
disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss 
affecting one or more of the following body systems: Neurological; 
musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech 
organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genitourinary; hemic 
and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or (2) any mental or psychological 
disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional 
or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities. The term physical 
or mental impairment includes, but is not limited to, such diseases and 
conditions as orthopedic, visual, speech, and hearing impairments; 
cerebral palsy; epilepsy; muscular dystrophy; multiple sclerosis, 
cancer; heart disease; diabetes; mental retardation; emotional illness; 
and drug addiction and alcoholism.
    (k) Major life activities means functions such as caring for one's 
self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, 
breathing, learning and working.
    (l) Has a record of such an impairment means has a history of, or 
has been misclassified as having, a mental or physical impairment that 
substantially limits one or more major life activities.
    (m) Is regarded as having an impairment means (1) has a physical or 
mental impairment that does not substantially limit major life 
activities but that is treated by a recipient as constituting such a 
limitation; (2) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially 
limits major life activities only as a result of the attitudes of others 
towards such impairments, or (3) has none of the impairments defined in 
paragraph (j) of this section but is treated by a recipient as having 
such an impairment.
    (n) Qualified handicapped person (used synonymously with otherwise 
qualified handicapped individual) means:
    (1) With respect to employment, a handicapped person who, with 
reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job 
in question, but the term does not include any individual who is an 
alcoholic or drug abuser whose current use of alcohol or drugs prevents 
such individual from performing the duties of the job in question or 
whose employment, by reason of such current alcohol or drug abuse, would 
constitute a direct threat to property or the safety of others;
    (2) With respect to public preschool, elementary, secondary, or 
adult educational services, a handicapped person, (i) of an age during 
which non-handicapped persons are provided such services, (ii) of an age 
during which it is mandatory under State law to provide such services to 
handicapped persons, or (iii) to whom a State is required to provide a 
free appropriate public education under section 612 of the Education of 
the Handicapped Act; and
    (3) With respect to postsecondary and vocational education services, 
a handicapped person who meets all academic and technical standards 
requisite to admission or participation in the recipient's education 
program or activity;
    (4) With respect to other services, a handicapped person who meets 
the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of such services.
    (o) Handicap means any condition or characteristic that renders a 
person a handicapped person as defined in paragraph (i) of this section.

[[Page 399]]

    (p) For purposes of Sec. 15b.18(d), Historic Preservation Programs 
are those that receive Federal financial assistance that has 
preservation of historic properties as a primary purpose.
    (q) For purposes of Sec. 15b.18(e), Historic properties means those 
buildings or facilities that are eligible for listing in the National 
Register of Historic Places, or such properties designated as historic 
under a statute of the appropriate State or local government body.
    (r) For purposes of Sec. 15b.18(d), Substantial impairment means a 
significant loss of the integrity of finished materials, design quality 
or special character which loss results from a permanent alteration.
    (s) Program or activity means all of the operations of any entity 
described in paragraphs (s)(1) through (4) of this section, any part of 
which is extended Federal financial assistance:
    (1)(i) A department, agency, special purpose district, or other 
instrumentality of a State or of a local government; or
    (ii) The entity of such State or local government that distributes 
such assistance and each such department or agency (and each other State 
or local government entity) to which the assistance is extended, in the 
case of assistance to a State or local government;
    (2)(i) A college, university, or other postsecondary institution, or 
a public system of higher education; or
    (ii) A local educational agency (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801), 
system of vocational education, or other school system;
    (3)(i) An entire corporation, partnership, or other private 
organization, or an entire sole proprietorship--
    (A) If assistance is extended to such corporation, partnership, 
private organization, or sole proprietorship as a whole; or
    (B) Which is principally engaged in the business of providing 
education, health care, housing, social services, or parks and 
recreation; or
    (ii) The entire plant or other comparable, geographically separate 
facility to which Federal financial assistance is extended, in the case 
of any other corporation, partnership, private organization, or sole 
proprietorship; or
    (4) Any other entity which is established by two or more of the 
entities described in paragraph (s)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.

[47 FR 25470, June 11, 1982, as amended at 55 FR 52139, Dec. 19, 1990; 
68 FR 51342, Aug. 26, 2003]