[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: 7CFR15f.4]

[Page 428]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
PART 15f_ADJUDICATIONS UNDER SECTION 741--Table of Contents
 
 Subpart A_What Is The Purpose Of These Regulations And To Whom And To 
                      What Programs Do They Apply?
 
Sec. 15f.4  What do certain words and phrases in these regulations mean?

    Agency means the USDA agency, office, or committee that the 
complainant alleges has discriminated against the complainant in the 
administration of a covered program.
    ALJ means an Administrative Law Judge appointed pursuant to the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 557(b)(3), 3105) who presides 
over a hearing if requested by a complainant.
    ASCR means the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
    Complainant means a person who requests that USDA consider his or 
her complaint under the procedures of this part.
    Complaint means a written document filed with USDA by a person 
alleging discrimination by USDA under a covered program.
    Covered program means:
    (1) A farm ownership, farm operating, or emergency loan funded from 
the Agricultural Credit Insurance Program Account;
    (2) A housing program established under title V of the Housing Act 
of 1949; or
    (3) A commodity program or disaster assistance program.
    Director means the Director of USDA, OCR, or his or her subordinate 
designee.
    Docketing clerk means an employee of the USDA Office of Civil 
Rights, designated to serve in this capacity.
    Eligible complaint means a complaint that was filed with the 
Department of Agriculture before July 1, 1997, and that alleges 
discrimination occurring at any time during the period beginning on 
January 1, 1981 and ending December 31, 1996--
    (1) In violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C. 1691 
et seq.) in administering--
    (i) A farm ownership, farm operating, or emergency loan funded from 
the Agricultural Credit Insurance Program Account; or
    (ii) A housing program established under title V of the Housing Act 
of 1949; or
    (2) In the administration of a commodity program or a disaster 
assistance program.
    Ex parte communication means a prohibited communication between a 
party to a proceeding and the ALJ outside of the presence of, or without 
notice to, the other parties to the proceeding, as explained more fully 
in Sec. 15f.13.
    Final determination means the final USDA decision made on your 
complaint under these rules.
    Hearing means a proceeding in which you may present your case before 
the ALJ.
    Interested party means a person, other than the complainant, OCR, 
and the agency, who has an interest in a proceeding under these rules 
and is admitted to the proceeding under Sec. 15f.20.
    OCR means the USDA Office of Civil Rights.
    Party or parties means the complainant, OCR, the agency, or a person 
admitted to the proceeding as an interested party.
    Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.
    Section 741 means section 741 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, 
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 
1999, enacted in Division A, section 101(a) of the Omnibus Consolidated 
and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, Pub. L. 105-277.
    Section 741 Complaint Request (or Request) means a request by a 
complainant to consider his complaint under these rules.
    USDA means the United States Department of Agriculture.

[63 FR 67394, Dec. 4, 1998, as amended at 68 FR 27449, May 20, 2003]

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