(a) Cooperation and assistance. The responsible Departmental official, to the fullest extent practicable, seeks the cooperation of recipients in securing compliance with this part and provides assistance and guidance to recipients to help them comply with this part.

(b) Compliance reports. Each recipient shall keep on file for one year all complaints of noncompliance received. A record of all such complaints, which may be in summary form, shall be kept for five years. Each recipient shall keep such other records and submit to the responsible Departmental official or his/her designee timely, complete, and accurate compliance reports at such times, and in such form, and containing such information as the responsible Department official may prescribe. In the case in which a primary recipient extends Federal financial assistance to any other recipient, the other recipient shall also submit compliance reports to the primary recipient so as to enable the primary recipient to prepare its report.

(c) Access to sources of information. Each recipient shall permit access by the responsible Departmental official or his/her designee during normal business hours to books, records, accounts, and other sources of information, and to facilities that are pertinent to compliance with this part. Where required information is in the exclusive possession of another agency or person who fails or refuses to furnish the information, the recipient shall so certify in its report and describe the efforts made to obtain the information. Considerations of privacy or confidentiality do not bar the Department from evaluating or seeking to enforce compliance with this part. Information of a confidential nature obtained in connection with compliance evaluation or enforcement is not disclosed by the Department, except in formal enforcement proceedings, where necessary, or where otherwise required by law.

(d) Information to beneficiaries and participants. Each recipient shall make available to participants, beneficiaries, and other interested persons such information regarding the provisions of this regulation and its application to the program or activity for which the recipient receives Federal financial assistance, and make such information available to them in such manner, as the responsible Departmental official finds necessary to apprise them of the protections against discrimination provided by the Act and this part.

[44 FR 31468, May 31, 1979. Redesignated at 56 FR 45621, Sept. 6, 1991. 68 FR 51391, Aug. 26, 2003]