(a) Civil rights requirements.

(1) The State agency must comply with the following requirements to ensure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, be excluded from participation, be denied benefits, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination, under the SFMNP:

(i) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;

(ii) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972;

(iii) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;

(iv) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975;

(v) Department of Agriculture regulations on nondiscrimination (parts 15, 15a and 15b of this title); and

(vi) Applicable FNS Instructions, including requirements for racial and ethnic participation data collection, public notification of the nondiscrimination policy, and annual reviews of each local agency's racial and ethnic participation data (as required by title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964).

(2) Compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and regulations and instructions issued thereunder shall include, but not be limited to:

(i) Notification to the public of the nondiscrimination policy and complaint rights of participants and potentially eligible persons, which may be satisfied through FNS' required nondiscrimination statement on brochures and publications;

(ii) Review and monitoring activity to ensure SFMNP compliance with the nondiscrimination laws and regulations; and

(iii) Establishment of grievance procedures for handling participant complaints based on sex and handicap.

(b) Complaints. Persons seeking to file discrimination complaints may file them either with the Secretary of Agriculture, or the Director, Office of Civil Rights, USDA, Washington, DC 20250 or with the office established by the State agency to handle discrimination grievances or complaints. All complaints received by State agencies that allege discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or age shall be referred to the Secretary of Agriculture or the Director of the Office of Civil Rights, USDA. A State agency may process complaints that allege discrimination based on sex or disability if grievance procedures are in place.