(a) Intergovernmental consultation. The IRP is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372 which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. The approval of a loan to an intermediary will be the subject of intergovernmental consultation. For each ultimate recipient to be assisted with a loan from Agency IRP loan funds and for which the State in which the ultimate recipient is to be located has elected to review the program under their intergovernmental review process, the State Single Point of Contact must be notified. Notification, in the form of a project description, must be initiated by the intermediary or the ultimate recipient. Any comments from the State must be included with the intermediary's request to use the Agency loan funds for the ultimate recipient. Prior to the Agency's decision on the request, compliance with the requirements of intergovernmental consultation must be demonstrated for each ultimate recipient. These requirements are set forth in U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V, and RD Instruction 1970-I, ‘Intergovernmental Review,’ available in any Agency office or on the Agency's Web site.

(b) Environmental requirements. Actions taken under this subpart must comply with 7 CFR part 1970, as specified in §1970.51(a)(3) for multi-tier actions. Intermediaries and ultimate recipients must consider the potential environmental impacts of their projects at the earliest planning stages and develop plans to minimize the potential to adversely impact the environment. Intermediaries must cooperate and furnish such information and assistance as the Agency needs to make any of its environmental determinations.

(c) Equal opportunity and nondiscrimination requirements.

(1) In accordance with title V of Pub. L. 93-495, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act for Federally Conducted Programs and Activities, neither the intermediary nor the Agency will discriminate against any employee, intermediary, or proposed ultimate recipient on the basis of sex, marital status, race, color, religion, national origin, age, physical or mental disability (provided the proposed intermediary or proposed ultimate recipient has the capacity to contract), because all or part of the proposed intermediary's or proposed ultimate recipient's income is derived from public assistance of any kind, or because the proposed intermediary or proposed ultimate recipient has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act, with respect to any aspect of a credit transaction anytime Agency loan funds are involved.

(2) The regulations contained in subpart E of part 1901 of this title apply to this program.

(3) The Administrator will assure that equal opportunity and nondiscrimination requirements are met in accordance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, “Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs,” 42 U.S.C. 2000d-4, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act for Federally Conducted Programs and Activities, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans With Disabilities Act.

(d) Seismic safety of new building construction.

(1) The Intermediary Relending Program is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12699 that requires each Federal agency assisting in the financing, through Federal grants or loans, or guaranteeing the financing, through loan or mortgage insurance programs, of newly constructed buildings to assure appropriate consideration of seismic safety.

(2) All new buildings financed with Agency IRP loan funds shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the seismic provisions of one of the following model building codes or the latest edition of that code providing an equivalent level of safety to that contained in the latest edition of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Programs (NEHRP) Recommended Provisions for the Development of Seismic Regulations for New Building (NEHRP Provisions):

(i) 1991 International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) Uniform Building Code;

(ii) 1993 Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA) National Building Code; or

(iii) 1992 Amendments to the Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) Standard Building Code.

(3) The date, signature, and seal of a registered architect or engineer and the identification and date of the model building code on the plans and specifications shall be evidence of compliance with the seismic requirements of the appropriate code.

[63 FR 6053, Feb. 6, 1998, as amended at 70 FR 38573, July 5, 2005; 76 FR 80732, Dec. 27, 2011; 81 FR 11051, Mar. 2, 2016]