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Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs ' Office for Civil Rights ifin&rngroir, D.C. 20P September 10, 2009 Mr, Rick Menchaca City of San Marcos 630 East liopkins Street San Marcos, TX 78666-6314 Dear Mr. Menchaca: Congratulations on your recent award. In establishing financial assistance programs. Congress linked the receipt of Federal funding to compliance with Federal civil rights laws. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice is responsible for ensuring that recipients of financial aid from OJP. its component offices and bureaus, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) comply with applicable Federal civil rights statutes and regulations. We at OCR are available to help you and your organization nice( the civil rights requirements that come with Justice Department funding. Ensuring Access to Federally Assisted Programs As you know. Federal laws prohibit recipients of financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin. religion, sex, or disability in lorded programs or activities, not only in respect to employment practices but also in the delivery of services or benefits. Fcdeml law also prohibits funded programs or activities from discriminating on the basis ofage in the delivery of services or benefits, Providing Services to Limited English Proficiency (LEY) Individuals In accordance with Department of Justice Guidance pertaining to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. C 2000d, recipients of federal financial assistance must take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs and activities for persons with limited English proficiency (LF.P). For more information on the civil rights responsibilities that recipients have in providing language services to LEP individuals, please see the wcbsitc at http;i/www.lep bov. Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations The Department of justice has published a regulation specifically pertaining to the funding of faith-based organizations. In general, the regulation, Participation in Justice Department Programs by Religious Organizations; Providing for Equal Treatment of all Justice Department Program Participants, and known as the Equal Treatment Regulation 28 C.F.R. part 38, requires State Administering Agencies to treat these organizations the same as any other applicant or recipient. The regulation prohibits State Administering Agencies from making award or grant administration decisions on the basis of an organization's religious character or affiliation, religious name, or the religious composition of its board of directors. 'I he regulation also prohibits faith-based organizations from using financial assistance from the Department uf-Justice to fund inherently religwuS activities. While faith-based organizations can engage in non-Funded inherently religious activities, they must be held separately from the Department of Justice funded program, and customers or beneficiaries cannot be compelled to participate in them. The Equal Treatment Regulation also makes clear that organizations participating in programs funded by the Department of Justice are not permitted to discriminate in the provision of services on (lie basis of a beneficiary's religion. For more information on the regulation, please see OCR's website at hitp.l.'wx-w.ojp.usdoj.gt)vlocr/etfbo.htm State Administering Agencies and faith-based organizations should also note that the Safe Streets Act, as amended; the Victims of Crime Act, as amended; and the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, as amended, contain prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of religion in employment. Despite these nondiscrimination provisions, the Justice Department has concluded that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (KFRA) is reasonably construed. on a case-by-case basis, to require that its funding agencies permit faith-based organizations applying for funding under the applicable program statutes both to receive DOJ fiords and to continue considering religion}?? when hiring staff, even if the statute that authorizes the funding program generally forbids considering of religion in employment decisill by grantees. Questions about the regulation or the application of RFRA to the statutes that prohibit discrimination in employment may be directed to this Office.