This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

32013 

Vol. 86, No. 114 

Wednesday, June 16, 2021 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Office of the Secretary 

[Docket ID: USDA–2021–0006] 

Identifying Barriers in USDA Programs 

and Services; Advancing Racial 

Justice and Equity and Support for 

Underserved Communities at USDA 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) is requesting input 

from the public on how it can advance 

racial justice and equity for underserved 

communities as part of its 

implementation of Executive Order 

13985, Advancing Racial Equity and 

Support for Underserved Communities 

Through the Federal Government. 

USDA is requesting input to identify 

barriers that people of color and 

underserved communities and 

individuals may face in obtaining 

information from USDA. This includes 

accessing, enrolling, and participating 

in USDA programs and services, and 

engaging with USDA staff. USDA seeks 

to identify opportunities in current 

USDA policies, regulations, and 

guidance to address systemic inequities. 

USDA requests input on how to best 

engage external stakeholders and 

community members representing 

marginalized, vulnerable, or 

underserved communities in order to 

increase participation in USDA 

programs, services, committees and 

decision-making processes. In the 

months ahead, USDA will establish a 

Racial Equity Commission. The Racial 

Equity Commission will focus 

specifically on addressing systemic 

impediments to equity in USDA 

programs. USDA is asking for comments 

on any and all interactions with USDA 

programs. All comments will be 

aggregated, summarized, and shared 

with USDA Leadership and the Racial 

Equity Commission. The Racial Equity 

Commission may choose to seek 

additional input to meet its goals and 

objectives. USDA will continue to reach 

out to stakeholders and community 

members for the purposes of Executive 

Order 13985 and to fulfill its mission. 

DATES: We will consider comments 

received by July 15, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit 

comments on this notice. You may 

submit comments, identified by Docket 

ID: FSA–2021–0006, by any of the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. All public comments 

received are subject to the Freedom of 

Information Act and will be posted in 

their entirety at https://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal or business confidential 

information provided. Do not include 

any information you would not like to 

be made publicly available. 

Written responses should not exceed 

20 pages, inclusive of a 1-page cover 

page as described below. Attachments 

or linked resources or documents are 

not included in the 20-page limit. Please 

respond concisely, in plain language, 

and in narrative format. You may 

respond to some or all of the questions 

listed in this document. Please ensure it 

is clear which question you are 

responding to. You may also include 

links to online material or interactive 

presentations but please ensure all links 

are publicly available. Each response 

should include: 

• The name of the individual(s) and 

organization responding; 

• The Area section(s) (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) 

that your submission and materials 

support; 

• A brief description of the 

responding individual(s) or 

organization’s mission or areas of 

expertise, including any public-private 

partnerships with Federal, State, tribal, 

territorial, or local governments within 

the past 3 years that are relevant to this 

document; and 

• A contact for questions or other 

follow-up on your response. 

By responding to this document, each 

participant (individual, team, or legal 

entity) warrants that they are the sole 

author or owner of, or has the right to 

use, any copyrightable works that are 

included in the submission, that the 

works are wholly original (or is an 

improved version of an existing work 

that the participant has sufficient rights 

to use and improve), and that the 

submission does not infringe any 

copyright or any other rights of any 

third party of which the participant is 

aware. 

Comments previously submitted 

during the Tribal Consultation on the 

Racial Equity Executive Order do not 

need to be resubmitted; your comments 

will be included in this record. 

Participants will not be required to 

transfer their intellectual property rights 

to USDA, but participants must grant to 

the Federal government a nonexclusive 

license to apply, share, and use the 

materials that are included in the 

submission. To participate, each 

participant must warrant that there are 

no legal obstacles to providing the 

above-referenced nonexclusive licenses 

of participant rights to the Federal 

government. 

Interested parties who respond to this 

document may be contacted for a 

follow-up strategic agency assessment 

dialogue, discussion, event, 

crowdsource campaign, or competition. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Issues regarding submission or 

questions can be sent to Liz Archuleta— 

phone number: 202–720–7095; or email: 

EquityRFI@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Executive Order 13985, Advancing 

Racial Equity and Support for 

Underserved Communities Through the 

Federal Government, states: 

Equal opportunity is the bedrock of 

American democracy, and our diversity is 

one of our country’s greatest strengths. But 

for too many, the American Dream remains 

out of reach. Entrenched disparities in our 

laws and public policies, and in our public 

and private institutions, have often denied 

that equal opportunity to individuals and 

communities. Our country faces converging 

economic, health, and climate crises that 

have exposed and exacerbated inequities, 

while a historic movement for justice has 

highlighted the unbearable human costs of 

systemic racism. Our Nation deserves an 

ambitious whole-of-government equity 

agenda that matches the scale of the 

opportunities and challenges that we face. 

It is therefore the policy of my 

Administration that the Federal Government 

should pursue a comprehensive approach to 

advancing equity for all, including people of 

color and others who have been historically 


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32014 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 114 / Wednesday, June 16, 2021 / Notices 

underserved, marginalized, and adversely 

affected by persistent poverty and inequality. 

Affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, 

racial justice, and equal opportunity is the 

responsibility of the whole of our 

Government. Because advancing equity 

requires a systematic approach to embedding 

fairness in decision-making processes, 

executive departments and agencies 

(agencies) must recognize and work to 

redress inequities in their policies and 

programs that serve as barriers to equal 

opportunity. 

By advancing equity across the Federal 

Government, we can create opportunities for 

the improvement of communities that have 

been historically underserved, which benefits 

everyone. For example, an analysis shows 

that closing racial gaps in wages, housing 

credit, lending opportunities, and access to 

higher education would amount to an 

additional $5 trillion in gross domestic 

product in the American economy over the 

next 5 years. The Federal government’s goal 

in advancing equity is to provide everyone 

with the opportunity to reach their full 

potential. Consistent with these aims, each 

agency must assess whether, and to what 

extent, its programs and policies perpetuate 

systemic barriers to opportunities and 

benefits for people of color and other 

underserved groups. Such assessments will 

better equip agencies to develop policies and 

programs that deliver resources and benefits 

equitably to all. 

Definitions 

The term ‘‘equity’’ means the 

consistent and systematic fair, just, and 

impartial treatment of all individuals, 

including individuals who belong to 

underserved communities that have 

been denied such treatment, such as 

Black, Latino, and Indigenous and 

Native American persons, Asian 

Americans and Pacific Islanders and 

other persons of color; members of 

religious minorities; lesbian, gay, 

bisexual, transgender, and queer 

(LGBTQ+) persons; persons with 

disabilities; persons who live in rural 

areas; and persons otherwise adversely 

affected by persistent poverty or 

inequality. 

The term ‘‘underserved communities’’ 

means populations sharing a particular 

characteristic, as well as geographic 

communities, that have been 

systematically denied a full opportunity 

to participate in aspects of economic, 

social, and civic life, as exemplified by 

the list in the preceding definition of 

‘‘equity.’’ 

Required Assessment and Plan 

Within 200 days of the date of 

Executive Order 13985 (by August 8, 

2021), agencies must submit to the 

Assistant to the President for Domestic 

Policy an assessment of the state of 

equity for underserved communities 

and individuals, including on the 

following points, for example: 

• Barriers that underserved 

communities and individuals may face 

to enrollment in and access to benefits 

and services in Federal programs; 

• Barriers that underserved 

communities and individuals may face 

in participation in agency procurement 

and contracting opportunities; 

• Barriers that underserved 

communities and individuals may face 

in participation in agency grant 

programs and other forms of financial 

assistance; 

• Opportunities in current agency 

policies, regulations, and guidance to 

address affirmatively and equitably the 

underlying causes of systemic inequities 

in society; 

• Opportunities in agency community 

engagement processes to engage with 

and empower marginalized, vulnerable, 

or underserved communities more 

directly to advance equitable 

policymaking; and 

• The operational status and level of 

institutional resources available to 

agency offices or divisions responsible 

for advancing civil rights or required to 

serve underrepresented or 

disadvantaged communities. 

Within one year of the date of 

Executive Order 13985 (by January 19, 

2022), the head of each agency will 

develop a plan for addressing any 

barriers to full and equal participation 

in programs and procurement 

opportunities identified in its 

assessment. Such a plan could include 

establishing ongoing routines to assess 

and rectify gaps in full and equal 

participation in programs and 

procurement opportunities. 

Key Principles 

Advancing equity must be a core part 

of management and policy making 

processes. Achieving equity must go 

beyond delivering special projects or 

programs that focus on underserved 

communities. Equity must be a central 

component of the decision-making 

framework that all agency functions are 

routed through. 

Successful equity work yields tangible 

changes that positively impact the lives 

of people in the United States. Equity is 

not just a set of values; it must also be 

a set of outcomes. 

Equity benefits everyone. If we close 

the gaps in income, wealth, and 

financial security for families across the 

country, our economy will grow. It’s up 

to all of us as leaders to carry this 

message, and to demonstrate that 

advancing equity is not a zero-sum game 

that benefits some communities at the 

expense of others. 

Customer Experience Questions 

USDA is requesting customer 

experience input on the following 

questions where applicable: 

1. Have you applied for or accessed 

USDA programs and services in the 

past? If so, please describe your 

experience. 

2. If you have not applied for or 

accessed USDA programs and services 

in the past, why not? What would have 

made it easier for you to apply or access 

USDA programs and services? 

3. How can USDA, its cooperators, 

grantees, and partners, better share 

information with underserved 

stakeholders about our programs and 

services? What are the best ways to 

notify and engage underserved 

stakeholders about new programs and 

services or changes to existing services? 

4. Describe your experience(s) 

interacting with USDA staff when trying 

to access USDA programs and services. 

How were they helpful? Are local USDA 

offices staffed sufficiently and do they 

provide good customer service? What 

are areas for improvement? 

5. Are USDA agency websites helpful 

in providing useful information on 

programs and services, explaining how 

specific programs and services work, 

and explaining how applications for 

participation are considered? What are 

areas for improvement? 

6. What are the barriers to applying 

for loan and grant programs? How can 

USDA make loan and grant processes 

easier to understand and more 

accessible to underserved groups? 

7. Have you attended stakeholder 

meetings and informational sessions in 

the past? Describe when and how 

helpful and useful the information was 

including follow-up by USDA. 

General Questions 

USDA is also requesting input on the 

following general questions where 

applicable: 

1. Have you experienced injustice, 

inequity or unfairness in one or more 

USDA programs? If so, which ones? 

Please explain the situation(s). 

2. Have you had difficulty accessing 

one or more USDA programs? If so, 

which ones? Please explain the 

difficulty. 

3. Did you experience problems with 

required USDA paperwork, the USDA 

internet sites, the attitudes of USDA 

workers, or the locations of USDA 

offices? 

4. Are there USDA policies, practices, 

or programs that perpetuate systemic 

barriers to opportunities and benefits for 

people of color or other underserved 

groups? How can those programs be 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 114 / Wednesday, June 16, 2021 / Notices 32015 

modified, expanded, or made less 

complicated or streamlined, to deliver 

resources and benefits more equitably? 

5. How can USDA establish and

maintain connections to a wider and 

more diverse set of stakeholders 

representing underserved communities? 

6. Please describe USDA programs or

interactions that have worked well for 

underserved communities. What 

successful approaches to advancing 

justice and equity have been undertaken 

by USDA that you recommend be used 

as a model for other programs or areas? 

7. Does USDA currently collect

information, use forms, or require 

documentation that impede access to 

USDA programs or are not effective to 

achieve program objectives? If so, what 

are they and how can USDA revise them 

to reduce confusion or frustration, and 

increase equity in access to USDA 

programs? 

8. Is there information you believe

USDA currently collects that it does not 

need to achieve statutory or regulatory 

objectives? 

9. Are there data-sharing activities in

which USDA agencies should engage, so 

that repetitive collections of the same 

data do not occur from one USDA 

component to the next? 

10. How can USDA use technology to

improve customer service? Do you have 

suggestions on how technology or 

online services can help streamline and 

reduce regulatory or policy 

requirements? What are those 

technological programs or processes and 

how can USDA use them to achieve 

equity for all? 

11. Are there sources of external data

and metrics that USDA can use to 

evaluate the effects on underserved 

communities of USDA policies or 

regulations? If so, please identify or 

describe them. 

12. What suggestions do you have for

how USDA can effectively assess and 

measure its outreach and inclusion of 

underserved groups and individuals? 

13. How can USDA remove or reduce

barriers that underserved communities 

and individuals face when they 

participate or attempt to participate in 

agency procurement and contracting 

opportunities? 

14. Have you made recommendations

for improvement in the past to USDA? 

If so, please list or attach those 

recommendations. 

Civil Rights Compliant 

Information submitted through this 

document will not be processed as a 

civil rights complaint and will not be 

considered a complaint for determining 

whether a complaint was timely 

submitted. 

To file a discrimination complaint on 

interactions with USDA, you can 

complete the form: https://

www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ 

documents/Complain_combined_6_8_

12_508.pdf. You may submit the 

discrimination complaint to USDA by 

any of the following methods: 

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Director, Center for Civil Rights 

Enforcement, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

9410. 

Fax: (202) 690–7442; or 

Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

If you need any assistance completing 

the form, call the following phone 

numbers: 

• (202) 260–1026 (Local),

• (866) 632–9992 (Toll-free Customer

Service), 

• (800) 877–8339 (Local or Federal

relay), or 

• (866) 377–8642 (Relay voice users).

USDA Non-Discrimination Policy 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, USDA, its 

Agencies, offices, and employees, and 

institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family or 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means of communication for 

program information (for example, 

braille, large print, audiotape, American 

Sign Language, etc.) should contact the 

responsible agency or USDA TARGET 

Center at (202) 720–2600 or 844–433– 

2774 (toll-free nationwide). 

Additionally, program information may 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at https://

www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-aprogram-discrimination-complaint and 

at any USDA office or write a letter 

addressed to USDA and provide in the 

letter all the information requested in 

the form. To request a copy of the 

complaint form, call (866) 632–9992. 

Submit your completed form or letter to 

USDA by mail to: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410 or email: OAC@

usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Elizabeth C. Archuleta, 

Director, Office of Intergovernmental & 

External Affairs, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture. 

[FR Doc. 2021–12612 Filed 6–15–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–90–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2020–0044] 

Removal of Japan From the List of 

Regions Declared Free of Classical 

Swine Fever 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that we removed Japan from the list of 

regions the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service recognizes as free of 

classical swine fever (CSF). This action 

follows the detection of CSF in Japan. 

This action is necessary in order to 

inform the public and to prevent the 

introduction of CSF into the United 

States. 

DATES: This action became effective on 

September 10, 2018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Ingrid Kotowski, Regionalization 

Evaluation Services, Veterinary 

Services, APHIS, 920 Main Campus 

Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606; 

(919) 855–7732; AskRegionalization@

usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to 

below as the regulations) govern the 

importation of specified animals and 

animal products to prevent the 

introduction into the United States of 

various animal diseases, including 

classical swine fever (CSF). CSF is a 

highly contagious disease of wild and 

domestic swine that can spread rapidly 

in swine populations with extremely 

high rates of morbidity and mortality. A 

list of regions that the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has 

determined are free of CSF is 

maintained on the APHIS website at 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ 

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