Data

(1) Reduce barriers to citizenship and naturalization through continued evaluation of programs, policies, and outreach opportunities. There is a significant gap between the annual naturalization rate and the annual size of the population eligible to naturalize. Commonly cited barriers to naturalization include: a lack of understanding about the naturalization process; a real or perceived inability to meet the English language requirement that is part of the naturalization process; a lack of ability to pay application fees; and a lack of understanding about reduced fees and fee waiver options. To address these barriers, USCIS will strengthen efforts to promote naturalization through citizenship education and outreach, capacity building efforts, and more streamlined naturalization application services. (2) Promote equitable use of AI technology across the Department through the development and application of new guidance as well as intra - agency coordination. With increased use of AI in carrying out DHS's homeland security mission, members of underserved communities may face disproportionate or disparate impacts, such as additional scrutiny or denial of benefits based on the potential for algorithms to operate in a manner that exhibits inappropriate biases in violation of law and DHS policy. To address these barriers, DHS will implement Department - wide policy guidance regarding the equitable use and implementation of AI technology and leverage the ongoing work of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force (AITF) and other internal working groups to establish a framework for trustworthy and responsible AI. (3) Counter domestic violent extremism (DVE) and targeted violence through a public health - informed approach. As the Department continues to tackle DVE threats, members of certain underserved communities (e.g., AMEMSA, Jewish, LGBTQI + and Black communities) continue to have concerns about DVE threats that impact their communities. To address these barriers, DHS will build the capacity of prevention professionals, SO that they can better understand and use data - driven information on how underserved communities are often the targets and victims of domestic terrorists;

Naturalization applications and naturalizations have risen over time, but each year, only about 10 percent of eligible individuals naturalize. This trend has persisted for decades. Commonly cited barriers to naturalization include a lack of understanding about the naturalization process, a real or perceived inability to meet the English language requirement that is part of the naturalization process, a belief that the civics test is too difficult, a lack of time to prepare for the naturalization test and interview, a lack of ability to pay application fees, and a lack of understanding about reduced fees and fee waiver options. 3 About 3.5 percent of all Form N - 400s (Applications for Naturalization) are currently accompanied by at least one Form N - 648 (Medical Certification for Disability Exception). The public has commented on the limited list of medical professionals who are eligible to certify Form N - 648. Members of the public have recommended expanding the list to include nurse practitioners, thereby allowing for greater access for people living in rural areas, people with limited financial resources and time, and people who may otherwise have barriers with utilizing the current list of medical professionals. Form N - 648 continues to pose obstacles for people with disabilities based on its length and complexity, sometimes deterring eligible people from filing, deterring

On January 11, 2023, USCIS hosted a national listening session on the Proposed Rule to Adjust Certain Immigration Fees. USCIS provided an overview of the proposed rule and reviewed how to submit formal comments. On May 16, 2023, USCIS participated in an engagement hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to educate USDA employees about " " Equity and Nutrition Security Among Eligible Immigrant Families. " " During the engagement USCIS educated USDA staff about the barriers and challenges facing immigrant families in accessing federal programs and highlighted the role USCIS plays through outreach and engagements to ensure stakeholders are well informed about the Final Public Charge Rule. USCIS held stakeholder engagements on January 12, March 3, April 28, and May 31, 2023, to address questions and gather feedback on the naturalization test redesign initiative. For FY 2023, USCIS scheduled and conducted in - person Adult Citizenship Education Training in areas where there are large numbers of LPRs who are eligible to naturalize and areas that are underserved. USCIS will continue to engage with the public, including members of underserved communities; relevant stakeholders; state and local government; and other federal agencies to seek input on ways to further advance equity in applying for naturalization. As part of this effort, USCIS will utilize its expanded cadre of citizenship ambassadors to share information about the naturalization process and how to access information and support. Further, CRCL, in collaboration with USCIS / NWG, will periodically disseminate messaging regarding citizenship and naturalization initiatives to CRCL's network of community stakeholders through the GovDelivery system and monthly CRCL newsletter with an audience of over 10,000 members of the public. Additionally, CRCL, in collaboration with USCIS / NWG, will host a series of Naturalization Test Redesign Information and Listening Sessions with CRCL's network of community stakeholders. (2) Promote equitable use of AI technology across the Department through the development and application of new guidance as well as intra - agency coordination.

During a June 2023 stakeholder listening session on AI and Equity at DHS, stakeholders raised concerns about transparency and disparate impact in DHS's use of AI. Stakeholders also recommended enhancing community engagement on the use and application of AI going forward to build greater trust with communities. Staff consultation with the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, policy development engagement dating back to the 2014 - 15 White House Big Data Papers, literature study, and interagency engagement with colleagues who have faced similar challenges and developed ethical codes and best practices in response, provide a basis for anticipating the challenges to ensuring compliance with applicable law and policy and in using AI to advance equity across all DHS missions. To encourage accountability and responsible use of AI in government programs and processes, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) developed an AI accountability framework ensuring AI is responsible, equitable, traceable, reliable, and governable. According to NIST, how accurately face recognition software tools identify people of varied sex, age, and racial backgrounds depends in part on the algorithm and data used. Results captured in the NIST report, Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) Part 3: Demographic Effects (NISTIR 8280), found empirical evidence for the existence of demographic differentials across algorithms and developers, with the most accurate algorithms producing many fewer errors; NIST expects those algorithms to have smaller demographic differentials. A key goal of the Department's use of facial recognition technology is identifying and eliminating, to the extent it exists, any improper bias. The Final Report of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (2021) determined that " " unintended bias can be introduced during many stages of the machine learning (ML) process, which can lead to disparate impacts in American society, a problem that has been documented in law enforcement contexts. " " Commission recommendations include the establishment of " " a task force to assess the privacy and civil liberties implications of AI and emerging technologies " " and " " empower DHS Offices of Privacy and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties [ to ] play an integral role in the legal and approval processes for the procurement and use of Al - enabled systems. " "

which includes explicit privacy, civil rights, civil liberties, and equity guidelines (including nondiscrimination provisions). Issue application - specific policy, as appropriate, including a Department - wide policy on facial recognition and facial detection technologies, requiring and enabling the minimization of improper bias in operational use and safeguarding of individuals against disproportionate or disparate impacts based on protected characteristics. Build on the principles articulated in EO 13960, Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government, and leverage the ongoing work of the DHS AI Task Force (AITF) and the DHS AI Policy Working Group by establishing a DHS - specific AI risk management framework, including a focus on trustworthy and responsible AI that protects privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties and advances equity. Where reliance on an algorithm is likely to have a substantial effect on individuals, DHS will enable effective oversight through disclosure of algorithms relied upon, where appropriate; reliance on explainable algorithms when feasible; and placing an emphasis in policy and oversight activities on accountability. Sponsor a CRCL - led Responsible Use Group within the DHS AITF, to establish close coordination between the DHS AITF, the Privacy Office, and the operational and technical staff charged with leading the innovative AI projects sponsored by the AITF. The Responsible Use Group will ensure projects receive timely, tailored compliance and equity - enhancing policy advice and oversight scrutiny. Additionally it will work with the Department's AI Policy Working Group to leverage the lessons learned from this grass roots implementation work to inform policy and practices guiding the AITF projects, and Department - level AI governance policy, respectively. Examine the use and value of AI in meeting language access needs in DHS programs and operations through a new initiative on AI and Language Access. CRCL will convene a symposium on AI and Language Access in Fiscal Year 2024 to explore how various technologies (e.g., large language models) could address DHS mission needs for quality translation and access services while mitigating any potential harm on underserved populations. Incorporate forthcoming OMB government - wide guidance on AI implementation, including review of affected DHS policies protecting the individual rights and safety of the public and our employees, and updating civil rights and general individual protective policies and processes to incorporate additional protections, where appropriate. Over the next five years, continue to engage with members of underserved communities and stakeholder groups to assess the extent to which they report progressively fewer concerns about privacy and disparate treatment and impacts from DHS's AI technology, and address any lingering or novel concerns through additional policy updates.

Within two - to - four years, ensure that the equitable AI policy and responsible AI framework are adopted. Ensure that all DHS employees who develop, manage, or use AI that is likely to affect individuals ' privacy, civil rights, civil liberties, or safety, are trained on responsible use policies, such that they can be implemented effectively.

On June 8, 2023, CRCL, in partnership with the DHS Equity Task Force, hosted a virtual stakeholder listening session on AI and Equity at DHS. Community and industry leaders provided direct feedback and insights regarding concerns and suggestions in this space to aid the Department in the development of an equitable AI strategy. On June 30, 2023, DHS held a launch meeting of the AI Task Force. DHS agencies and offices presented or provided direct feedback on AI at DHS. DHS will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to seek opportunities to advance equity in this space.

Build capacity of prevention professionals / providers by developing evidence - based trainings and technical packages, including data - driven information on how underserved communities are often the targets and victims of domestic terrorists. Enhance equity in the CP3 TVTP Grant Program by investing in the diversification of grant applications for the FY 2024 grant cycle through an intentional outreach campaign to underrepresented groups and communities. Strengthen the public health - informed approach to targeted violence and terrorism prevention and raise awareness of this approach through a public communications strategy. Prioritize and expand education programs regarding tools and resources available for combatting DVE threats to underserved communities.

To develop this strategy, DHS considered input from 2022 and 2023 engagements conducted by CRCL, OPE, the DHS Office for Faith - Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and other offices, seeking input from affected communities regarding their concerns related to DVE. In furtherance of the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, DHS will conduct a series of regional workshops on countering antisemitic and other forms of hate - motivated violence against communities impacted by targeted violence - including antisemitic violence, gender - based violence, violence against the LGBTQI + community, and Islamophobic violence - to help DHS identify additional ways to assist these communities.

Trends of complaints received by TSA, to indicate a decrease in allegations of inequitable treatment from ethnic, religious, and racial communities, and to improve the customer experience. Changes in the type of passenger complaints alleging, for example, misuse of TSA Advanced Imaging Technology, TSA pat - down screening, religious accommodations, and Fourth Amendment concerns, to inform TSA Security Operations to provide additional training for front - line Transportation Security Officers, with a goal of process improvement. Training retention survey data at the conclusion of the CBP religious accommodations for members of the public training (to be developed).

1. Applying for Naturalization. USCIS began a comprehensive review of policies, regulations, forms, and operations to identify barriers that may impede access to naturalization by underserved communities and is undertaking efforts to reduce or eliminate those barriers. In October 2022, USCIS updated Form N - 648 (Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions) and related Policy Manual guidance. Applicants for naturalization with physical or developmental disability or mental impairments may request an exception to the English and civics testing requirements for naturalization. This form and Policy Manual update streamline the process for applicants to claim and substantiate a disability by eliminating unnecessary and duplicative questions. In March 2023, USCIS updated Policy Manual guidance to allow individuals requesting immigration benefits to self - select their gender marker (" " Male " " or " " Female " ") without the need to provide proof of their gender identity or to match the gender listed on their supporting documentation. This update reflects an important step toward reducing administrative burdens on applicants and increasing accessibility to immigration benefits and services. 2. Accessing Humanitarian Protection During Immigration Processing. DHS improved access to humanitarian protection during immigration processing by addressing language and disability access gaps and enhancing access to legal information and resources. In July 2022, USCIS issued new language access guidance to ensure that LEP individuals seeking asylum who cannot be interviewed in the credible fear screening process are placed into removal proceedings where an immigration judge can apply appropriate language access safeguards as that individual seeks relief. The USCIS Language Services Branch (LSB) has prioritized reaching the most vulnerable populations, including victims of trafficking, in their languages and in a culturally appropriate manner. This work, which spanned two fiscal years and involved multiple language specialists, resulted in approximately 1,000 pages of translation. Additionally, in close collaboration with the Asylum Division and the

Tribal Nations tend to be located in very rural areas with varying degrees of capacity and infrastructure. For many Tribal Nations, even access to internet, phones, and utilities is a challenge, underscoring the depth of the digital divide and resulting in limited access to government services and information. During consultations, Tribal Nations have reported equity concerns about inaccessibility and unfairness of contract and grant opportunities, screening and handling of sacred items, a lack of DHS staff and other resources dedicated to fulfilling DHS responsibilities to the Nations, a lack of representation on some advisory councils and committees, and uncertainty that DHS would pursue modifications to unfair practices that might require legislative fixes.

Benefit applicants, both overseas and domestic, sometimes have difficulty attending USCIS appointments when the distance needed to travel is long. There are barriers related to transportation, health and safety, and finances. In FY 2023, USCIS's Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations (RAIO) began increasing the use of video technology to conduct I - 589 asylum interviews domestically, and I - 590 refugee interviews internationally, SO that applicants living in remote locations will not have to wait SO long or travel SO far. USCIS is currently drafting a proposed rule that would codify RAIO's flexibility to conduct remote interviews with refugee applicants abroad. In March 2023, USCIS published an extension to the Asylum Interpreter Temporary Final Rule (TFR) that allowed USCIS to provide telephonic interpreters for asylum applicants who speak one of 47 listed languages through September 12, 2023. Telephonic interpreters can also be connected to video interviews SO that remote interviews can be completed. The TFR temporarily reduced barriers for asylum applicants to attend and complete their interviews. There is a significant backlog of pending petitions for U nonimmigrant status due, in part, to the annual statutory cap limiting approvals to 10,000 principal petitions per fiscal year. As this backlog of over 250,000 filings are solely filed via paper and postal mail, USCIS is considering ways to leverage technology to improve processing to provide Employment Authorization Documents and deferred action for U petitioners and their derivatives with pending filings. As noted in the U.S. National Plan to End Gender - Based Violence, immigrant survivors face increased barriers to economic stability. They often encounter delayed processing times when applying for special immigration remedies for GBV victims that were established through VAWA and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, such as the VAWA self - petition, the U nonimmigrant status for eligible victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and qualifying eligible crimes, and the T nonimmigrant status for eligible victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons. Delays in access to work authorization and public benefits for which an individual is potentially eligible, such as housing assistance or health care, can increase vulnerabilities to abuse and undermine recovery and healing. For refugees living in many parts of the world to access the US Refugee Admissions Program, they need to be interviewed and processed by USCIS while they are overseas, which presents many logistical and travel challenges for both the refugees and USCIS staff. When USCIS has no permanent presence in a geographic area, processing occurs when USCIS has the staff to make several international trips to complete different processing steps, thereby increasing the processing time. There are numerous steps involved in processing benefits for refugee populations, such as medical exams, refugee interviews, finalization of the decision, and assurances for placement with domestic resettlement agencies. These steps typically take place sequentially and may take a long time in between steps. Noncitizen workers are particularly vulnerable to workplace abuses including unpaid wages, discrimination, health and safety violations, and reprisals for seeking to improve working conditions. In addition, noncitizen workers are often afraid to report violations to labor enforcement agencies or participate in labor standards investigations for fear of immigration - related retaliation or threats of deportation by their employers.

Reduce barriers to humanitarian benefits by leveraging technology, increasing access, enhancing process efficiencies, and seeking opportunities to reduce fees. Strengthen resources for non - detained noncitizens released on an alternative to detention by building on existing case management programs, like the Case Management Pilot Program, which provides case management, legal information and screening, trafficking screening, and connection to a range of social services, including pro se counsel, to noncitizens on ATD. As enumerated in DHS's National Action Plan to implement the Gender Policy Council Strategy, USCIS and ICE will work to expand access to T and U nonimmigrant statuses and VAWA protections. These benefits offer critical protection for many of our most vulnerable noncitizens - those who have been victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons and other specified crimes, and those who are victims of battery or extreme cruelty by an abusive spouse or other family member. All three benefits are crucial in stabilizing victims by providing a potential pathway to lawful permanent residence. The Department will explore how to prevent instances of domestic abuse, gender - based violence, human trafficking, and other criminal activity by raising awareness of and expanding access to potentially eligible noncitizens, including women of color, who may be particularly vulnerable. USCIS leads this effort and has set goals to guide its backlog - reduction efforts. Strengthen the centralized process for workers within the scope of labor agency investigations to request deferred action. Deferred action is a critical tool to assist

FEMA's 2020 National Advisory Council Report to the Administrator underscores the importance to " " Use Equity as the Foundation, " " as stated on page 12: " " [ b ] y perpetually assisting larger communities that already have considerable resources, the smaller, less resource - rich, less - affluent communities cannot access funding to appropriately prepare for a disaster, leading to inadequate response and recovery, and little opportunity for mitigation. " " As noted in the U.S. National Plan to End Gender - Based Violence, natural disasters, public health crises, and other emergencies also reinforce preexisting social, political, and economic inequalities, including access to food, water, health care, transportation, and social services. Survivors may face additional barriers accessing essential services, including GBV - related assistance.

Identify disadvantaged census tracts most at risk from natural hazards through implementation of the CDRZ Act of 2022, including underserved rural areas, and provide targeted support to communities within or containing CDRZ census tracts to support them in resilience planning and project scoping, in addition to making other programmatic changes to remove barriers to accessing and leveraging FEMA grants. Enhance and expand direct technical assistance for the BRIC program. CDRZ communities can request direct technical assistance to begin climate resilience planning and project solution design, increasing their capacity to design holistic, equitable climate adaptation solutions that advance community - driven objectives.

6. Airport Screening. In furtherance of TSA's mission to protect the Nation's transportation systems and facilitate lawful travel, TSA has enhanced and standardized training for its screening officers and has improved its screening technology capabilities to reduce the possibility of bias against travelers and increase safety. TSA deployed new Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) software for screening systems at airports across the country. This update eliminates the need for Transportation Security Officers to determine a passenger's gender prior to AIT screening and is projected to reduce the instances of enhanced screening for transgender persons and members of other underserved communities. TSA has held multiple community engagements to enhance communication with the traveling public and increase awareness of security procedures. 7. Trusted Traveler Programs. DHS has taken steps to advance equity in its Trusted Traveler Programs. TSA updated the PreCheck application process by allowing individuals to select their gender marker based on self - attestation, regardless of sex assigned at birth. The application was updated to include additional gender marker options to better serve non - binary and gender non - conforming travelers. 8. Public Assistance. FEMA has advanced equity as a foundation for public assistance. In August 2022, FEMA's Office for Public Assistance released the Operational Draft of the Public Assistance Program Delivery Guide, which included considerations for FEMA recipients and applicants to conduct response and recovery efforts in an equitable manner. The Guide includes a performance metric for the prioritization of communities rated as highly socially vulnerable, including underserved rural areas. From April 2021 through August 2022, FEMA's Office for Equal Rights worked with the Office for Public Assistance on its mission to ensure an equitable response to the COVID - 19 pandemic. FEMA established the Civil Rights Advisory Group as part of the agency's commitment to the COVID - 19 vaccination mission amid the ongoing battle against the pandemic. The advisory group's mission is to evaluate the policies, practices, strategies, and plans in place to ensure equity in vaccine access and administration. 9. Achieving Equitable Outcomes for Disaster Survivors. FEMA continues to advance equitable outcomes for disaster survivors. FEMA is working to identify and include considerations for traditionally underserved or marginalized communities in the forms, processes, and online Grants Portal system that the agency uses to support applicants.

FEMA is redeveloping the way it collects, documents, and processes information from applicants to be less burdensome, more effective, and more equitable in the distribution of Public Assistance. Moving forward, FEMA will work to clarify the recipient's legal responsibility and to structure a more comprehensive reporting process SO that recipients and subrecipients clearly understand their obligations to develop and report on their strategies for equitable response and recovery. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) selected Recovering from a Disaster as a Life Experience Project in 2022. Discovery work was completed to inform how FEMA could create an equitable and less frustrating experience to survivors while they are enduring trauma. Based on recommendations made from the discovery work, the General Services Administration is currently partnering with FEMA to measure end - to - end burden placed on natural disaster survivors. 10. Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). NSGP provides funding for physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, that are at high risk of terrorist attack. FEMA has improved equitable access to NSGP funding by improving participation from nonprofit organizations serving underserved communities and embedding equity considerations in the grant review process. FEMA continues to engage in robust outreach and engagement efforts throughout the NSGP lifecycle to ensure that nonprofit organizations have the information they need to apply. In FY 2022, NSGP held 82 events, including webinars, with over 18,039 unique participants to increase understanding of the application process and eligibility for subrecipients. In June 2023, FEMA published an informative video about applying to the NSGP, available both on YouTube.com and FEMA.gov. FEMA has collaborated with other federal and nonprofit partners to further amplify this engagement and messaging, including the DHS Center for Faith - Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Department of Justice (DOJ) Community Relations Service, religious and cultural organizations, HBCUs, and Minority Serving Institutions. In FY 2023, FEMA advanced considerations of equity in awarding NSGP grant funding by adding up to 15 additional points to the scores of organizations that demonstrate how they serve an underserved community or population or that are located within an underserved community. Additionally, applicants who had never received NSGP funding had 15 points added to their project score (a scoring metric continued from FY 2022).

Illinois: $ 23 million federal cost share with Village of DePue Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Rebuild. After heavy rain in 2008, several neighborhood roads in the Village of DePue, an Economically Disadvantaged Rural Community, were flooded. The increased flow at the WWTP caused raw sewage to back up into the basements of homes. Through BRIC DTA, DePue will build a new WWTP on village property outside of the floodway and floodplain. The old plant will be demolished and left as open space. Arkansas: $ 2.51 million federal cost share with Danville School District Safe Room. The Danville School District, also located in an Economically Disadvantaged Rural Community, has no protection for its students during severe wind and tornado events. Through BRIC DTA, Danville will build an Americans with Disabilities Act - compliant, multi - purpose safe room next to the elementary school, with space for 1,126 students and staff, including six wheelchair spaces, during dangerous storms. The project should also help improve stormwater management and reduce future risk of flash flooding by including nature - based solutions, such as permeable pavement.

Supporting Victims of Gender - Based Violence

In March 2023, DHS published the Privacy Impact Assessment for ICE alternatives to detention programs, including an Appendix that addresses the Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP). CMPP leads to more equitable outcomes for program participants, many of whom are racial minorities, by providing services that include, but are not limited to, mental health services, trafficking screening, legal orientation programs, cultural orientation programs, connections to social services, and departure planning and reintegration services for individuals returning to their home countries. The Privacy Impact Assessment describes the application of privacy mitigation measures to the CMPP, including the limits of data sharing between CRCL and ICE regarding program participants. CMPP enrollments in Houston began in April 2023 and enrollments in New York began in May 2023. As of November 2023, there are 248 enrolled participants. Enrollments will continue throughout the year. CMPP plans to add more service providers later in calendar year 2023 via FY 2022 appropriated funds of $ 15 million that were awarded as a grant to the CMPP National Board in July 2023. The National Board began the solicitation process in July 2023 to award those funds to service providers.

In March 2022, the DHS Blue Campaign developed an online Gender - Based Violence (GBV) Awareness Course to help airport and private aviation industry personnel define the concept of GBV; identify its various forms, including human trafficking; and describe ways to support victims and survivors.

S & T sponsors the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Face Recognition Vendor Test and performs scenario evaluations of integrated biometric systems. This research informs the development of DHS and interagency oversight and best practices and underpins the development of international standards. For example, S & T led the development of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) technical report on the differential impact of demographic factors in biometric systems (ISO / IEC TR 22116) and is currently leading the development of a new performance testing standard on measuring demographic differentials in biometric systems (ISO / IEC 19795 - 10).

One of the cornerstones of DHS's approach to equity is a strong commitment to stakeholder and community engagement - to understand concerns about barriers faced by members of underserved communities in DHS's programs and to assess the effectiveness of DHS's efforts to address those barriers. Over the past year, DHS hosted engagements specific to the areas of focus in this plan. For example, in August 2022, the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) led a listening session to hear directly from Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) faith - based and community leaders regarding civil rights and civil liberties concerns. The discussion focused on DHS policies and practices, particularly with respect to screening and redress. In February 2023, the Office of Partnership and Engagement (OPE) held a listening session with diverse faith leaders in Dearborn, Michigan to better understand the threat landscape and share DHS information and resources. In June 2023, CRCL led a listening session regarding DHS's use of artificial intelligence (AI) to understand stakeholders ' concerns about disparate

CRCL routinely engages with diverse racial, ethnic, and religious communities whose civil rights and civil liberties may be affected by Department activities. For example, in September 2022, the DHS Council on Combatting Gender - Based Violence hosted a listening session with community members, faith leaders, and advocates to hear feedback about the Department's efforts in combatting female genital mutilation and cutting.

Given increased reliance on AI within DHS's homeland security missions, members of underserved communities (among them, members of certain racial and religious groups) may face disproportionate or disparate treatment or impacts, such as unmerited additional scrutiny or improper denial of benefits based on erroneous

reliance on algorithms, or on the potential for algorithms to operate in a manner that exhibits inappropriate biases in violation of law and DHS policy. For instance, facial recognition systems enabled by AI may have difficulty with identifying individuals who have darker skin tones, which in turn may disproportionately impact communities of color when facial recognition systems are relied upon for identification purposes.

Actions to Achieve Equity in DHS AI Implementation: To address these barriers, DHS will:

Continue to implement the recently issued a Department - wide Policy Statement, signed by the Secretary, regarding the use and implementation of AI technology,

Proposed Metrics: The evolving nature of DHS use of AI makes it challenging to quantify outcomes at this stage. However, we have identified some benchmarks for responsible and equitable use of AI:

strengthen the public health - informed approach to targeted violence and terrorism prevention and raise awareness through a public communications strategy; further analyze threats posed to underserved communities; and conduct research to better understand pathways to decrease radicalization and targeted violence in all communities across all recognized violent extremist subcategories.

13 Beyond the EAP, DHS is taking action to reduce barriers through Pillar 6 of the U.S. National Plan to End Gender - Based Violence. FEMA will partner with CRCL and OPE to conduct two webinars for FEMA first responders and emergency managers on GBV, how disasters exacerbate situations, as well as providing assistance to GBV victims and survivors. This training is scheduled to be completed by May 2024.

The Equity Task Force worked across the Department to further the aims of other equity - based executive orders, including EO 13988, Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation; EO 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad; and EO 14020, Executive Order on Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council. For example, in furtherance of EO 13988, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued updated policy guidance removing the requirement that people requesting immigration benefits submit proof of their gender identity when seeking to change their gender marker, thereby allowing individuals requesting benefits to choose their self - identified gender marker, regardless of the marker displayed on supporting documentation. Pursuant to EO 14008, DHS continued implementing the Civil Rights Evaluation Tool, a data collection and technical assistance tool that helps conduct and advance civil rights compliance evaluations of federally assisted recipients, including environmental justice concerns and civil rights policies and procedures for public - facing programs and activities that have human health or environmental impacts. In furtherance of EO 14020, DHS developed an action plan in furtherance of the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality and co - chaired

In developing these key program areas, DHS considered concerns and other input raised by community stakeholders and members of the public during stakeholder engagements in addition to examining applicable quantitative data and reviewing relevant literature. As previously stated, sustained stakeholder engagement has been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of the Department's equity work going forward.

the Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Response (Pillar 6) working group in support of the U.S. National Plan to End Gender - Based Violence.

FEMA will prioritize assistance for eligible entities that request technical assistance support for resilience or mitigation activities within, or that primarily benefit, a Justice40 community, including a Federally Recognized Tribe or Tribal entity, as identified by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, an Economically Disadvantaged Rural Community (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 5133 (a) as a small, impoverished community), and / or a Community Disaster Resilience Zone (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 5136 (a) (1)).

On May 25, 2023, Secretary Mayorkas issued Policy Statement 500 - 02, Reaffirming the Commitment to Nondiscrimination in Department of Homeland Security Activities, adopting the May 2023 DOJ Guidance for Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Regarding the Use of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, National Origin, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Disability as it applies to federal law enforcement personnel and federal non - law enforcement personnel in the Department's covered law enforcement activities.

CRCL administers the DHS Civil Rights Evaluation Tool, a data collection and technical assistance tool, which assists the approximately 3,000 DHS grant recipients in meeting and understanding their civil rights responsibilities including language access obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other civil rights requirements.

STRATEGIC GOAL 5: Expand Opportunity and Discovery Through Data

Equity Strategy 5: Expand opportunity and discovery through data to inform and evaluate actions that improve community outcomes.

Geographic income inequality has risen more than 40 percent between 1980 and 2021. The richest places are pulling away, and many others - especially smaller towns and rural areas - have fallen further behind. Rising geographic inequality suggests that economic opportunities are becoming less evenly distributed across the country and such geographic inequality risks reducing households ' ability to move to desired locations. This could concentrate economic and social challenges in certain places, or contribute to political polarization. Places with higher incomes in 1980 tended to have faster income growth between 1980 and 2021, contributing to widening geographic inequality and little change in the income ranking of places. In recent decades, faster - growing, higher - paying sectors have clustered in the same places over time, leading to increased geographic inequality. Additionally, the faster - growing, higher - paying sectors, such as tech, finance, and professional services, have become a growing share of the economy and pay high wages.

MBDA's Capital Readiness Program. The total amount of capital raised and the number of SEDI - owned businesses that have formed or scaled. MBDA Business Centers. Increase percentage of MBEs and increase the percentage of public / federal contracts awarded to MBEs. EDA's Build to Scale. Build public and private capacity for entrepreneurs and innovators to invent, improve, and bring to market new products and services in critical, emerging, and transformative sectors and industries; accelerate the growth of regional economies that are focused on industries of the future; and equitably and inclusively increase access to capital for technology - enabled entrepreneurs. USPTO's Council for Inclusive Innovation. Assess the number of patents and trademarks filed and granted through the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program. ITA's Global Diversity Export Initiative. Increase exports coming from businesses in underserved communities. ITA's Rural Export Center. Increase exports coming from businesses in rural communities.

MBDA's Capital Readiness Program. On June 9, 2023, MBDA held its inaugural Capital Formation Forum to review the status of problems and programs relating to capital formation by MBEs. Participants represented various federal agencies involved in capital formation issues and addressing solutions to access to capital issues for MBEs. The discussion focused on the status of issues and programs relating to capital formation from the government's perspective and solutions for addressing these issues. MBDA Business Centers. The MBDA has entered into memoranda of agreement with Bilateral Infrastructure Law funded agencies, including the Department of Transportation and Department of Energy, designed to maximize the inclusion and growth of MBEs in federal investments, contracts, resources, and administration priorities around high - growth industries. The three top initiatives will include a National Equity Tour, Technical Assistance / Business Advisory Services, and MBE Contract Matching. These collaborations aim to close the gap in federal contracting disparity and ensure that MBEs have an equitable opportunity to participate in and benefit from federal contract opportunities. EDA's Build to Scale. EDA works with SSTI, a national nonprofit organization focused on STEM initiatives offers information and services that are needed to succeed in today's innovation economy. SSTI will host a Community of Practice (CoP) focused on technology - based economic development, through which EDA supports members of the CoP, including B2S recipients, and receives feedback on the B2S program. Outside of SSTI, EDA engages with diverse audiences at numerous conferences, webinars, and annual convenings. Lastly, EDA solicits public input on the design and implementation of the B2S program through its Customer Experience Survey. EDA incorporates this program delivery feedback in future grant competitions. USPTO's Council for Inclusive Innovation. The USPTO has been conducting in - person and virtual outreach to inventors, attorneys, and law schools to increase awareness and participation in pro bono programs and legal services programs through, for example, its " " Pathways " " events for current and aspiring entrepreneurs. These networking events connect attendees with IP protection and commercialization information and resources. In addition, the Under Secretary has sent letters to law schools throughout the country inviting them to join the USPTO Law School Clinic Certification Program. The USPTO also visited 47 law school clinics during the 2022 - 23 school year, including law school visits by Deputy Under Secretary Derrick Brent and General Counsel Dave Berdan. ITA's Global Diversity Export Initiative and Rural Export Center. ITA's U.S. Commercial Service (CS) industry experts design trade missions for U.S. businesses to leverage new trade leads, partnering opportunities, and international sales. CS launched a national outreach event series called " " Building Bridges to Global Markets. " " This program brings no - cost, in - person exporting expertise to local companies through an event that features resources to grow international sales, connect with key trade resources, and access trade finance and capital, including an export finance resource panel that typically features our trade finance partners from SBA and EXIM Bank. These events introduce the full array of export assistance from local trade experts focused on connecting small and medium - sized enterprises (SMEs) from underserved communities to export opportunities. This year, ITA is planning to organize several GDEI Strategic Partner Events. This includes trade missions such as TradeWinds, Women in Tech, and the GDEI Trade Mission to South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria led by ITA Under Secretary Marisa Lago. In May 2024, the Department of Commerce is leading TradeWinds, its most significant annual trade mission, to Europe / Eurasia which will be hosted in Istanbul, Turkey, with mission stops available in Poland, Denmark, Italy, Kazakhstan, and Romania.

EDA's STEM Talent Challenge. The program aims to build STEM talent training systems to strengthen regional innovation economies. On September 19, 2023, EDA announced a total of $ 4.5 million in grants to 11 organizations that are creating and implementing STEM talent development strategies that complement their region's innovation economy. Million Women in Construction Initiative. The Department of Labor's (Labor) Employment and Earnings by Occupation data showed that the number of women working in the construction industry at only 10 percent or 1.2 million women as of 2020. Secretary Raimondo announced a public goal to double the number of women working in the construction industry over the next ten years. To achieve this goal, the Department is promoting the goal through large implementation programs, working with other agencies to do the same, and highlighting commitments from Labor and the private sector to launch complementary efforts. In July 2023, the Secretary hired a Senior Advisor for Women in Construction to oversee this initiative. Through the Internet for All program, Commerce will promote increased outreach to recruit women in broadband construction. NTIA's BEAD program requires states and territories to develop workforce plans that include strategies to ensure the job opportunities created will be available to a diverse pool of workers, including women and people of color. Through the CHIPS NOFO for commercial facilities, applicants are asked to describe how they will recruit, hire, and retain a diverse and skilled construction workforce, including efforts to include women and other economically disadvantaged individuals in the construction industry. Additionally, the CHIPS NOFO for commercial fabrication facilities requires applicants requesting over $ 150 million in direct funding to provide a plan for access to child care for facility and construction workers. This will expand access to training opportunities and enable workers to fully participate in these high - quality, good - paying jobs.

EDA's Good Jobs Challenge. Wage growth and number of enrollments, completions, and placements for participants in sector - specific, place - based business training programs; networks of training and necessary wrap - around support services partners to ensure worker success; braided and aligned federal, state, local, private, and philanthropic resources to sustain long - term programs; enhanced engagement and leadership from unions and underrepresented populations to increase job quality; and equity analysis from partners like University of Michigan and New Growth Innovation Network to extract best equity practices in serving targeted populations. EDA's Recompete Pilot Program. While Recompete metrics are currently being developed, applicants are encouraged to articulate their own vision for how they will ensure historically underserved populations and areas benefit from their proposed interventions that can achieve measurable outputs and outcomes. EDA's STEM Talent Challenge. The number of job placements of program participants, number of training or skills assistance sessions hosted, and demographic data of participants. Million Women in Construction Initiative. For recipients of the CHIPS incentive program funding, the demographically disaggregated data will be on the makeup of the construction workforce. For recipients of BEAD program funding, demographics of those served and entered into the workforce.

NTIA's Internet for All. Percentage increase in broadband availability and adoption, and socioeconomic outcomes such as jobs created and increased labor productivity, business activity, and positive local and regional economic impacts. EDA's Good Jobs Challenge. Increased hiring of local workers into in - demand jobs including from underrepresented communities; wage growth; closure of employment gaps for employers in critical competitive sectors like clean tech, manufacturing, and supporting care economy jobs (e.g. childcare, education); increased capacity of workforce development, higher education, non - profits, and unions to increase domestic job quality in targeted sectors; strong, agile community networks able to respond to quickly changing skills and talent needs necessary for US global competitiveness. EDA's Recompete Pilot Program. To be determined, though EDA anticipates it will track the change in the Prime - Age Employment Gap, per capita wages, and long - term comprehensive economic development for regions awarded implementation grants. EDA's STEM Talent Challenge. The number of jobs created, wage or earnings growth, the number of participants trained; the amount of private investment matched; and demographic data of participants. Million Women in Construction Initiative. The number of women employed in the construction industry by requiring funding recipients of both the Internet for All program and the CHIPS program to report the demographics of their workforce. Given the nature of the timeline of those programs, the Department does not expect to begin receiving demographic data from funding recipients until 2024.

NOAA's Climate Resilience Regional Challenge. There will be an array of metrics expected to be collected and reported out by track one awardees, including, the number of underserved communities engaged through funded regional coalitions and the number of individuals who represent underserved communities engaged (e.g., through capacity building, workforce development, or other opportunities) and any compensation (financial or other form) provided to support engagement. Similarly, track two CRRC awardees will be expected to collect and report data on the number of risk reduction actions implemented to address known vulnerabilities and report specific data on actions implemented in underserved communities. Because awards will not be made until late FY 2024, it is unlikely that we will be able to report engagement until FY 2025. NOAA's Climate - Ready Workforce. The awardees will be expected to collect and report data demonstrating the successful placement of individuals in good jobs that enhance climate resilience. Awards will not be made until late FY 2024, meaning, NOAA will be able to report engagement until FY 2025.

Past and recent research like the 2030 Census Request For Information (RFI) has documented the need for and importance of Census Bureau efforts to improve coverage rates for Historically Undercounted Populations (HUPs). For instance, in 2022, the Census Bureau released results from the Post Enumeration Survey and Demographic Analysis, which produced estimates showing that the 2020 Census undercounted some populations (e.g., the Black or African American population, the American Indian or Alaska Native population living on a reservation, young children 0 to 4 years old, etc.), which underscores the value of advancing research to help the Census Bureau accurately count and describe HUPs. Al systems can reflect and amplify systemic and human biases present in the organizations and communities that develop, deploy, and use them. AI systems can also manifest statistical and computational biases. This can cause them to underperform for some groups relative to others, as in facial recognition, or to treat groups differently. Studies have shown that these phenomena have led to disparate outcomes in employment, housing, credit scoring, health care, and finance. Some private sector actors as well as public regulators have indicated the need to adjust their work in response to Al - related bias and discrimination.

Business Owner Demographic Characteristics. To help improve the quality and usefulness of measuring business owners ' demographic characteristics, the Census Bureau is producing hybrid data products that utilize survey response data and administrative records to develop total business ownership by demographics - including but not limited to data on employment, revenue, and exporting data for women, minority, veteran, LGBTQIA +, and disabled - owned businesses. For instance and mentioned in the Additional Efforts to Advance Equity section, Census received a FY 2023 appropriation of $ 10 million to research, adding questions on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) in the American Community Survey. Geographic Inequality. The Office of the Undersecretary of Economic Affairs (OUSEA) launched a new data initiative, Regional Economic Regional Initiative (Regional Initiative), to improve our nation's understanding of local regional economies and their ability to compete. It will equip public and private sector decision - makers at every level - local, state, Tribal, and federal - with research and data tools to address entrenched and growing geographic inequality and better meet the economic needs of those they serve. The Regional Initiative will also help identify the strengths and weaknesses of regional economies, uncover new opportunities for growth, provide insights into local economic needs, and maximize the impact of regional investments. Women in the Labor Force. OUSEA launched a new dashboard that provides monthly updates of data on women in the labor force alongside the Bureau of Labor Statistics ' monthly release on the employment situation. Over the next year, the OUSEA will update the monthly reporting on women in particular industries - especially those undergoing rapid changes due to legislative or environmental factors. 5.3 Further equitable access to data for Puerto Rico. The Census Bureau seeks to empower decision - makers, businesses, researchers, and the public with timely, accurate, reliable, and meaningful data for Puerto Rico. The Census Bureau is furthering equitable access to data in several ways: Establish a Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) in Puerto Rico. The FSRDC will provide the opportunity to understand better the economic, health, and social conditions affecting the Commonwealth, which would enhance the ability of federal and local officials to make decisions. Additionally, providing the Puerto Rican research community equitable access to the wealth of federal restricted - use data available through the FSRDC network will help develop statistical capacity and collaboration building on the island; Leverage data for disaster recovery. The Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) for Puerto Rico will show the social vulnerability in Puerto Rico in the event of a disaster. Using restricted microdata from the 2019 Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) and small area modeling, the CRE creates population estimates based on ten individual / household level risk factors, including: poverty status, number of caregivers in the households, unit - level crowding, educational attainment, employment, disability status, health insurance coverage, age (65 +), vehicle access, and broadband internet access; Establish an annual Puerto Rico Economic Survey. Contingent on funding, supporting through the Puerto Rico Economic Program the establishment of an annual Puerto Rico Economic Survey and a monthly / quarterly economic indicator collection for Puerto Rico; and

Establish and serve as co - chair of the Puerto Rico Geospatial Data Group. A forum for sharing information about all geospatial data activities and resources related to Puerto Rico between stakeholders from geospatial agencies within the federal government, the Government of Puerto Rico, and non - government organizations and industry. 5.4 Promote accountability and accessibility through data transparency and partnerships. Track and evaluate the equitable distribution of above - baseline program federal funding. Through the Census Bureau's Center of Excellence (COE), the Department will leverage data sources to supplement administrative data collected by program administering agencies. This will provide standard services to the Department's agencies to support departmental evaluation of the implementation, outcomes, and impacts of above - base programs and their distribution to underserved communities through the ARP, BIL, IRA, and CHIPS.

Creation of NIST's generative AI profile for the Risk Management Framework. NIST established the National Al Advisory Committee (NAIAC), a group of experts tasked with advising the President and the National Al Initiative Office on topics related to Al. This includes matters related to the use of Al in law enforcement and legal standards, such as those ensuring that Al use is consistent with privacy rights, civil rights and civil liberties, and disability rights. NIST intends to develop a generative Al profile for the Risk Management Framework to help entities apply the framework to the creation of new, advanced generative Al models. Address harmful biases throughout the AI system lifecycle. In May, NIST and NSF launched the Institute for Trustworthy Al in Law and Society (TRAILS), a partnership between the University of Maryland, George Washington, and Morgan State University. NIST and NSF will invest $ 20 million over five years for TRAILS to focus on how ethics and human rights can drive Al development and governance. Importantly, a key pillar of TRAILS will be input and feedback from marginalized communities.

Continue Census 2030 preparations with special attention to historically undercounted populations. The viability of new decennial procedures that support the 2030 Census Operational Plan will be researched and tested, including assessments during the 2026 and 2028 Census Tests. Metrics providing evidence of the utility and accuracy of decennial programs include household and person - level administrative record coverage, resilient data collection and case management IT infrastructure, and dynamic contact strategies that reach each community. Improve data capture of underserved communities. The creation of the official Census data product measurements will include business ownership, employment, and revenue by demographic characteristics of the business owner for all employer and nonemployer businesses.

Further equitable access to data for Puerto Rico. The output will be the creation of a Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) in a Census Bureau facility that will transition to the University of Puerto Rico; other outputs metrics include a number of research projects conducted in the FRSDC. For the CRE for Puerto Rico, it is a measure of social vulnerability to disasters at the state / commonwealth, municipalities and census tract geographic levels, as well as producing more precise and timely measures of the communities most and least vulnerable to disasters. The Puerto Rico Geospatial Group will establish a Charter within FY 2023 and meet and share information on at least six geospatial topics or programs each fiscal year. Address the potential discriminatory effects of certain AI technology. Applying the NIST Al Risk Management Framework to generative Al to identify the risks and impacts, including but limited to tracking the increased participation of the public, especially underserved communities, in Al design, development, and deployment, outputs from TRAILS can be examined, including number of students participating in TRAILS programs (e.g., hackathons, internships), number of and attendance at webinars and information sessions, and volume of research outputs (e.g., papers, talks).

Continue Census 2030 preparations with special attention to historically undercounted populations. Improvements to household and person - level decennial data's utility, objectivity, and integrity. Improve data capture of underserved communities. Business Owner Demographic Characteristics. Better measures of business ownership and performance by business owner demographics, and enhanced ability to track business demographic trends and performance disparities across demographic groups. Geographic Inequality. The Regional Initiative is developing a dataset of all Commerce place - based investments, like CHIPS, BBBRC, and Tech Hubs, which it will use to help bureaus measure the long - term impacts of place - based programs, particularly in underserved places. Increased number of programs and bureaus that understand how their funding is impacting underserved communities and their awareness of how to incorporate various indicators of distress into their funding decision - making. Women in the Labor Force. Increased percentage of women in the workforce overall and within industries like construction, where women have historically been underrepresented. Further equitable access to data for Puerto Rico. A FSRDC in a Census Bureau facility that will transition to the University of Puerto Rico will provide the opportunity to researchers located on the island to access relevant data without the need to travel to the U.S. An example of an expected output is the number of research projects conducted. For Community Resilience Estimates for Puerto Rico, the intent is to move from the experimental estimate stage to an official product that can be adopted and used in determining social vulnerability in the event of a disaster.

NIST's CHIPS. CPO metrics are under development but are expected to include disaggregated data on the demographics of the workforce, recipient spend on community investments, and recipient spend with small and / or diverse businesses. CPO may also work with each recipient to define bespoke metrics. EDA's Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Output metrics currently under development for testing and validation include: the number of workers, including workers from underserved communities, completing workforce training programs and share of the overall total; the number of minority - and women - owned business enterprises engaged in extension services and share of the overall total; and the number of entrepreneurs, including entrepreneurs from underserved communities, accepted into accelerator / incubator cohorts and share of the overall total. EDA's Tech Hubs. These metrics are under development and expected to be released in Summer 2024.

Promote accountability and accessibility through data transparency and partnerships. Track and evaluate the equitable distribution of above - baseline program federal funding. Increased number of programs and bureaus that understand how their funding is impacting underserved communities and their awareness of how to incorporate various indicators of distress into their funding decision - making. Address the potential discriminatory effects of certain AI technology. Adoption by organizations of the NIST Al Risk Management Framework; increased participation of policymakers, sociotechnical experts, and members of marginalized communities in research, design, development, and governance of Al systems; understanding how to build Al systems that are trusted by the people who use and are affected by them.

The Census Bureau. For the upcoming decennial, the Census began with the 2030 Census Research Federal Register Notice and associated outreach activities. The notice sought public input to develop and implement strategies to improve participation in the 2030 Census. In particular, the notice asked for feedback on reaching and motivating everyone, technology, new data sources, how the Census contacts respondents, and respondent support services. For overall public engagement efforts across all programming, the Census Bureau will continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the decade, including those in underserved communities, to nurture relationships of trust and to gain a better understanding of the data collection operations; the impact of an accurate count on communities; and the Census Bureau commitment to scientific integrity, transparency, objectivity, reliability, and confidentiality of the data collected. For instance, the Census will conduct outreach and discovery with key stakeholders to investigate existing data sources and collaborate on data products most critical for measuring Puerto Rico's economy. Geographic Inequality. The Office of the Under Secretary of Economic Affairs conducts regular public awareness of the Regional Initiative by promoting the initiatives through public email updates, speeches, and event participation, publishing a regular blog on Regional Initiative topics, and engaging monthly with different stakeholder groups. Al. Through TRAILS, NIST and NSF will engage with academia and other partners in research, student engagement and training, and outreach. For the National Al Advisory Council, the meetings are posted on the federal register for anyone to attend, and public experts from advocacy groups are invited to speak.

NIST's CHIPS. CPO metrics are under development, but award recipients will be expected to provide routine reporting on a broad range of data. CPO is currently working to document the specific metrics that will be reported. EDA's Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Outcome metrics may include: the number of workers, including workers from underserved communities, placed in new jobs; the number of minority - and women - owned business enterprises reporting adoption of new technologies or access to new markets and share of the overall total; the amount of private investment secured by minority - and women - owned business enterprises and share of the overall total; and the number of new businesses created by entrepreneurs from underserved communities and share of the overall total. At the component grant level, grantees have also articulated more tailored metrics that include goals for equitable outcomes directly tied to their programmatic activities. EDA's Tech Hubs. These metrics are under development and expected to be released in Summer 2024.

The most persistent barrier to the establishment, expansion, and growth of minority business enterprises (MBEs) continues to be access to capital. The U.S. Federal Reserve found that more than half of Black - owned businesses were turned down for private bank loans, a rate twice as high as white business owners. A Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies study found that 6 in 10 Black business owners faced challenges obtaining capital. Over a third of Latino business owners faced the same. Business owners of color were more likely to struggle to access startup funding, growth funding, and capital with affordable interest rates. In 2022, in the U.S., only 1.9 percent of venture capital dollars went to all - women teams; less than. 5 percent went to Black and Brown women; only 12 percent of venture capital decision - makers are women. Innovation fueled economic growth in America for the past century, but since the 1970s, innovation (as measured by fundamental productivity growth) appears to have slowed from an annual increase of 1.9 percent to 0.7 percent. Research shows that innovation in the U.S. could quadruple if women, minorities, and children from low - income families became inventors at the same rate as men from high - income families. According to the USPTO, that increase in inventorship would grow our economy and GDP by an estimated $ 1 trillion. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, fewer than 1 percent of minority - owned businesses export goods or services. For these enterprises, insufficient financial resources often hinder their ability to invest in overseas market exploration, navigate regulatory complexities, and establish international networks.

ITA's Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI). The purpose of GDEI is to create and execute export promotion solutions and raise awareness of the benefits and resources of exporting to reach businesses in underserved communities in the United States. This initiative involves creating strategic partnerships with national, regional, and local minority chambers of commerce, industry, and business organizations to amplify ITA export resources and ensure our trade shows, missions, and counseling services from our U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEAC) reach businesses in underserved communities. ITA's Rural Export Center (REC). To enhance rural outreach efforts and provide customized market research for rural businesses, the REC and USEACs throughout the United States provide rural businesses with export business development assistance and, when appropriate, certain fee - based services, like the Rural America's Intelligence Service for Exporters (RAISE). In FY 2022, ITA's commitment to the work of the REC was underscored by the establishment of a full - time, dedicated REC Director position to oversee, manage, and grow the REC's work. USPTO's Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI2). CI2 is charged with identifying new ways to expand American innovation by tapping into the strength of our nation's diversity and increasing opportunities for all Americans to participate in innovation. One of the initiatives is expanding pro bono legal services for new inventors and entrepreneurs at no cost through programs such as the Law School Clinic Certificate Program, Patent Pro Bono Program, and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's (TTAB) Pro Bono Program.

MBDA Business Centers. Number of MBEs served and reached; gross revenues generated (including contracts); percent of clients increased profits; the value of financing / bonding / capital, number of jobs created and retained; and the number of formed strategic partners. EDA's Build to Scale. The number of entrepreneurs and startups that participate in the program; the value of investment fund capital raised; number of 1 - on - 1 meetings with potential investors; number of clients secured funding; number of patents; number of new technologies were commercialized, licensed, or brought to market; number of training or skills assistance sessions were hosted; number of seed stage, angel investment, or early - stage venture capital deals made; number of outreach and networking events were hosted; number of mentoring and coaching sessions hosted; number of products launched; and number of jobs created or retained. USPTO's Council for Inclusive Innovation. The number of students participating in law school clinics and the number of law schools participating in the clinic certification program. ITA's Global Diversity Export Initiative. Number of export and investment clients assisted, including clients from underserved communities. For FY 2023, the GDEI target is to assist 458 clients. As of August 2, ITA had assisted 695 clients, reaching 152 percent of the established goal. ITA's Rural Export Center. The number of businesses in rural communities that have been assisted or benefited. ITA has already achieved its REC assistance goals for FY 2023 by assisting 410 clients, 170 more than the original goal.

5.2 Improve data capture of underserved communities.

Strategic Goal 5: Expand Opportunity and Discovery Through Data

Barriers to Equity: Minority - owned and rural - based businesses face disparities in access to capital, federal contracts, export opportunities, technical support or advice, and networking.

Barriers to Equity: The lack of data access, timeliness, and transparency contributes to limited public trust - including for underserved communities. Advances in artificial intelligence widen the trust gap by potentially worsening existing biases and inequities and increasing concerns over the misuse of data, confidentiality, and privacy.

5.1 Continue Census 2030 preparations with special attention to historically undercounted populations. The 2030 Census research and testing program prioritizes innovations focused on enumerating HUPs, including research and testing focused on hard - to - count populations. Research areas include, but are not limited to, improving census response rates that improve data quality and reduce respondent burden.

5.5 Address the potential discriminatory effects of certain AI technology.

Strategic Goal 5: Expand Opportunity and Discovery Through Data

Equity Strategy 5: Expand opportunity and discovery through data capture to inform and evaluate actions that improve community outcomes

The Barrier: For too long, economic growth and higher - paying jobs have clustered in a few cities. This has led to growing geographic income inequality in which wealth isn't spreading to the smallest metro areas and rural towns.

The Barrier: Minority - owned and rural - based businesses face disparities in access to capital, federal contracts, export opportunities, technical support or advice, and networking.

The Barrier: The lack of data access, timeliness, and transparency contributes to limited public trust - including for underserved communities. Advances in artificial intelligence widen the trust gap by potentially worsening existing biases and inequities and increasing concerns over the misuse of data, confidentiality, and privacy.

Equity Strategy 5: Expand opportunity and discovery through data capture to inform and evaluate actions that improve community outcomes.

Our Office of Faith - Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (OBFNP) is central to our ongoing community outreach and external engagement efforts. OBFNP aims to foster stakeholder engagement and develop partnerships between businesses, communities, and faith - based organizations focused on job creation and economic growth. Since May 2022, OFBNP has cultivated a growing database of roughly 2,000 stakeholders, leading to several state - based and stakeholder roundtables and summits with 250 national faith, business, and community - based organization leaders, with the White House and federal agency partners. The Department is also proud to announce that, in Fall 2023, OFBNP hosted the first - ever government - wide Youth Summit to motivate and empower the next generation. Workshops focused on entrepreneurship, data, innovation, leadership, and invention. Attendees could meet and engage with senior leaders across the Department of Commerce and the Federal Government.

Since the first Equity Action Plan launched in February 2022, the Department has made significant progress toward building innovation ecosystems; growing businesses and expanding the workforce; and making Commerce services, data, and science more accessible for and in historically underserved communities.

Building innovation: In June 2023, NTIA announced funding allocations for the $ 42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. BEAD funding will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks to ensure everyone in America has access to reliable, affordable, high - speed internet service. Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used to pursue eligible access, adoption, and equity - related uses. Announced in June and September 2023, NTIA's Middle Mile (MM) program provided nearly a billion dollars in grants across 36 organizations across 40 states and territories to support the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle - mile infrastructure, reduce the cost of bringing high - speed internet to unserved and underserved communities, and increase the resilience of internet infrastructure. Lastly, the purpose of the Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) is to build partnerships between states and internet service providers to expand internet access to areas without service, especially rural areas. With $ 288 million, NTIA awarded 14 recipients, and projects began breaking ground this year.

Making services, data, and science accessible: On March 9, 2023, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) launched the First - Time Filer Expedited Examination Pilot Program as an initiative under the Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI2). The new initiative benefits first - time patent filers who are individuals or small businesses qualifying as a " " " " micro entity. " " By providing an early response for a qualifying application (referred to as " " first office action " "), the program increases accessibility to new members of the innovation ecosystem, particularly those from underrepresented and / or under - resourced groups.

The Census Bureau (Census) launched the Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) program to help measure the abilities of communities to absorb the external stresses of a disaster or shock. The CRE partnerships include various Commerce and inter - agency partners like EDA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). More broadly, the CRE program provides users with a dashboard and data to understand the social vulnerability of their communities.

To better capture and include underserved communities in data collection, the Census received a FY 2023 appropriation of $ 10 million to research, adding questions on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) in the American Community Survey. Similarly, Census is piloting a project with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to develop formally private (confidentiality safeguarded) measures of race and ethnicity at the person level, allowing Census to share protected data with the IRS. Sharing such protected microdata allows other federal agencies to study variations by race and ethnicity in enrollment, access, and usage patterns of benefits and services of federal programs without necessitating access to confidential data.

To better support rural and tribal communities, MBDA provided $ 5.7 million in 31 supplemental awards to the Business Center Network for technical assistance to minority business enterprises more than 50 miles from a Business Center in a rural area. NTIA is implementing the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), a $ 3 billion program to support governments in bringing high - speed internet service to Tribal lands, including telehealth, distance learning, affordability, and digital inclusion initiatives. Under the first funding phase, $ 1.78 billion was awarded to 191 tribal entities since the program began in 2021. The second funding phase, for approximately $ 980 million, was issued on July 27, 2023. As part of EDA's American Rescue Plan funding, the Indigenous Communities program invested $ 100 million to support the needs of tribal governments and Indigenous communities. This program made 51 awards in 25 states and the Northern Mariana Islands. Grantees estimate that these projects will create or save 2,435 jobs and attract $ 28.7 million in private investment. In April 2023, NOAA's Office of Habitat Conservation (OHC) recommended $ 56.4 million, funded by BIL and IRA, in awards for 25 tribal projects to support tribal - led restoration, resilience, and fish passage projects and an additional 22 subawards totaling nearly $ 13 million in funding was awarded to projects that align with tribal priorities, work with tribal members, or restore habitat on tribal - owned lands. For all unsuccessful tribal applicants, OHC staff also offered the opportunity to meet to help those applicants improve their proposals for future competitions.

STRATEGIC GOAL 5 Expand Opportunity and Discovery Through Data

EQUITY STRATEGY 5: Expand opportunity and discovery through data capture to inform and evaluate actions that improve community outcomes.

Barriers to Equity: For too long, economic growth and higher - paying jobs have clustered in a few cities. This has led to growing geographic income inequality in which wealth isn't spreading to the smallest metro areas and rural towns.

NIST's CHIPS. The CHIPS Program (CPO) is committed to building strong communities that share in the prosperity of the semiconductor industry. This commitment includes promoting a sustainable, competitive domestic semiconductor industry; facilitating the creation and expansion of innovation clusters through economies of scale and investments across the supply chain; and generating benefits for a broad range of stakeholders and communities, including workers; small businesses; minority - owned, veteran - owned, and women - owned businesses; and universities and colleges. For instance, applicants were asked to outline proactive efforts to include such businesses in a project's construction and production supply chain, to make a commitment to tracking and disclosing disaggregated data on supplier diversity and contractor / subcontractor diversity, to build robust outreach plans for engaging with small businesses; minority - owned, veteran - owned, and women - owned businesses, and to identify sectoral partnerships to support

high - quality, equitable workforce development strategies. CHIPS Incentives applicants are expected to describe how they will collect and report demographically disaggregated data on workforce efforts. Additionally, applicants will have to describe how they will track and disclose data on supplier diversity that is demographically disaggregated (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, veteran status), including statistics on what share of suppliers are majority - owned by different groups.

1. Procurement and Contracting; 2. Military Installations and Bases; 3. Military Family Equity Advancement; 4. Equity Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research and Development; and 5. Underserved Community Investment.

Offered its annual technical assistance workshop through the DoD HBCU / MI Program. DoD provided information about defense research priorities as well as fellowship, internship, and scholarship opportunities that span the defense research enterprise. Published its Responsible Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation Pathway, which guides the Department's journey to its goal of a trusted Al ecosystem.

Department of Defense Status of Forces Surveys and Active Duty / Reserve Component Spouse Surveys (ADSS / RCSS) provide data on spouse employment, wellness, food security, and other key quality of life areas. Federally funded Research and Development Center surveys and reports also provide key quality of life data and information. DoD also obtains data and input from internal and external stakeholders, to include the Military Services, military service organizations / veteran service organizations (MSO / VSO), the public, Congress, White House Joining Forces, and others. The FY 2021 ADSS showed that 21 percent of military spouses indicated they were actively looking for work but were unable to obtain employment. Both the 2020 Status of Forces Survey of the Active Component (SOFS - A) and the 2021 ADSS showed levels of

Better understanding of the root causes and challenges of food insecurity within the military community to better refine solutions through policies and programs. Increase student participation and performance in challenging coursework across all student groups. The MHS is collecting food insecurity screening data from the electronic health record in response to the new Joint Commission standards and Safety Goal related to reducing healthcare disparities; this will support military medical treatment facility efforts to address social determinants of health, such as food insecurity, which affect patient health and well - being. The Defense Health Agency is exploring how best to leverage medical records data to collect, analyze and report health equity data, including data on social determinants of health.

E.O. 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government; E.O. 13988, Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation; E.O. 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad; and E.O. 14020, Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council.

1. Advance equity for military families with a focus on healthcare, education, and economic challenges and opportunities; 2. Advance economic equity and rectify past harms for communities around military installations and bases; 3. Integrate environmental / economic justice tools into DoD planning tools for decision - making, where applicable; 4. Advance gender diversity, equity, and inclusion by removing barriers to the recruitment, development, retention, and advancement of women in DoD; and 5. Advance women's participation in democracy, representation, and decision - making in peace and security processes.

Incorporate Environmental Justice Screening and the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tools into the Defense Climate Assessment tool by May 2024. Train DoD Climate Assessment Tool users, a community of DoD installation planners and decision - makers, on environmental justice principles and how to include these principles and corresponding data into DoD planning processes by August 2024.

DoD January 2023 Environmental Scorecard. Fully incorporate Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool data into the DoD Climate Assessment Tool.

Train and equip DoD planners and decision - makers on how to access, view, and analyze environmental justice data in Department tools. Continue to ensure that DoD identifies potential impacts on and mitigation for communities that have been historically disadvantaged through the National Environmental Policy Act analysis and via Restoration Advisory Boards.

Efforts to ensure the sex - specific needs of female Service members have frequently been isolated, with limited accountability for lasting change, causing a barrier to gender equity. The lack of strategic infrastructure to advance sound scientific evidence on women's health is a barrier to advancing gender equity. Timely access to lawfully available reproductive health care is a readiness, retention, and recruitment issue, particularly for female Service members.

In 2019, the Defense Health Board was charged with exploring DoD policies, practices, structure, and capabilities that promote or inhibit women's health and access to services focused on musculoskeletal injury prevention, reproductive health, and psychological and mental health. Their final report, " " Active Duty Women's Health Care Services, " " found that active duty Women continue to experience health care and operational challenges that reviews and reports over the past 25 years have identified, evaluated, and made recommendations for improvement. The DoD Women's Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) surveyed active - duty female Service members about their needs, preferences, and experiences accessing reproductive health through the MHS. The findings provided recommendations for improvement to support and ensure female Service members have access to the reproductive health care they need throughout their military careers. The 2019 DACOWITS focus groups collected qualitative and quantitative data during visits in April and May 2019 to eight military installations representing all four DoD Service branches (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force). During these focus groups, the Committee addressed three topics: 1. Conscious and unconscious gender bias; 2. Pregnancy and parenthood; and 3. Physical fitness assessments. (Gaddes, R., Jacobson, Z., Montgomery S., Moore, C., Stangle, J., & Williams, A. (2019). Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) 2019 focus group report.)

Global insecurity affects the national security of the United States, as regions of conflict often provide havens for terrorists and other illicit actors; become proxies for strategic competition; and lead to population displacement, migration, and further regional instability. Women, girls, and other underserved communities are disproportionally impacted by conflict and instability, which often exacerbate gender - based violence. Evidence suggests that when women meaningfully participated in security sector roles, security forces often have better information about the needs of the local community, including women and girls ' unique needs, and citizens view security forces as more credible and trustworthy. Despite the critical role women can play in their defense institutions, women's recruitment, career progressions, and involvement in security sector decision making still lags behind globally due to gender - based barriers https: / / us - east - 1 - 02900067 - inspect.menlosecurity.com / safeview - fileserv / tc download / 7267d6ebc83f7eef415b6f13509bd4b3f2e259555850b7d4eb9de12 8d57f193f /? & cid = N5F6B3DF25713 & rid = 8d39caf583e2db1a68d4d5de0ac72148 & file: rl = https: / / www.dcaf.ch / sites / default / files / imce / Women's % 2520Guide % 2520Curriculum / I clusiveSecurity Curriculum Series SSR MOD8. pdf & type = originalinstances of unsupportive leadership, discouraging culture and norms, and lack of adequate infrastructure and equipment. Defense institutions struggle integrating a gender perspective into military operations to better plan for and accommodate the disproportionate impact of conflict on women, girls, and other underserved communities.

their meaningful participation in peace negotiations makes it more likely that warring parties will reach sustainable agreements and enhance the effectiveness of peacekeeping efforts. E.O. 13595 emphasizes the importance of promoting women's participation in conflict prevention, management, and resolution, as well as in post - conflict relief and recovery; in advancing peace, national security, economic and social development; and in international cooperation. The Department's implementation of the WPS Act is a key component of how the Department works with partner nation security forces on addressing both the barriers for women's participation in the security sector and the long - and short - term security needs of women and girls when impacted by conflict or crisis. These efforts strengthen partner nations ' ability to apply a critical gender analysis to operations and activities of their own national security forces.

1. Elevate and standardize the Gender Advisor workforce to further the consideration and application of gender analysis to the Department's plans, operations, activities, and investments. a. Codify roles and responsibilities for the gender advisor workforce in DoD policy guidance (e.g., DoDI). b. Establish and maintain skill expertise identifiers for Service members and DoD civilians. C. Ensure DoD organizations maintain a gender advisory workforce, including Gender Advisors, Gender Focal Points, and WPS Program Managers, implement DoD WPS policy guidance. 2. Expand the understanding, consideration, and application of gender and socio - cultural considerations and their impacts across the Department's plans, operations, activities, and investments in support of national security decision making. a. Incorporate definitions and define gender analysis in DoD policy guidance. b. Train the gender advisory workforce and DoD personnel on steps for conducting gender analyses, as appropriate. C. Conduct gender analysis to inform security cooperation, Theater Campaign Plans, training for U.S personnel, military exercises, and DoD support to the development of Integrated Country Strategies. 3. Work with partner nations to advance gender equity and equality within national security decision - making, engagement, and cooperation with allies and partners globally. a. Update DoD security cooperation guidance and design templates to reflect gender analysis information and to encourage the design and implementation of security cooperation programs relevant to WPS.

b. Conduct a pilot program within one country in each geographic Combatant Command's area of responsibility to assess the barriers and opportunities with respect to strengthening recruitment, employment, development, retention, and promotion of women in the military forces of partner nations. C. Seek to provide opportunities for women in national security forces of foreign partners to participate in security cooperation and assistance programs, resources, training, and education opportunities, including US professional military education institutions. d. Work with partner nations to advance gender equity and equality within national security decision - making, engagement, and cooperation with allies and partners globally.

Metrics for Action # 1 Number of DoD strategies, policies, and programs that are informed by a gender analysis. Number of gender advisors, gender focal points, and WPS Programs Managers performing their duties across DoD Components. Number of Operationalizing WPS 100 and 200 level courses conducted within a fiscal year. Metrics for Action # 2 Number of trainings for DoD personnel that integrate WPS principles including how to incorporate gender and socio - cultural considerations into military operations, activities, and investments. Integration of gender and socio - cultural considerations into DoD strategic and policy - level documents. Integration of gender analysis into DoD security cooperation planning and programming. Metrics for Action # 3 Number of engagements by U.S. leaders that lead to activities conducted with partner nations on WPS. Annual increase in enrollment and participation of women in U.S. professional military education institutions and courses.

Seek to protect and mitigate harm to civilians by accounting for gender and socio - cultural considerations in response to human rights violations, sexual exploitation and abuse, crisis and conflict related sexual violence, trafficking in persons, the involvement of children in armed conflicts, and the damaging of cultural property. Work with allies and partners to seek to expand opportunities and remove recruitment, employment, retention, development, and promotion barriers that contribute to the under - representation of women in foreign security forces. Work with allies and partners on the reduction and prevention of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic abuse, and other forms of violence that disproportionately impact women's participation in foreign security forces. Work with allies and partners on integrating gender analysis into their policy, planning, operations, exercises, and training.

1. Advance equity for military families with a focus on healthcare, education, and economic challenges and opportunities; 2. Advance economic equity and rectify past harms for communities around military installations and bases; 3. Integrate environmental / economic justice tools into DoD planning tools for decision - making, where applicable; 4. Advance gender diversity, equity, and inclusion by removing barriers to the recruitment, development, retention, and advancement of women in DoD; and 5. Advance women's participation in democracy, representation, and decision - making in peace and security processes.

Advance gender diversity, equity, and inclusion by removing barriers to the recruitment, development, retention, and advancement of women in DoD.

Seek to ensure U.S. military operations do not have a disproportionately negative impact on the condition of civilians based on those civilians ' gender roles, identities, and responsibilities.

1) Address gaps in data collection to facilitate data - informed, equitable decision - making 2) Increase opportunities for new entrants into DOE procurement and financial assistance 3) Increase participation by individuals and institutions that are underrepresented in DOE's research and development (R & D) programs supported through financial assistance 4) Expand Tribal engagement and stakeholder engagement across DOE 5) Improve access and equity in DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program

In July 2023, DOE announced the 67 winners of the first phase of the Energizing Rural Communities Prize. The cohort included 17 Tribes, or teams, serving Tribal communities. Each of the 67 winners will receive $ 100,000, in - kind - mentorship services, and eligibility to compete in phase two of the prize to win an additional $ 200,000. One of the winning teams is Sustainable Energy for Galena Alaska, a nonprofit run jointly by the Louden Tribal Council, the Galena City School District, and the City of Galena. See Community Profile: What Energizing Rural Communities Means for Galena, Alaska. About 400 people live in Galena year - round, and the economy is based around the schools there that draw over 50 villages ' high school students for boarding school. DOE is funding holistic energy planning for Sustainable Energy for Galena Alaska. DOE's participation in the Rural Partners Network (RPN), which is led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the White House Rural Prosperity Interagency Policy Council, builds relationships with rural communities across the Nation, especially in the states and communities designated to be prioritized by RPN. DOE employs a Rural Desk Officer, who actively participates in the network. One component of the RPN is the selection of signature projects in communities that have been identified by the network as priority areas. For example, DOE is the lead for the San Carlos Apache Tribe's solar project, which was awarded $ 4M in FY 2023 year. Upon completion, the project will add 750 kW of solar photovoltaic systems and a 500 - kW Battery Energy Storage System to its diesel generators to serve 36 residential buildings for healthcare workers and five hospital buildings at the San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation community. DOE has several offices that offer programs that directly benefit rural communities by providing technical assistance, loans, tax incentives and funding that supports the clean energy transition. Some examples include: The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), which manages the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas program that supports energy investments in rural and remote areas through clean energy projects to improve reliability and / or resilience of energy systems, reduce energy poverty, and improve environmental performance of energy generation in rural or remote communities. The Office of Indian Energy, which selected 18 American Indian and Alaska Native communities to receive $ 34M in funding to advance clean energy technology. The funding strengthens Tribal communities by increasing their access to solar power and microgrids, increasing energy security and resilience, and powering unelectrified Tribal buildings. The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) plays a critical and unique role in catalyzing investments in America's energy future to support the reshoring, skilling, and scaling of U.S. manufacturing across energy supply chains. MESC addresses critical vulnerabilities in U.S. energy supply chains, serves as the frontline of clean energy capital

deployment, and accelerates America's transition to a resilient, equitable energy future through direct investments in manufacturing capacity and workforce development. The Grid Deployment Office, which offers the Grid Resilience Innovation Program and provides financial assistance grants for grid resilience, smart grid, and grid innovation projects. This year, Secretary Granholm has prioritized visiting rural areas across the region including Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Georgia, where she spoke about clean energy investments for Tribal communities and well - paying energy union jobs, met with local labor leaders, and led town halls.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development USDA Rural Partners Network Bureau of Ocean Energy Management U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Department of Commerce

Energy infrastructure is disproportionately sited in low - income communities, communities of color, and Tribal Nations, leading to both disproportionate exposure to the negative environmental, economic, and social impacts of energy infrastructure and lack of access to benefits. Communities often to do not see themselves as having a role or an effective voice in project deployment and development. Tribal communities, local agencies, rural and remote communities, and smaller community - based organizations lack the capacity to engage in the project development cycle. A significant concern is communities ' limited capacity to meaningfully engage in the decision - making process.

Track how funding is distributed to disadvantaged, fossil energy, Tribal, and rural communities. Track Justice40 metrics within BIL and IRA funding awards. Track number of Community Benefits Agreements and Project Labor Agreements entered within DOE - funded projects. Capture the number of community members or stakeholders engaged by - Communities of interest (individually and collectively) Type of Engagement Degree of Engagement Report community ownership in the following ways: Number of clean energy projects with community ownership Total value of community owned clean energy projects and percent owned by communities Total value of annual compensation to communities from community owned energy assets Measure the number of projects using go / no - go contractual elements to ensure project is meeting CBP commitments. Conduct survey of impacted community response / opinion before, during, and after project deployment (mid / long term). Provide an avenue for communities to contact DOE if they are concerned about the implementation of a CBP.

Establish short -, medium -, and long - term CBP engagement support that would facilitate strong CBPs in applications in financial terms and conditions negotiations, through the go / no go decision process, and through the reporting cycles. Conduct CBP workshops that are tailored in content and method of delivery for the following specific audiences: 1) Tribal Nations to support Tribal capacity both as applicants and beneficiaries of project benefits from developers and researchers; 2) Underserved communities and rural and remote communities; 3) Project developers (e.g., industry, academia, local government, and utilities) to support development of stronger CBPs from applicants; and 4) Labor unions and other entities representing local workers, workers displaced by the energy transition, and workers under - represented in the energy workforce.

Lack of transparency and consistency across DOE merit review recruitment processes limits the agency's ability to assess overall effectiveness of the merit review process. Lack of participation by underrepresented groups affects the ability of those individuals to establish relationships with DOE personnel and understand how funding applications are evaluated, and what makes an application successful. Lack of reviewers with appropriate expertise impacts the ability to support initiatives relevant to the CBP framework (promoting jobs, Justice40, diversity, and disadvantaged communities). Lack of demographic information collected about reviewers at the registration phase makes it difficult to evaluate issues of implicit bias within panel decision making.

Work with Privacy Act Officers and the Office of the General Counsel to update systems to include demographic data with reviewer registration, which can help the agency analyze how merit review board composition may impact selection outcomes. Create a guidance document for resume screeners to mitigate implicit bias within merit review board selection and increase opportunities for underrepresented individuals to serve on merit review boards. Create and maintain a reviewer landing page to capture departmental opportunities and alert potential reviewers of opportunities to serve as merit reviewers. Expand departmental efforts to reach out to MBEs, MSIs, underrepresented groups, minority organizations, and federal equity leads to increase opportunities for underrepresented individuals to serve on merit review panels and learn more about the DOE merit review process. Create consistency in questions asked in DOE reviewer recruitment registration processes. Improve public awareness and access to DOE program managers. Capture the input of reviewers on the review process and the way proposals are solicited, evaluated, and awarded.

Capture demographic data and skillset information on reviewers to determine which groups necessitate further outreach. Establish guidance for program offices to utilize to reduce bias in the merit review process.

Continue to increase outreach to Tribal Nations, underserved communities, and socio - economic small businesses to bolster efforts to increase new entrants to DOE opportunities. Develop and leverage strategic partnerships with external entities (e.g., Minority Business Development Agency, APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs), and Small Business Development Centers) to support expanded socio - economic and small business supplier base through training and development and access to capital programs. Continue to utilize subject matter experts (EJE, program office representatives) as a resource for the technical review of M & O contractor Diversity Plans to support DOE in their oversight of the M & O contractors. Provide technical assistance to grantees on complying with civil rights laws while carrying out DOE - funded activities. Launch a new Department Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Plan providing guidance to DOE offices on translation, interpretation, and outreach services for LEP persons seeking access to Department programs to help ensure that LEP communities are informed of DOE activities and funding opportunities. Utilize the Women - owned Small Business (WOSB) Small Business Program Manager to develop strategies for increased gender equity to be informed by increased data analytics, WOSB - centric North American Industry Classification System code assessments, and in collaboration with the SBA WOSB Program, and major facility management contractors. Continue to support on - going efforts for M & O contractors and major site and facility contractors to increase subcontracting opportunities for AbilityOne contractors who employ people who are blind or have significant disabilities. Continue to support ongoing activities to increase socioeconomic achievements in awarding contracts, including subcontracts under the Department's Management & Operating Subcontract Reporting Capability (MOSRC) actions. Continue to collaborate with contractor groups such as the Energy Facility Contractors Group to increase awareness and understanding of procurement flexibilities that can be used to increase opportunities for new entrants and disadvantaged communities.

Current metric collection fails to holistically assess justice outcomes in DOE R & D programs. Current Justice40 metrics do not capture R & D impacts outside of the geographical location where work is being performed. Further, some types of R & D funding (non - competitive / block grants, DOE Laboratory solicitations, Lab field work proposals) do not have metrics in place to monitor and measure project progress. Justice40 metric reporting is hindered by limited coordination and some offices lacking trained and task - dedicated personnel to measure program impacts. The nature of R & D makes outcome - based metric reporting difficult. Outcome - based metrics are data that show the extent and impact of an organization's, program's, or initiative's activities on its customers or beneficiaries. 5 Outcome - based metrics are different from performance metrics, which track the key activities that lead to outcomes, or output or activity data, which describe the organization's actions. 6 Outcome - based metrics are useful for demonstrating accountability, transparency, and efficacy. 7 The benefits of R & D can have long time horizons and broad applications. In general, technology R & D strategy roadmaps lack sufficient consideration of equity or justice. Current roadmaps emphasize technological advancement of high - performance, high - cost technologies that likely will not be affordable to underserved communities. For example, clean energy and energy efficiency programs (e.g., rooftop solar power, weatherization) are not accessible to some underserved and underrepresented communities, especially where there is a reliance upon technology to communicate and access these programs. The unequal

Some offices track information regarding equity - based metrics related to either the funded institutions (e.g., MSIs) or individuals (e.g., demographics of PIs). EERE is currently undergoing a third - party review for Justice40 impact evaluation. In addition to hiring outside consultants and creating an internal review team, they are also exploring the use of machine learning tools with natural language processing. Increasingly during the last decade, rapid technical advances have opened opportunities for broader and deeper interaction and participation among individuals, communities, and governments, allowing all levels of government to engage previously uninvolved people in issues affecting their communities and local environments. 13 14 The EPA has established new avenues for citizen science use in their Agency's strategic plan 15 16 from which the DOE could draw inspiration and best practices. DOE showcases eight citizen science projects 17: The Open PV Project, Lantern Live, Geothermal Case Studies and Exploration, Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop Toolkit, Space Warps, Berkeley Lab Range Hood Roundup, SETI @ home / Astropulse, and Orphan Well Location Survey.

A. 2022 Equity Action Plan Update (pursuant to EO 13985): For reference, the 2022 DOE Equity Action Plan can be found here. i. Progress on addressing gaps in data collection to facilitate data - informed decision - making. Office of Management, Office of Acquisition Management (OAM) OAM implemented an agency - wide BIL funding opportunity announcement (FOA) template for BIL and IRA actions to further the Administration's goals to advance equity, provide support for disadvantaged communities, and leverage federal resources to achieve these objectives. The FOA template includes a Community Benefits Plan requirement, along with requirements to collect equity and justice - focused data. OAM, the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), and the National Nuclear Safety Administration are co - leading an Acquisition Forecast Improvement Working Group to establish a centralized, web - based platform capturing all contracting, subcontracting and financial assistance opportunities at DOE and better reach underrepresented businesses in DOE procurement opportunities. ii. Progress on increasing opportunities for new applicants to DOE funding opportunities. Office of Management, OAM OAM implemented a strategy with M & O contractors and major site and facility contractors designed to increase subcontracting opportunities from contractors who employ people who are blind or have significant disabilities (AbilityOne). As a result of this implementation, DOE - wide AbilityOne obligations increased from $ 27.5M in FY 2022 to $ 31.2M in FY 2023, an increase of 13 %. OAM continues to co - lead the Innovative Funding Mechanisms Working Group with the Office of General Counsel, which is exploring innovative mechanisms to increase participation in DOE funding opportunities. The Working Group has focused on Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIAs) and Other Transactions (OT) Authority as possible pathways to reach underrepresented entities and communities. PIAs are best utilized when traditional contractual mechanisms do not provide adequate outreach with non - traditional contractors and can reduce barriers to entry for such entities. DOE has put a Pilot PIA agreement in place to extend the Department's reach to new entrants and non - traditional partners, as well as small business firms, universities, and non - profit organizations. The agency has awarded one project utilizing the PIA mechanism, and additional projects are in the planning phase. Additionally, the agency has developed an OT guide for DOE program offices to increase the utilization of OT Authorities department wide. The agency anticipates that these interventions will increase contracting opportunities with new entrants and non - traditional partners. OAM undertook an initiative in the Office of Headquarters Procurement Services to utilize market research tools such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise - Wide Procurement Provider Lookup Tool, Small Business

Rural Communities.

Increase new entrants into DOE market and track data being provided by the Supplier Dashboard located at Supplier Base Dashboard D2D (gsa.gov) and captured in the DOE SB Scorecard at Individual Scorecard (sba.gov).

8 Sunter, Deborah A., Sergio Castellanos, and Daniel M. Kammen. " " Disparities in rooftop photovoltaics deployment in the United States by race and ethnicity. " " Nature Sustainability 2.1 (2019): 71 - 76. 9 Smirnova, N., Mayr, P. " " A comprehensive analysis of acknowledgement texts in Web of Science: a case study on four scientific domains. " " Scientometrics 128, 709 - 734 (2023). https: / / doi.org / 10.1007 / s11192 - 022 - 04554 - 9 10 Dutta, Nikita S., Gill, Elizabeth, Arkhurst, Bettina K., Hallisey, Mary, Fu, Katherine, and Anderson, Kate. " " JUST - R metrics for considering energy justice in early - stage energy research. " " (2023) Web. doi: 10.1016 / j.joule. 2023.01.007. 11 RECI Calculator. " " Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation " " https: / / eere - exchange.energy.gov / Default.aspx? Search = DE - FOA - 0002813 & SearchType =

The overarching goal of this strategy is to ensure that underserved, underrepresented, and rural communities are equitably considered for and reap the benefits of federal energy programs and new energy technologies. To improve equity, DOE will:

Current approaches to awarding DOE procurement opportunities lead to inequitable outcomes among economically disadvantaged groups. The Department of Energy, along with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), co - sponsored two nation - wide crowdsourcing campaigns, and found that women - owned small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, minority - owned small businesses, veteran - owned small businesses; Tribal - owned and Native American - owned small businesses; and Historically Under - utilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses lack clarity on procurement and subcontracting (and other funding mechanisms) opportunities, processes, and procedures. The Department also found that DOE is underutilizing federal acquisition statutory and regulatory authority to award procurement opportunities to underrepresented groups. Based on these data points, DOE will fully exercise its statutory and regulatory authority to expand opportunities for new entrants and small and disadvantaged businesses in DOE procurements (acquisition and financial assistance).

2 From Oxford Dictionaries, holistic is defined as being " " characterized by the belief that the parts of something are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the whole. " " Most Justice40 metrics focus only on the Principal Investigator (PI) who has received Departmental funds. Subcontractors are often omitted from DOE program impact metrics. The Department's approach to data collection creates a gap in assessing overall funding impacts. Research often has far - reaching implications beyond the location where the research is done, and more holistic metrics would permit the tracing of interconnected benefits in communities outside of the PI's place of business.

Much has been achieved since Executive Order 13985 was signed; however, advancing equity is not a short - term project. It is a commitment that requires sustained focus and partnership with communities. On February 16, 2023, President Biden signed Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. This order strengthened the government's equity mandate and directed the federal government to continue to champion racial equity and advance equal opportunity for every American, particularly those in rural communities, communities of color, Tribal Nations, LGBTQI + individuals, people with disabilities, women and girls, and communities impacted by persistent poverty.

Create a comprehensive baseline of data on law enforcement workforce to support assessments. Perform a standardized staffing analysis across all Bureaus to ensure consistency in approach and facilitate comprehensive insights into workforce requirements. Update the current System of Records Notice for DOI's law enforcement records management systems to ensure the appropriate and lawful public disclosure of law enforcement records and video footage for the purpose of transparency and communicating during a crisis, as authorized routine practice. Prioritize and assist Bureaus in hiring full - time mental health and wellness coordinators.

To develop these strategies, DOI engaged with the public including members of underserved communities, during the public outreach phase of DOI's LETF. This engagement phase provided baseline data that was analyzed and informed the final recommendations for improvement. The Department plans to conduct future public engagement and participation activities to continue identifying additional barriers and potential solutions and assess progress, which may include: Collecting feedback about DOI law enforcement programs after the recommendations are implemented. Analyzing the resultant feedback related to DOI law enforcement programs and reorienting as necessary.

The Department conducted both quantitative and qualitative analysis to identify impactful actions. Listening sessions were conducted, along with focus groups and surveys. These methods provided feedback that led directly to the Department's implementation plan. Extensive analysis of the Department's historic procurement data was also conducted. Results of ongoing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved customer experience information collection surveys, including product testing, vendor feedback, and vendor research (Improving Customer Experience Information Collection, OMB Control Number 1090 - 0012), are being used to inform strategies and actions to advance equity in the Department's contracting practices and counseling of businesses.

Increase opportunities for Indian - owned economic enterprises. The Department will continue to monitor performance against annually established ISBEE goals to ensure that benefits previously described are being realized. Additionally, the Department will seek opportunities to collaborate with other Federal partners such as SBA and HHS to increase opportunities for Indian - owned businesses in Federal procurement. Implement policy on communicating with vendors throughout the procurement process, especially with unsuccessful offerors after award. Continue implementation of the vendor communications guidance. Review Departmental procedures and practices related to the length of time that acquisition actions are publicized. The DOI will enhance its current policies to ensure that adequate time is provided for all business types to be competitive. Review Departmental procedures and practices related to contracting vehicles. The Department will develop and implement updated guidance on DOI operational practices, to simplify the process and close the gap of understanding by small and disadvantaged businesses. Collaboration with Federal partners. The DOI will seek out and continue to participate in collaborative opportunities with OMB, SBA, and other Federal departments that focus on Government - wide small business initiatives, including other equity - focused EOs - Executive Order on Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council - and OMB - led focus groups. Modernize DOI's small business counseling services. Utilize data visualization to publish acquisition data providing greater access to detailed information about DOI's purchasing history and include the most recent acquisition data educating vendors on the use of tools during vendor engagement sessions. Expand digital services utilizing vendor survey information collected to curate digitally available information, resources, and tools for the small business vendors that consider their varying maturity, life situations (such as accessibility for those with disabilities and mobile access through quick - response coding), and experiences in Federal contracting.

Percentage of total contract dollars awarded to ISBEEs for the Department. Annual DOI - wide small business procurement scorecard, as issued by SBA, which is an assessment tool that (1) measures how well Federal agencies reach their small business and socio - economic prime contracting and subcontracting goals, (2) provide accurate and transparent contracting data and (3) report agency - specific progress. Distribution of awardees by their maturity (new entrants, recent entrants, and established vendors), as tracked by Government - wide dashboards. Demographic and qualitative results of ongoing OMB approved customer experience information collection surveys, including product testing, vendor feedback, and vendor research, per OMB Control Number 1090 - 0012, entitled " " Improving Customer Experience. " "

Economic Justice: Build a strong, fair, and inclusive workforce and economy. Ensure equitable procurement practices, including through small, disadvantaged businesses contracting and the Buy Indian Act (25 U.S.C. 47). Civil Rights: Protect the civil and constitutional rights of all persons, including the right to vote, language access, and prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color,

Developed new policies and procedures to strengthen and fulfill the Federal Government's responsibility to ensure regular and meaningful consultation with America Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, as well as a second policy consultation with Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporations. Enhanced data collection to support park programming that is more inclusive of under - represented communities through the investments made in the National Park Service's (NPS) socio - economic program as well as the park unit visitor surveys. Released the Campground Modernization Guide to support an improved and more inclusive visitor experience. Enhanced the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Tracked the short - and long - term success outomces of (LWCF) and Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership investments in under - represented communities. Distributed inclusive storytelling grants through NPS, which included $ 2.1 million in grant funding provided to 30 NPS units to help share more inclusive and comprehensive narratives, reduce park storytelling backlogs, and invest in staff capacity to sustain transformative interpretation. Provided transportation investments, including a partnership with Uber / Lyft in three pilot cities where access is limited for urban communities. This partnership includes subsidized rides to NPS units and partner - based data collection to track success of the program. Developed and published a simple to use, public facing, DOI - specific acquisition data visualization that provides access to detailed information about DOI's purchasing history. This tool provides new entrants a simple way to distill extensive DOI contracting data, use the tailored results to target marketing of their products and services, and identify potential networking opportunities, which reduces administrative burdens of vendors interested in participating in DOI procurements. B. Environmental Justice Scorecard (pursuant to section 223 of EO 14008) Established the DOI Environmental Justice Steering Committee. Developed the DOI Climate Task Force. Implemented the first - ever DOI Environmental Justice Scorecard. The Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program made Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 grants available to the six Appalachian states and three Tribal communities with Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Programs. Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia each received $ 26.6 million; Alabama, Ohio, and Virginia were each allocated $ 10.6 million; and the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and Crow Tribe were each allocated $ 3.5 million to return legacy coal mining sites to productive use and foster economic and community development.

Increase investments in programs and services with proven track records of effectiveness. Coordinate and report on implementation of the work of the Reconciliation in Place Names Subcommittee, which remove derogatory names from Federal lands. Implement the reduction of barriers to improve accessibility. Particularly, focus on factors that reduce or eliminate physical or perceived barriers such as fees, transportation, and infrastructure to improve accessibility for underserved communities such as individuals with disabilities. Implement actions that provide improved visitor access of information to plan, recreate, and remain connected with NPS sites. Expand inclusive programming and leveraging of partnership options in storytelling, ranger programs, education, and community engagement enhanced inclusive experiences. Strengthen data collection tools to support evidence - based evaluation of information that will better inform decision making to create an equitable visitor experience.

Number of partnerships formed and project collaborations with community - based organizations, state and local governments, and new partnerships. Number of first - time visitors and number of people making repeat visits to public lands and waters. Improve data collection processes to capture visitation numbers as well as visitor demographics, which will facilitate a better understanding of who is visiting public lands and waters and who is not more accurately.

Analysis and outreach, including public listening sessions, performed in response to EO 13985 produced evidence that Tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians were often unaware of the range of grant opportunities available to them and / or lack the technical capacity or time required to apply for grant opportunities which are a central element of the Department's environmental justice efforts. In FY 2022, the Department conducted foundational fact finding, including research and data collection, to develop the Minority - Serving Institutions (MSI) Dashboard and enable essential funding analysis and data modeling needed to assess barriers to achieve the Department's equity outcomes. The DOI utilized the Department of Education's MSI datasets to initiate the analysis of its financial assistance and procurement funding to MSIs. The Department continues efforts to assess how its policies and programs may perpetuate barriers for underserved communities.

Revise Departmental and Bureau policies to make environmental justice considerations an essential part of the decision - making process, which will help shape program development and implementation to have a greater focus on environmental justice. Examples include: Update the Department's environmental justice policy as stated in the Departmental Manual to reflect EO 14008, entitled " " Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad " " and EO 14096, entitled " " Revitalizing Our Nations Commitment to Environmental Justice for All. " " Create guidance documents for the use of science and data in environmental decision - making to incorporate data related to environmental justice and Indigenous Knowledge, along with an environmental justice science and data integrated decision model. This work, which helps address the Department's priority learning question: " " How well does DOI collect and document traditional knowledge that informs decisions? " ", which is based on feedback received at numerous listening sessions and through public comments that will result in more equitable outcomes by ensuring that the voices of Indigenous communities and communities with environmental justice concerns are part of the decision - making process. The BLM issued an " " Instruction Memorandum about Environmental Justice Implementation " " and " " Addressing Environmental Justice in NEPA FAQs " " in September 2022. These documents update and formalize best practices while recommending methods for scoping, outreach, and analysis in environmental reviews. These policies will help guide BLM staff in implementing environmental justice and Justice40 Initiative and will serve as examples for other Bureaus to develop policies. Expand outreach and assistance efforts to better meet the needs of underserved communities. Priority learning question 4.4 in the Department's FY 2022 - 2026 Learning Agenda asked, " " How can the Department increase stakeholder engagement to improve environmental justice outcomes for infrastructure investments? " " Examples include: Develop a stakeholder relationship management platform to reduce stakeholder fatigue and help staff across the Department learn about the needs communities identify during engagements and consultations. This will lead to more equitable outcomes by increasing the effectiveness and usefulness of engagements. Provide technical assistance for grant writing and grant writers, which we have learned from listening sessions and public comment is an important tool for reducing the barriers to participating in funding opportunities. Work with on - the - ground partners that can help guide and direct our outreach to communities who need it most. For example, the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations has been working with certain Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) that have facilitated outreach to other NHOs and portions of the community that have not historically applied for or received funding from the Department due to capacity issues or other barriers to participation. This outreach helps inform program design to reach those communities. Use funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act for outreach regarding permitting environmental reviews and authorizations to perform stakeholder and community engagement, with emphasis on enabling underserved communities to be part of the decision - making process. This will help address a priority learning question in the FY 2022 - 2026 Learning Agenda that inquires how the Department can increase capacity to augment the

The DOI provided $ 46 million in funding to Tribal communities to address the unique impacts of climate change in Indigenous communities. This initial funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and FY 2022 appropriations funded projects and initiatives address and strengthen climate resilience and adaptation; ocean and coastal management; community - driven relocation and protect - in - place activities; and internships and youth engagement. The DOI announced $ 8.5 million in grant awards by the Office of Insular Affairs ' Energizing Insular Communities program to support energy initiatives in the U.S. Territories. This award included $ 1 million to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority for the procurement of hybrid and electric utility fleet vehicles and equipment, and $ 1 million to the American Samoa Medical Center Authority for microgrid, cooling tower, and LED lighting retrofit projects. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) modified the evaluation criteria for WaterSMART grants to encourage projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities and support climate change resiliency. The NPS announced $ 192 million in funding for the LWCF - Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP), which enables urban, disadvantaged communities to (1) create new outdoor recreation spaces, (2) reinvigorate existing parks, and (3) form connections between people and the outdoors in such communities. As part of the notice of funding opportunity, NPS modified the evaluation criteria in ORLP grants to encourage States to submit projects focused on environmental justice, addressing heat islands, and support for recreation outside of military facilities. The NPS also created two deadlines for the grant - January 23, 2023, and May 31, 2023 - to encourage States to submit more grants. In standing up the BIL Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells Federal Program, DOI established evaluation criteria to prioritize disadvantaged communities, and ensure projects identify and address any disproportionate burden of adverse human health or environmental effects of orphaned wells on communities of color, low - income communities, and Tribal and Indigenous communities. C. Additional Efforts to Advance Equity The DOI launched a Women's Mentoring Program in 2022 to provide a platform for Department employees who would benefit from accessing a women - centered space. With a mission of fostering meaningful relationships through mentorships in which women build knowledge, confidence, leadership, and skills, this program is run by volunteers. It also addresses Federal workforce gender inequalities and supports the administration's National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. The Department's procurement staff and Office of the Solicitor collaborated to develop a vendor communications guidance document. This guidance addresses issues identified during public engagement. Specifically, the guidance seeks to improve how information is conveyed to unsuccessful offerors after award. Such meaningful communication supports new entrants and other small and disadvantaged businesses in learning about Government contracting, grow as a business, and being better poised to submit competitive proposals for future acquisitions.

Secretary Haaland announced support for President Biden's establishment of the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in northern Arizona. The new national monument consists of three distinct areas to the north and south of Grand Canyon National Park, totaling approximately 917,618 acres of Federal lands in northern Arizona. The DOI and Department of Housing and Urban Development collaboratively announced support for more Affordable Housing in Nevada. In support of President Biden's Investing in America agenda investing in climate resilience and ecosystem restoration, DOI highlights Typhoon Recovery, Habitat Investments in Visit to Guam. D. Advancing Equity Through Key Legislation The Department set annual goals for all Bureaus and Offices for contracting with the Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEE). These goals set the expectation that the entire Department, not just the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education, consider the use of the Department's Buy Indian Act authority to set aside contracts for Indian - owned businesses in equal measure to the other statutorily required small business categories. The Department also developed and provided training to all Contracting Officers on the use of the Buy Indian Act. The DOI collaborated with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to hold the first - ever joint industry day event focused on outreach to Indian - owned businesses. This event provided a learning opportunity for Indian - owned businesses to grow their understanding of the Government contracting process and to hear from top executives from both agencies about upcoming business opportunities.

gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disabilities in any actions related to national parks, wildlife conservation, land management, and cultural heritage preservation. Public lands accessibility focuses on ensuring that everyone benefits from the experiences offered by America's public land, such as national parks, wildlife refuges, and recreation areas. This means removing existing and potential barriers by reasonably modifying the Department's programs and activities to permit equitable access for people who have disabilities as well as provide meaningful access for members of the public who may be limited English proficient.

Economic Justice: The Department can use the power of procurement to contract with and support small and disadvantaged businesses, which may help narrow the racial and gender wealth gaps. The Department will improve access to procurement opportunities for businesses owned by underserved communities by identifying and addressing barriers in the Department's procurement process.

Executive Order (EO) 14091, entitled " " Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government, " " cascades and builds upon EO 13985, entitled " " Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. " " The Department externally focuses its lens to refine and redefine how we engage with underserved communities throughout the Nation to build on progress and ensure DOI's success through building meaningful sustainability for generations to come. Further, advancing equity is a principle that is reflected in how the Department serves the American people and fulfills its mission. In drafting this Equity Action Plan, DOI was guided by an evidence - based approach that utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods to identify root causes in order to identify and fundamentally address systemic barriers to equity. As the Department continues to grow in this space, we are taking immediate steps to further explore improvements to equity analytical capabilities. By shifting beyond data analytics and encompassing technical and process analysis, DOI is better informed to fortify all its lines of business and tangible outcomes. The Department is proud to put forward this Equity Action Plan, which provides the foundation to achieve outcomes that remove barriers to equal opportunity and deliver resources and benefits equitably to all.

national origin, religion, age, or disability. Promote equity in science to root out bias in the design and use of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

Environmental Justice: Secure environmental justice and spur economic opportunity by addressing disproportionate and adverse health and environmental impacts, including from climate change and cumulative impacts, on marginalized and overburdened communities. Implement the Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments (e.g., in clean energy, climate, pollution reduction, and critical infrastructure, flow to disadvantaged communities across rural, urban, and Tribal areas).

The Department is leaning into its ethical and legal responsibilities to Tribes by honoring sovereignty and reckoning with DOI's role in historical injustice and marginalization of Indigenous people. Leaders are learning from the past through (1) nation - to - nation consultation; (2) listening for understanding; (3) ethically co - producing, sharing, and using evidence and data for decision - making; and (4) employing analytic tools to advance and promote equity and justice in all that we do for Tribes, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the American public. The Department also recognizes that much of the United States ' history is tied to our public lands. Whether it be our national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, or other historic or culturally

The Department used multiple data points to identify the best strategies which yield the highest and most meaningful outcomes. Such datasets include recreation activities data, Every Kid Outdoors voucher data (https: / / everykidoutdoors.gov / index.htm), outdoor participation report, 200 - day report, internal focus groups, and external public listening sessions.

Environmental Justice: Secure environmental justice and spur economic opportunity by implementing the Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments, flow to disadvantaged communities across rural, urban, and Tribal areas.

As outlined in the Department's FY 2022 - 2026 Learning Agenda, to address the Priority Learning Question " " How can DOI remove barriers to participation and ensure equitable access to the Department's grant and contracting opportunities for historically underrepresented populations?, " " planned activities include data and analysis related to awards, applications and determining whether a specific step in the process of grant award and management demonstrates a statistically significant disparity of underrepresented groups. This evaluation will also explore whether a specific step in the process demonstrates a statistically significant disparity increase. The DOI will conduct extensive stakeholder outreach, surveys, and other data gathering, which will inform how we act to modify the implementation of existing programs SO that those changes reduce barriers to participation.

percentage of National Environmental Policy Act decision documents that incorporate merits, drawbacks, analysis of impacts, and mitigation measures of Department actions to people, such as through socioeconomic and environmental justice analyses, by expanding our engagement on these matters.

Focusing on these critical areas, coupled with improved data analytics and continuous feedback will posture DOI to track the progress on addressing systemic racism and advancing equity for all, including communities that have long been underserved.

The following highlights the many accomplishments made to date by the Department on its actions, performance measures, and milestones to advance equity.

Civil Rights: All Government entities are charged with protecting the civil and constitutional rights of all persons, including (1) the right to vote; (2) language access; and (3) prohibitions on discrimination on an array of protected bases. In addition, the entities should promote equity in science to root out bias in the design and use of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

This strategy seeks to identify and remove barriers to equity by enforcing public civil rights protections prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance. It also ensures that the Department - along with its programs, activities and services - does not discriminate based on race, color, sex,

The DOI will use public civil rights compliance review and complaint data for the past 5 years as the evidence base to support its strategies.

The Department will continue engagement with the public and community throughout this and upcoming years as standard practice. To develop the strategies above, DOI identified possible barriers related to accessing the Department's programs and activities for individuals who may have disabilities as well as provide meaningful access for persons who may be limited English proficient. The Department collected feedback regarding DOI accessibility initiatives and projects that are both planned and in progress. Analyses of user survey data related to federally managed lands were also assessed.

As the Department continues evolving in the work of EO 14091, entitled " " Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, " " we recognize the nexus to many other simultaneous initiatives and action plans including gender, climate, and education, which complement the work detailed in this 2023 Equity Action Plan. In response to EO 14020, the Department's Gender Strategy Action Plan was published in August 2022. This plan identified four focus areas which have seen both clear progress and some persistent challenges. The Council will continue its efforts to overcome challenges and achieve gender equity. With respect to EO 14008, the Department has developed its 2021 Climate Action Plan and the 2022 Climate Adaption and Resilience Plan Progress Report, which establish and update the Department's progress on specific climate - related action items. Specific to equity, the Department embraces the second action item, to " " advance climate equity " " in a collaborative manner across departmental functions. Finally, with regard to EO 13988, the Department's dedicated working group's activities resulted in many successes including the Department's first Transgender Day of Visibility. Additional activities include the continual evaluation of written materials, including policies, forms, and web content to ensure the usage of gender - neutral language.

Goals were established during the scoping phase of DOI's Law Enforcement Task Force (LETF) to guide the research and outreach process. Stakeholder engagement occurred through various mediums - public listening sessions, public and internal surveys, a Federal Register Notice, and websites. Quantitative survey data was compiled from public, partner, and employee input. Qualitative information was coded to identify significant themes emerging from both internal and external feedback. Trends in issues and suggested actions were aggregated and summarized. Recommendation categories were developed, within which the aspirational future was articulated. Leaders and subject matter experts across the spectrum of related disciplines were repeatedly consulted and engaged in crafting a regenerative path forward.

A. Removing barriers to access to grant funding and resources for organizations led by and that primarily serve historically marginalized and underserved communities that have faced societal and systemic barriers in accessing and receiving Federal resources, as well as to communities disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization. B. Supporting corrections and reentry programs that seek to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for justice - involved individuals (including those from historically marginalized and underserved communities and those disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization), including by improving healthcare coverage and continuity of care supports, reducing barriers to obtaining government - issued identification, addressing burdens associated with inability to pay fines and fees, and improving community supervision models to decrease incidence of revocation for technical violations. C. Promoting an inclusive, diverse, and expert law enforcement workforce to strengthen public trust and improve public safety outcomes by removing barriers to representation within Federal, State, Tribal, local, and territorial law enforcement agencies for underrepresented communities. D. Improving the response of law enforcement and criminal justice personnel to crimes that disproportionately affect women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - conforming people (including gender - based violence and sex trafficking) by providing and / or supporting: (1) targeted training on how to investigate and prosecute these crimes; (2) training and resources on trauma - informed and culturally responsive approaches, care, and services available to victims; and (3) resources and support for building relationships with and increasing access to services and assistance for historically marginalized and underserved communities. E. Ensuring that underserved communities (including people with LEP and people with disabilities, among others) are aware of and able to access legal services to address environmental crime, pollution, climate change, and other environmental hazards and have help navigating the legal and regulatory landscape necessary to secure access to clean water, air, and other natural resources.

A. 2022 Equity Action Plan Update Pursuant to EO 13985, 2 the Department of Justice published its first ever Equity Action Plan in April 2022. Since then, the Department has made significant progress implementing its equity priorities by improving solicitation processes, increasing opportunities for disadvantaged small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones, and strengthening mechanisms for community engagement, among others. Specific examples of the Department's ongoing progress in advancing its 2022 equity priorities include: Strengthening efforts to ensure compliance and enforcement of non - discrimination laws. Following review of implementation and administrative enforcement of the non - discrimination provisions set forth in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act ³ and the Safe Streets Act4 in connection with Federal financial assistance, the Department is taking affirmative steps to improve this work. 5 For example, the Civil Rights Division (CRT) and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) created and co - chair a Compliance Working Group to coordinate the implementation and enforcement of these statutes, issue public guidance, revise internal standards, update tools and resources, and conduct public outreach. 6 Enhancing language access for individuals with limited English proficiency. In May 2022, DOJ hired its first - ever Language Access Coordinator (Coordinator). Since then, DOJ's Coordinator has reestablished the Language Access Working Group, which meets regularly, is comprised of representatives from various DOJ components, and provides a platform to support, guide, and oversee components ' efforts to increase meaningful access SO that communities can better access DOJ programs, communicate public safety concerns, and vindicate their rights. For example, DOJ recently published its FY 2022 - 2026 Strategic Plan in Spanish and key excerpts were published in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Tagalog. In August 2023, the Department also released its updated Language Access Plan, which improves translation and interpretation services, promotes quality assurance of those services, and expands the range of tools available to serve the public. The Department has made significant progress in advancing environmental justice as measured through the agency's performance on the Environmental Justice Scorecard. This progress includes: (1) analyzing how to best enforce the non - discrimination provisions under Title VI; (2) prioritizing environmental justice in DOJ's decision - making processes through the creation of the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ), development and implementation of a new Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, and engagement with communities with environmental justice concerns, including Tribal nations; and (3) institutionalizing environmental justice by developing DOJ resources and training, increasing staff capacity, and strengthening

Combating hate crimes and hate incidents. The Department has increased multilingual resources to combat hate crimes through Federal law enforcement action and enhanced training, support, and outreach to State and local partners. For example, DOJ has further prioritized civil rights violations and hate crimes enforcement among the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) field offices. As of September 2023, DOJ launched the United Against Hate program in all 94 U.S. Attorneys ' Offices (USAOs) to help improve the reporting of hate crimes by informing communities on how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes, and to encourage trust building between law enforcement and communities. 10 Reforming law enforcement practices. Pursuant to EO 14074, 11 DOJ is executing on more than 90 Executive Order deliverables to advance effective, fair, and constitutional policing; improve conditions of confinement and reentry; promote officer safety and wellness; and improve data collection and analysis. This work includes prohibiting the transfer or purchase of military - style weapons and equipment to State, Tribal, Local and Territorial (STLT) law enforcement agencies (LEAs), administering grants in a manner that is consistent with the adoption of EO 14074 ' s policies, creating accreditation standards to help encourage STLT LEAs to adopt policies consistent with the EO, and working to establish the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database. DOJ also released a Strategic Plan for supporting the goals of the Federal Interagency Alternatives and Reentry Committee, which seeks to safely reduce criminal justice system interactions, support rehabilitation during incarceration, and facilitate successful reentry. 12 Lastly, DOJ has invested in state - and local - level correctional services, including by supporting correctional and educational institutions as they enhance post - secondary educational opportunities in prisons following the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students in July 2023. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is also expanding access to Pell Grants within Federal correctional facilities to help incarcerated students earn college credits and / or a college degree. Combating sexual misconduct and gender - based violence. CRT has developed resources to assist Department prosecutors and investigators in understanding how to use Federal civil rights statutes to redress sexual misconduct. 13 DOJ has also produced a report related to sexual misconduct by BOP employees, which offers actionable recommendations to improve

To advance this environmental justice strategy, the Department has established several annual performance measures and long - term outcome goals that support the achievement of those goals. The long - term outcome goals include opening and / or handling 16 matters that address adverse environmental and public health effects brought under civil rights statutes each year and increasing the percentage of environmental enforcement matters in or substantially affecting overburdened and underserved communities that are favorably resolved. These goals align with the Department's priorities and express the Department's continued commitment to making progress on the important issue of ensuring environmental justice for all communities.

Specifically, the Department has hosted meetings, convenings, and listening sessions in order to directly engage with communities of color, Indigenous communities, individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), rural communities, the LGBTQI + community, persons with disabilities,

partners on the part of some population - specific organizations. These barriers not only impact the ability of these communities to secure funding but can exacerbate negative criminal justice outcomes. For example, the limited availability of funding for community - centric law enforcement efforts may foreclose opportunities for community partnerships, undermine measures to reduce violence, and erode the community's trust.

Research shows that through funding and technical assistance, population - specific organizations can play a significant role in effectively implementing system strategies. In fact, supporting these organizations improves outcomes by leveraging their established role as trusted community resources and relying on their proven knowledge of communities, including historically marginalized and underserved communities. For example, the White House Alternatives, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Strategic Plan stressed the need to invest in culturally responsive strategies to break the cycle of criminal justice system involvement for those disproportionately exposed to or victimized by crime. In addition, the 2023 U.S. National Plan to End Gender - Based Violence (the Plan), reaffirmed the need to support historically marginalized and underserved communities, immigrant survivors, and victims in rural communities, among others. Specifically, the Plan identified strategies to support these communities, including by simplifying the grantmaking process and utilizing partnerships with community - trusted organizations to serve as funding intermediaries for selected Federal grants. 22

In terms of direct engagement with communities, DOJ has hosted listening sessions with population - specific organizations, met with law enforcement groups, and developed outreach materials targeted to various population - and linguistic - specific communities. Of note, from May 2022 to May 2023, OVW visited organizations serving historically marginalized and underserved, Tribal, and rural communities to learn about emerging issues and barriers to accessing Federal funding. OVW also conducted listening sessions with community - based organizations serving sexual assault survivors in underserved communities to solicit feedback on grant solicitations, reporting, and management.

In the near to mid - term, DOJ will use data to assess its efforts to improve the grantmaking application process and community engagement efforts to ensure that the Department has succeeded in reaching organizations serving and / or led by historically marginalized and underserved communities and will measure any increases in community engagements. In the near to long - term, DOJ will identify and pilot opportunities to collect the data necessary to ascertain whether these equity actions are increasing applications from population - specific organizations and reaching historically marginalized and underserved communities and those disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization. For example, starting in FY 2024, if relevant to the operations of a grantmaking component, a survey instrument will be appended to applicable funding solicitations to gather the required data to determine if equity actions are leading to an increase in applications from population - specific organizations.

Law enforcement leaders acknowledge the importance of increasing racial, ethnic, language, and gender diversity in their agencies. But hiring and promotional assessments, internal processes, recruitment strategies, and organizational policies can exacerbate the lack of diversity in the ranks by failing to adequately capture the value of and sufficiently meet the unique needs of officers from diverse backgrounds. For example, women officers are significantly underrepresented, making up over just 12 % of sworn officers and 3 % of law enforcement leaders. 39 Federal, State, and local agencies often lack the support and resources necessary to attract, hire, and retain a qualified and diverse workforce.

In furtherance of this strategy, the Department is building the evidence base for improving the recruitment and retention of officers representing a diversity of backgrounds and facilitating technical assistance programs to help agencies reach and retain underrepresented groups. NIJ is funding several research projects on recruiting and retaining officers reflecting historically marginalized communities and those underrepresented in law enforcement, including a project with New York State Police to identify factors that influence the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of that organization. 43 The Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is advancing a Community Policing Development Microgrants Program focused on workforce diversification, which recently launched a center on innovations in recruiting and hiring. 44

On a quarterly basis, Beacon Project engagements are, and will continue to be, tracked and reported. In the longer - term, BJS will continue to conduct the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey. These data will include the demographic makeup of State, county, and local LEAs to measure increases in diversity. To track increases in diversity at the Federal level, DOJ will depend on BJS ' Census of Federal Law Enforcement Officers, which periodically collects data from all Federal LEAs with arrest and firearms authority. NIJ is also currently examining both survey and non - survey methods to assess community perceptions of police and public safety through its recently advertised Measures of Community Perceptions Challenge (Challenge), which is an open competition to develop new methods to capture community perceptions of police and public safety. The research resulting from the Challenge will help determine whether increased officer diversification has impacted public trust and positive perceptions of law enforcement.

D. Strategy 4. Addressing Victimization and Criminalization of Women, Girls, Transgender Individuals, and Gender Non - Conforming Persons (Civil Rights Strategy)

Women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - conforming persons often face barriers in obtaining equitable treatment and receiving trauma - informed, culturally responsive, and victim - centered services from LEAs. Barriers to access to services leave women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - conforming persons vulnerable to victimization and criminalization and can further isolate them from the information and resources necessary to heal. The Department recognizes that these challenges may often be the result of a lack of knowledge and understanding (as well as implicit bias) that can undermine appropriate responses to the victimization and the impact of biases on the criminalization of members of this population.

Women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - conforming individuals are more likely to be victims of violent crime. More than half of women (54.3 %) in the U.S. reported experiencing some form of sexual victimization involving physical contact at some point in their lifetime. 46 Between 2017 and 2020, " " the rates of violent victimization were significantly higher for persons who self - identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual than for those who identified as straight. " ",, 47 The rate of

Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge about crimes that disproportionately affect women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - conforming people can undermine efforts to provide equitable access to justice; engage with communities in trauma - informed, culturally responsive, and victim - centered ways; and empower these persons to vindicate their rights by working with criminal justice personnel.

Recognizing and mitigating instances of bias and lack of understanding of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other forms of gender - based violence and the trauma resulting from victimization from these crimes is critical to LEAs ' ability to ensure women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - confirming individuals can access justice and receive the services and assistance to help them heal, as well as enhance public trust and confidence in the criminal justice system. 53

This civil rights strategy enhances and promotes gender equity and equality through trauma - informed, culturally responsive, and victim - centered training and technical assistance for Federal, State, Tribal, local, and territorial law enforcement and prosecution agencies. In SO doing, DOJ will increase awareness of Federal laws and programs that address gender - based violence, support collaborations with community partners, and mitigate deficiencies and biases that may negatively impact the successful implementation of community - driven responses to gender - based violence. To advance this equity strategy, the Department has adopted a comprehensive, multi - pronged approach to prevent and address hate crimes through its grant programs, which support law enforcement and State - based efforts to increase victim reporting, as well as State, Tribal, and local law enforcement and prosecution agencies and their partners in conducting outreach and education

and improving the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes. This includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program, which highlights this work as it intersects with hate crimes committed on the basis of, among other identities, a victim's perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity. 54 The Department also supports community - based and civil rights organizations in creating local and national strategies focused on prevention, community education and reconciliation, and victim services and support.

The Department is actively working to increase its outreach to vulnerable communities (including women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - conforming persons) with an intersectional lens to ensure that its work in this area is effective and responsive to the communities ' needs. In a listening session DOJ hosted specifically on justice issues facing women and LGBTQI + communities, advocates highlighted the distrust many people in these communities feel towards law enforcement and recommended increased outreach and engagement. DOJ will identify opportunities for increased and improved engagements with these communities to inform the efforts in this strategy, which may include additional listening sessions in locations across the country and inviting feedback on trainings and the information provided on DOJ websites.

In the near to mid - term, all Department employees who interact with victims of crimes that disproportionately affect women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - conforming individuals will receive information and training regarding the latest supports and services afforded to victims, including the revised Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance and the rights afforded to victims under the Crime Victims ' Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3771, 57 and the Victims ' Rights and Restitution Act, 34 U.S.C. 20141. 58 DOJ will also regularly assess the efficacy of those trainings. Certain grants are subject to performance measures that require grantees to provide data pertaining to various metrics to assist in evaluating the reach and effectiveness of the programs funded by the grants.

The Department will train all BOP staff who may interact with incarcerated victims of human trafficking on applying victim - centered, trauma - informed, and culturally responsive approaches in FY 2024, with approximately 75 % of these staff members receiving training in the first quarter. By the third quarter of FY 2024, 50 % of victim personnel within the USAOs will complete additional training regarding culturally relevant advocacy, medical, and forensic services available to victims. In the long - term, DOJ will increase access to the criminal justice system for women, girls, transgender individuals, and gender non - conforming persons impacted by crime. In SO doing, the Department will increase the number of law enforcement and criminal justice staff that apply trauma - informed, victim - centered, and culturally responsive approaches.

Historically marginalized and underserved communities, including communities of color, Tribal and Indigenous communities, and individuals living in low - income communities, often bear the greatest burdens of harm caused by environmental crime, pollution, climate change and climate - related disasters, and other environmental hazards. Equity and equality are undermined when a person's race, national origin, language spoken, disability, income, or membership in a Tribal or Indigenous community determines their exposure to environmental and climate - related harms, especially when that exposure can cause deleterious health effects and diminished quality of life outcomes.

(1) Supporting workers, including those in the Southeast United States Workers in the Southeast United States are more likely to be afforded fewer worker protections, lower wages, and lack of strong worker coalitions, increasing the potential for employer work violations, wage disparities, and decreased awareness of workers ' rights. To combat this, DOL agencies are embedding a focus on Southeast workers in agency initiatives to increase enforcement and workers ' rights awareness, job training opportunities, and outreach in the Southeast United States region. (2) Ensuring underserved communities have access to good jobs Underserved communities face significant challenges with access to good jobs, including lack of equal employment opportunities, and lack of support services. DOL is partnering with other federal agencies to ensure federal infrastructure dollars are implementing the Good Jobs Principles for underserved communities, and partnering with State and local actors to encourage good hiring and retention practices in the private sector. (3) Embedding gender equity into our partnerships and services Women are a critical part of our workforce, yet face disproportionally lower wages, workforce discrimination, and occupational segregation. DOL is working across agencies to ensure good paying jobs, improve wages in female dominated sectors, and reduce caregiving penalties and workplace discrimination.

Current recruiting, hiring, retention, and promotion practices limit fairness in hiring opportunities in infrastructure industries such as construction, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy; Lack of equitable and effective pathways to access infrastructure jobs through workforce development; and Lack of supportive / wraparound services such as housing, affordable childcare and language access, which can enable the success of underserved workers in job training and employment.

Expanding agency partnerships in OFCCP's Megaproject Program The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), in concert with other federal agencies will designate additional Megaprojects in FY 2024. Under this designation, OFCCP will engage with a wide range of stakeholders to remove hiring barriers and promote equal employment opportunity in federally funded large construction projects pre - construction including through outreach to underserved populations and the use of apprenticeship and pre - apprenticeship programs. Embedding equity provisions in federal Investing in America (IIA) investments, such as the Good Jobs in Federal Investments: A Toolkit for Employers, Workers, and Government, the MOU between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and DOL, and the MOU between the U.S. General Services Administration and DOL, requiring, preferencing, or encouraging funding applicants to provide supportive services on their projects. Securing equity commitments from localities implementing IIA investments, through place - based strategies. Encouraging DOL grant applicants to develop projects that specifically address each of the Good Jobs Principles, which envision equitable pathways to family - sustaining wages, to promote development of new workforce development models that can be applied to other federal investments. Directing DOL grant applicants to provide more robust and detailed supportive services strategies to develop frameworks that can be applied to other federal investments. Investing in strategies to improve good jobs for care workers: The Women's Bureau (WB), Office of Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP), and the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), are working to identify and maximize utility of data on the Direct Care Workforce. In FY 2024, DOL will continue to expand analyses on care workers who serve people with disabilities and older adults through the DOL - HHS workgroup on direct care workforce. WB, ASP, and the Chief Evaluation Office are collaborating on a research report to explore wages in the Care Workforce, to be published in FY 2024 as well as guidance to help States and localities conduct their own analyses of comparable pay rates for care workers in their respective jurisdictions.

Number of Memoranda of Understanding established with Federal agencies to increase the number of agencies aligning their efforts and leveraging their individual and combined resources to educate and encourage industries to attract, train, retain, and empower a diverse, qualified, well compensated workforce; and Number of equity and job quality incentives built into federal infrastructure dollars and Federal grants, where data is publicly available.

In 2020, the Department of Labor's Women's Bureau (WB) collaborated with the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct the most comprehensive analysis of the gender wage gap to date. The analysis shows that the majority of the gap between men and women's wages cannot be explained through measurable differences between workers, such as age, education, work history, industry, occupation, or work hours, but is more likely the result of occupational and industrial segregation. Additional studies show that providing caregiving activities to children and adults with care needs, of which women are disproportionately responsible, impose substantial lifetime economic costs; and during economic strife, like the COVID - pandemic, subsets of women have experienced slower recovery in comparison to their male counterparts.

Improving wages and working conditions in key, female - dominated sectors In support of EO 14095, Executive Order on Increasing Access to High - Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and WB are collaborating through an MOU to promote the rights of the care workforce by creating sample employment agreements for domestic workers that provide child and long - term care to negotiate the terms of employment, facilitating compliance and awareness of labor law and best practices, and incorporate language to embed the requirements of relevant worker protection laws. WB will work with elected officials to support investments in care infrastructure, strengthen the majority female workforce that performs essential work, and provide technical assistance through the Good Jobs Great Cities Academy. OSHA Rulemaking in progress: OSHA is currently developing Prevention of Workplace Violence in Health Care and Social Assistance, a standard on workplace violence prevention in the healthcare and social assistance industries, occupations which tend to employ significantly more women than men WB will continue working with HHS to elevate ways to build equity in wages and job quality in female dominated sectors through the DOL - HHS workgroup, and technical assistance to agencies for support services. Reducing caregiving penalties for women and low - paid workers In FY 2024, the WB will continue to expand and tailor the National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP), in collaboration with ICF International and HHS, to develop key analytical tools to evaluate how childcare prices are linked with gender and racial inequality in the labor force. WB is partnering with the Urban Institute to conduct the project, Understanding Equity in Paid Leave through Microsimulation Analysis. This project will provide research and technical assistance to states or local jurisdictions considering paid leave programs, and answer new questions about policy impacts, costs, and benefits of paid leave policies. Eliminating gender - based discrimination in the workplace DOL will contribute key deliverables toward the implementation of the National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality and the National Plan to End Gender - Based Violence, including: In FY 2024, WB will administer its Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) grant, focusing the program to support women who have been impacted by gender - based violence and harassment in the world of work. As the federal government makes historic investments in infrastructure, OFCCP intends to develop a best practices document outlining how federal contractors and subcontractors can create safe environments free from gender - based violence and harassment. In anticipation of the FAR Council's rulemaking prohibiting salary history inquiries by federal contractors, OFCCP plans to publish sub - regulatory guidance clarifying how reliance on salary history for hiring and compensation decisions may result in discrimination under Executive Order 11246.

Number of grants provided to increase women's participation in apprenticeship programs; Set standards for addressing gender - based violence and harassment in the workforce; and Number of state partnerships formed to support investments in female - dominated work sectors.

Through an MOU with the International Labour Organization Office for the United States and Canada, DOL will host national and regional events with employers, unions, workers, public officials, and community organizations uplifting survivor -, worker -, union - and employer - informed strategies and best practices to eliminate gender - based violence and harassment in the world of work, based on principles codified in ILO Convention 190. The WB will collect new data and continue to expand the National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) to include new products on childcare price trends, disparities in access to affordable childcare by race, ethnicity, and family income, and detailed assessments of the impacts of childcare prices on maternal employment. The WB will engage with researchers, advocates, and local, state, and federal agencies and policy makers to expand use of the NDCP data and research products in support of equity in access to care infrastructure.

Current data collection fails to capture data disaggregation and analysis into baseline outreach to and procurement contracting with small disadvantaged and women owned Businesses; and Lack of agency - wide strategies to increase outreach to small disadvantaged and women owned business competition in contracting.

Historically small, disadvantaged businesses such as women, Black and Hispanic owned are underrepresented in Federal procurement contracting. For example, the share of procurement dollars going to Black - owned businesses is the lowest (about 1.9 %) compared to other race / ethnicity groups. In DOL's evaluation of equity in Federal contracting, for FY 2021, the Department awarded to minority - owned businesses contracts commensurate and above the representation in federal contracting; however, DOL's procurement contracting such as with women - owned, Hispanic - owned, and Black - owned businesses are below the proportion of eligible businesses available for federal contracting. DOL's procurement practices have received an A + in contract awarding to small, disadvantaged businesses (SDB) and women owned small businesses (WOSBs). However, DOL has not disaggregated data to determine whether there are potential opportunities to further increase outreach and contracting opportunities, including current engagement levels with these businesses. To increase the number of underrepresented groups in contracting, studies have shown it is necessary to identify gaps in the procurement process, evaluate internal processes, and increase stakeholder engagement and partnership development.

Explore options to collect expanded demographic categories for contractors, as permitted by and in accordance with Federal procurement regulations and other laws. Review relevant and available data and develop a strategic outreach plan to improve engagement with underrepresented groups, remove internal barriers to engagement as applicable, and encourage expanded participation in contracting opportunities.

DOL has developed two tools or resources to advance environmental justice: DOL's Good Jobs Initiative created a set of tools to ensure good jobs in climate and environmental justice investments. The Good Jobs in Federal Investments: A Toolkit for Employers, Workers, and Government, is a toolkit intended to assist federal agencies, state, tribal and local governments, employers, and labor and worker advocacy organizations unleash their power to improve job quality and equity and data collection in federal investments. DOL has hired two staff that work on environmental justice, either in a full - time or part time capacity. DOL has two new or strengthened internal working group (s), steering committee (s), council (s) on environmental justice. The internal Climate Working Group, organized by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy (OASP), consists of representatives from across DOL sub - agencies, and coordinates the various climate priorities of the Administration and DOL leadership. The Climate Action Plan meetings, organized by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM) is a cross - DOL subagency meeting focused on the implementation of the Climate Action Plan, published yearly, which is an ongoing program to ensure robust federal mission resilience, protect worker safety (before, during, and after climate - related events), mitigate environmental threats to our facilities, and improve our procurement and acquisition stewardship. DOL is currently updating its Environmental Justice Strategic Plan, to be released Fall 2023.

In response to EO 14020 and pursuant to the implementation of the government - wide National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, DOL has developed an agency - specific plan outlining over 50 action items to reduce occupational segregation for women workers, increase equity in pay and hiring, increase access to benefits and knowledge of worker rights, and increase older women's employment and economic security. To date, DOL has accomplished or is well underway to accomplishing all action items identified. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has implemented the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP), connecting federal and private sector employees with students and recent graduates with disabilities from over 400 colleges and universities for internships and permanent positions. ODEP will continue to support student and recent graduate participation in WRP, including outreach to underserved communities, minority - serving institutions, veterans services offices, and leveraging federal and alliance partnerships. When working with federal agencies, ODEP will also continue to

Analyses of Workers Rights by State (link), Labor Force Statistics (link), and Best and Worst States to Work in America (link) indicate that the states in the Southeastern United States are routinely ranked in the bottom third of States for worker protections, wage, and salary. Based on data, states in the Southeast experience lower union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers in comparison to other states. States in the Southeast are collectively more likely to contain economically distressed communities, defined as communities with lower educational attainment, higher poverty and unemployment rates and lower median incomes. In FY 2022, DOL conducted a series of meetings across the United States with workers and found that Southeast workers faced significant worker protection and wage disparities amongst Black, Latino, women, migrant, and other underserved communities.

Strategy 3: Embedding Gender Equity into our Partnerships and Services

Whole - of - Government Equity Objective: Civil Rights: Protect the civil and constitutional rights of all persons, including the right to vote, language access, and prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, etc.

Increased equitable employment opportunities, increased equitable workforce development pathways into infrastructure jobs and supportive services, and increased job security and career advancement for underserved and vulnerable communities, in federal funding where data is publicly available.

Embed Gender Equity through the disruption of occupational segregation to improve wages and working conditions in key, female - dominated sectors, reduce caregiving penalties for women and low paid workers, and eliminate gender - based discrimination in the workplace to include transwomen.

Collaborating Agencies: DOL is partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collaborate on new data products, such as the National Database of Childcare Prices, as well as draft guidance and technical assistance to federal agencies on maximizing flexibility in funding for support services. DOL also partners with several agencies through its Good Jobs Initiative, to ensure gender equity in Investing in America - funded jobs.

The gender and racial wage gap results in women being paid only 84 % of what men are paid, on average, and women of color even less. This means that they must work more years to earn the same amount as men, while at the same time they must prepare for a longer retirement, in large part due to their longer life expectancy.

Overall increases in wages in female dominated sectors, increases in the number of women in higher paying fields, and reduction of gender - based violence and harassment in the world of work.

Whole - of - Government Equity Objective: Civil Rights: Protect the civil and constitutional rights of all persons, and enforce prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of race, national origin (including individuals who are Limited English Proficient), sex, disability, etc.

Embedding Gender Equity into our Partnerships and Services

The Administration's historic Executive Orders to advance racial equity through mobilization of Federal resources provides the Department of Labor with an opportunity to deepen our commitments from the previous year while pursuing new avenues to reach underserved and disenfranchised communities. We have created an Agency Equity Team, led by our Chief Diversity and Equity Officer and leaders from across the agency, to embed equity into our agency's strategic documents and policies, including advancing gender equity, support for LGBTQ + rights, and pursuing environmental justice.

To deepen the equity work we've accomplished, we have researched the barriers the communities we serve face and developed five areas of focus for the 2023 Equity Action Plan: (1) supporting workers in the Southeast United States; (2) ensuring underserved communities have access to good jobs; (3) embedding gender equity into our partnerships and services; (4) improving services for Limited English Proficient individuals; and (5) evaluating procurement practices to advance equity. These focus areas will allow us to improve on the work we've already accomplished by further committing our programmatic, policy, and budget levers to target our most underserved communities.

As Acting Secretary, I've established a goal for Department of Labor agencies to empower all workers in America through modern industrial renaissance policy and enforcement, such as modern industrial strategy, robust enforcement of worker protection laws, and supporting workers ' right to organize and collectively bargain. Our continued success will be achieved when equity has become a fundamental part of all agency functions, including hiring, outreach, training, mission, execution, measurement and assessment, and policymaking. Embedding equity means valuing and embracing diversity; ensuring that diverse voices, perspectives, and talents are included and represented in decision - making processes, workplaces, and with recognition of the multiple and overlapping identities held by workers in communities that DOL serves. Advancing equity aligns with the principles of human rights and equality; it is crucial for

Data has shown that advancing equity leads to economic growth for everyone. When underserved individuals and communities are given the resources and opportunities they need to thrive, it boosts productivity, innovation, and overall economic well - being, which in turn reduces income inequality and poverty rates. Through its levers, DOL is committed to using its efforts to promote the economic and social wellbeing of all workers.

Within the past year, DOL agencies have engaged meaningfully with stakeholders and community partners; this has intrinsically informed our approach to the Equity Action Plan. We conducted strategic meetings with workers, community leaders, and businesses within the Southeast, and found that workers were significantly more likely to face wage violations and fewer worker protections, as well as decreased coalition building. In April 2023, we held an extensive workshop with stakeholders to brainstorm and discuss solutions for employment rates among formerly incarcerated individuals, which will inform our work to increase access to pilot job readiness trainings for this underserved demographic. We've conducted stakeholder meetings and established Memoranda of Understanding to strengthen the Federal government's commitment to good jobs and gender equity and conducted internal dialogues to fine tune our language access services. These are just a few examples; we are consistently engaging our stakeholders to identify barriers that communities face, and retooling our outreach, and our service delivery to alleviate and remove barriers to good jobs and improved working conditions.

To ensure long term success, the 2023 Equity Action Plan strategies are being embedded in the Department's strategic plans and have informed our measures and milestones for success. We hope that through these strategies we continue to embed equity and develop partnerships in such a way that addresses historical disadvantages and systemic discrimination, invests in, and values the nation's economy, builds a modern, inclusive workforce, and supports a lifetime of worker empowerment.

In support of federal Investing in America (IIA) funds, stemming from funds through the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Good Jobs Initiative (GJI) provides critical information to workers, employers, and government agencies as they work to improve job quality and create access to good jobs, free from discrimination and harassment for all working people (with emphasis on underserved communities, including BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ + individuals, women, immigrants, veterans, individuals with disabilities, individuals in rural communities, individuals without a college degree, individuals with or recovering from a substance use disorder, justice - involved individuals, and opportunity youth). In alignment with the Good Jobs Principles, equity provisions have been embedded in all aspects of the GJI:

To address these barriers, DOL will develop agency specific measures to accomplish the following:

Request for Information (RFI): The RFI comment period occurred from June 5, 2023, to June 30, 2023. The RFI asked for public comment on four questions related to equity performance metrics, data sets, tools, research, and examples of impacts and partnerships. DOT received 69 comments from organizations, government agencies, companies, and individuals across the country. Some key themes from responses to the RFI included: DOT should take a more ambitious approach to setting actions and performance measures regarding equity. DOT's goals in the Equity Action Plan should address safety, climate change, community engagement, accessibility, and workforce development.

Measuring access and system condition should be further developed in DOT's ETC Explorer and other tools that can help increase availability of information. By disaggregating data, DOT and stakeholders could better analyze impacts and equity concerns at a local level. It can be challenging to compare results of different equity tools because of differences in definitions, datasets, scales, or measurements. Technical assistance is important in supporting underserved communities, local community - based organizations, and first - time grant applicants to successfully secure and administer federal grants. In - Person and Virtual Public Dialogues: DOT held an in - person public dialogue at DOT Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on June 20, 2023. The event included participation by 65 external attendees. The event was open to the public and included remarks from DOT leadership, a question and answer (Q & A) session, and an " " open house " " period wherein attendees had an opportunity to meet DOT staff who work across modes in the equity space. A virtual public dialogue was held on June 23, 2023, and followed a similar format. The virtual dialogue had 562 attendees, with attendees from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, from government agencies, trade associations, community advocacy groups, educational institutions, private companies, and other types of organizations. The events helped participants better understand DOT's equity work and respond to the RFI.

Disability Policy Priorities: The DOT Disability Policy Priorities highlight work that DOT is undertaking to increase access for people with disabilities across four focus areas: safe and accessible air travel; multimodal accessibility of public transportation facilities, vehicles, and rights - of - way; access to good - paying jobs and business opportunities for people with disabilities; and enabling accessibility of electric vehicles and automated vehicles. Justice40: The government - wide Justice40 Initiative establishes the goal that 40 % of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. At DOT, Justice40 is an opportunity for both the agency and our stakeholders to understand the burdens that result from the lack of affordable, safe multimodal transportation options and how to identify transportation investments that will create benefits that will reverse or mitigate those burdens, inclusive of a meaningful public engagement process that spans a project's lifecycle. Gender Justice: DOT has identified Gender Justice priorities in response to EO 14020. These priorities include strategies to advance gender diversity in certain segments of the transportation sector, address gender disparities in transportation safety, combat human trafficking, improve DOT utilization of small disadvantaged businesses that are both women - and minority - owned, and, increase gender diversity within the DOT workforce. Asian American, Native Hawai'ian, and Pacific Islander Action Plan: DOT's plan, created as part of a government - wide initiative, focuses on assessing perceptions of public transportation; promoting Title VI awareness; improving competitiveness of businesses for federal contracts; and increasing workforce participation rates.

Public involvement is often treated as an event rather than a process. 9 In many cases, community members are not involved in early discussions to identify solutions with agency partners. Traditional print and radio reach limited audiences. Social media, pop - up events, and community meetings, used by some, are more effective at reaching diverse groups in rural and urban areas. 1 10

January 2022: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) integrated the Small Business Program Manager into the Acquisition Strategy Review Board for procurement planning and coordination to help identify small business contracting opportunities. January 2022: OST launched a DOT - wide procurement dashboard to raise awareness of contracting opportunities and drive accountability for meeting small and disadvantaged business goals. February 2022: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began tracking the number of residential and non - residential displacements to ensure displacements, especially in communities with Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns, are reduced across all projects and that mitigation measures are in place to minimize impacts of relocation. July 2022: OST issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modernize the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession DBE (ACDBE) program regulations to help further level the playing field for small disadvantaged businesses. November 2022: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) held the first meeting of the Women of Trucking Advisory Board, whose work will support women pursuing careers in trucking, expand scholarship opportunities for women in the trucking industry, and enhance trucking training, mentorship, education, and outreach programs for women. December 2022: Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) launched the Master Capacity Building Series Federal Contracting 101. April 2023: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) established a Small Business Program to increase participation of small businesses, including minority and woman - owned small businesses in publicly funded rail projects. LAUNCHING EDUCATION SEMINARS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SEEKING DOT CONTRACTS: Small and minority - owned businesses can face hurdles in obtaining federal contracts. Many businesses without the capacity or resources to receive primary contracts are also unaware of opportunities to work as a subcontractor. To address these concerns, OSDBU launched the Master Capacity Building Series. The initial session hosted more than 500 participants, and the program has reached over 6,400 small and disadvantaged business owners as of June 2023. Technical assistance has contributed to an increase in small disadvantaged business utilization, from 18.2 % of DOT direct contract dollars in FY 2021 to 21.25 % in FY 2022.

Measuring the effectiveness of public involvement is challenging and time - consuming. 13 The practical methods that have been developed to evaluate the success of public involvement activities often fall short of being able to measure the effectiveness of engagement activities and have not yet been applied at large scale. Agencies are often focused on compliance when it comes to public involvement. Measures of inputs, such as number of meetings, are not distinguished from measures of impacts, such as changes to a proposed plan or project. 14 In many cases, important resources such as S / TIPs may be difficult for the public to find and analyze.

6 % of State DOTs and 20 % of Transportation Management Area (TMA) 15 - serving MPOs self - report that they have an equity screening component in their transportation planning and programming processes for all funding sources. Equity screening involves determining and communicating equity priorities through meaningful public involvement and data - driven analysis, measuring equity impacts, and considering those impacts throughout all stages of the transportation planning process. Surveyed State DOTs Surveyed MPOs Agencies reporting they have an equity screening component in planning and programming 6 % 20 % 67 % of State DOTs and 49 % of TMA - serving MPOs self - report that they directly involve underserved communities in selecting projects in their communities. Some describe these processes in formal policies such as Community Participation Plans, which govern how an organization approaches public involvement in compliance with Title VI and other requirements. Agencies reporting that they involve underserved communities in selecting projects

By 2025, increase by 5 % the number of DOT discretionary grant applicants from disadvantaged communities who have never applied for DOT funding before. Work to meet the Justice40 goal that 40 % of the benefits of certain federal investments flow to transportation disadvantaged communities. Increase the number of new projects in disadvantaged communities utilizing formula funds from Justice40 covered programs. Increase the total federal transit grant dollars announced or allocated for rural or Tribal areas.

Navigating the complex environment of federal grant opportunities requires specialized expertise and experience. Overburdened or disadvantaged communities in urban and rural areas may not have adequate resources to gain access to the necessary expertise and experience. Benefit - cost analysis (BCA) is a requirement for several major transportation discretionary grant applications. BCAs require specialized analysis tools and skills and are based on how benefits measure up to costs. When underserved communities do not have access to those tools or are located in areas where there are too few " " benefits " " to measure, potentially beneficial projects in underserved communities might not be selected due to incomplete or flawed BCAs.

Between 2016 - 2021, DOT had approximately 3,500 total unique applicants to its funding programs. In 2022, approximately 350 new applicants from disadvantaged communities applied to DOT's discretionary funding programs, accounting for close to a quarter of new applicants to DOT programs. The volume of new applicants, and DOT's goal of further increasing the number of new applicants from disadvantaged communities, calls for a corresponding increase in technical assistance to help ensure new applicants ' success in delivering transformative transportation projects. In the ETC Explorer, the majority of rural census tracts are experiencing transportation insecurity. 18 A significant portion also experience heath 19 and socioeconomic vulnerability.

Reduce national transportation cost burden by 5 %, including transportation travel cost as a percent of income, by FY 2030. Increase safe, affordable, multimodal access to key destinations, including: work, education, grocery stores, health care, affordable housing, and recreation Reduce the race fatality ratio by population. meaning the national percentage of roadway fatalities per race over the percentage of population per race. Decrease in number of passengers with disabilities whose wheelchairs are damaged during air travel and who are injured in transfers to / from aircraft.

People experiencing lower incomes spend a far greater percent of their income on transportation than households with middle or higher incomes. Reliable, safe, high - quality accessible multimodal transportation systems can help address these disparities and increase residents ' upward economic mobility. Nationally, 47 % of the US population and 69 % of the population living in rural census tracts spend more than 15 % of their annual income on transportation. Roadway fatalities among Black people increased by 23 % between 2019 and 2020, compared to an overall increase in fatalities of 7.2 %. 28 People who are American Indian and Alaska Native have roadway fatality rates more than double the national rate on a per population basis. 29 While only 19 % of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, 45 % of all roadway fatalities and

Measuring the effectiveness of public involvement is challenging and time - consuming for DOT, as it is for our grantees and interagency partners. Practical methods that have been developed to evaluate the success of public involvement activities have not yet been applied at large scale. Building contact lists inclusive of underrepresented communities, including members of the public as well as representatives of non - profits, companies, and state, local, and Tribal governments, takes time.

1 Department of Transportation Equity Council | US Department of Transportation, https: / / www.trans - portation.gov / mission / department - transportation - ed uity - council. 2 Advancing Equity and Racial Justice Through the Federal Government. The White House, https: / / www.whitehouse. gov / equity / 3 Butrica, Barbara A, et al. Women in Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations in the United States. Urban Institute, 2023. https: / / www.dol.gov / sites / dolgov / files / Nieves - Cartagena % 40DOL.GOV / WANTO - knowl edge % 20Brief / WANTO - knowledge - report - 508 % 20 6.15.23. pdf. Note: the cited research was funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. DOT is conducting a fuller assessment of barriers to jobs in the construc - tion industry as required by Section 25019 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 4 Small Business Credit Survey 2021: Report on Firms Owned by People of Color. Federal Reserve, 2021. https: / / www.fedsmallbusiness.org / survey / 2021 / 2021 - report - on - firms - owned - by - people - of - color. 5 McCloud, Edith. Improving Minority Businesses ' Access to Capital Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). 2021, https: / / opportunity.census.gov / assets / files / 2021 - problem - statements / post - covid / MBDA_ Im - proving % 20Minority % 20Businesses % 20Access % 20 to % 20Capital.pdf 6 Data Bank Contract Data Reports SAM.Gov, https: / / sam.gov / reports / awards / static. 7 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Construction In - dustry: Characteristics of the Employed, 2003 - 20. Apr. 2022. https: / / www.bls.gov / spotlight / 2022 / the - con - struction - industry - labor - force - 2003 - to - 2020 / home. htm. 8 The White House. Fact Sheet: Biden - Harris Adminis - tration Announces New Measures to Promote Equitable Community Development. The White House, 27 Jun. 2023, https: / / www.whitehouse.gov / briefing - room / statements - releases / 2023 / 06 / 27 / fact - sheet - biden - har ris - administration - announces - new - measures - to - pro - mote - equitable - community - development /. 9 Aimen, David, and Anne Morris. Practical Approaches for Involving Traditionally Underserved Populations in Transportation Decisionmaking NCHRP Report, no. 710, Project 8 - 72, 2012, https: / / trid.trb.org / view / 1135054, 10 Madzlan, Mardzuki, et al. Government's Advertising Information Content Strategy in Newspaper Print Advertisement. Jan. 2020, https: / / ir.uitm.edu.my / id / eprint / 43768 / 1 / 43768. pdf 11 Spivak, Jeffrey. 6 Tips for Inclusive Public Meetings. American Planning Association, https: / / www.planning. org / planning / 2019 / mar / 6tipspublicmeetings /. 12 United States Department of Transportation. Promising Practices for Meaningful Public Involvement in Transportation Decision - Making Oct. 2022, https: / / w.transportation.gov / priorities / equity / promis - ing - practices - meaningful - public - involvement - transpor - tation - decision - making 13 Brown, Bruce, et al. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. Transportation Research Board, 2019. Na - tional Academies Press, https: / / doi.org / 10.17226 / 25447. 14 Brown, Bruce, et al. Measuring the Effectiveness of Public Involvement in Transportation Planning and Project Development. 15 Schedule Census Urbanized Areas and MPO / TMA Desig - nation Census Issues Planning FHWA, https: / / www. hwa.dot.gov / planning / census_issues / ar - eas and mpo tma / schedule / Notes: The percent of TMAs was designated as of Summer 2022, prior to the DOT Secretary designation of new TMAs based on the 2020 Census. 16 Increasing Federal Funding to Community - Based Orga - nizations Prepared for Organizations in the Strong Pros - perous and Resilient Communities Challenge (SPARCC). Enterprise, https: / / www.sparcchub.org / wp - content / uploads / 2022 / 03 / Final - CBO - Memo - March - 2022. pdf 17 Archer, Deborah N. Transportation Policy and the Underdevelopment of Black Communities. 3797364, 4 Mar. 2021. Social Science Research Network, https: / / papers.ssrn.com / abstract = 3797364. 18 Notes: Transportation insecurity occurs when people are unable to get to where they need to go to meet the needs of their daily life regularly, reliably, and safely. 19 Notes: Health Vulnerability category assesses the increased frequency of health conditions that may result from exposure to air, noise, and water pollution, as well as lifestyle factors such as poor walkability, car dependency, and long commute times. 20 Notes: Social vulnerability indicators measure lack of employment, educational attainment, poverty, housing tenure, access to broadband, and housing cost burden as well as identifying household characteristics such as age, disability status and English proficiency. 21 US EPA, OP. Smart Growth and Transportation. 26 Apr. 2013, https: / / www.epa.gov / smartgrowth / smart - growth - and - transportation. 22 Jiao, Junfeng. Understanding Transportation Related Infrastructure Access in 52 Major US Cities. Cooperative Mobility for Competitive Megaregions, 2019, p. 42, https: / / sites.utexas.edu / cm2 / files / 2019 / 04 / Year2_ TransitDeserts.pdf. 23 Bureau, US Census. Vehicles Available. Census.Gov, https: / / www.census.gov / acs / www / about / why - we - ask - each - question / vehicles /. 24 Economic Well - Being of U.S. Households (SHED): Dealing with Unexpected Expenses. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, https: / / www.federalreserve.gov / publications / 2022 - economic - well - being - of - us - house - holds - in - 2021 - dealing - with - unexpected - expenses.htm 25 Multimodal Access to Public Transportation US Depart - ment of Transportation, https: / / www.transportation gov / mission / health / Multimodal - Access - to - Pub - lic - Transportation 26 Chetty, Raj, et al. Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States: An Intergenerational Perspective. https: / / www.nber.org / system / files / working_papers / w24441 pdf. Dec. 2019. 27 Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer US Department of Transportation, https: / / www.transporta - on.gov / priorities / equity / justice40 / etc - explorer. 28 Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate by Sub - Categories in 2020. Jun. 2021, https: / / crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov / Api / Public / ViewPubli - cation / 813118 29 Evaluating Disparities in Traffic Fatalities by Race, Ethnicity, and Income. Sep. 2022, https: / / crashstats. inhtsa.dot.gov / Api / Public / ViewPublication / 813188 30 Rural / Urban Comparison of Traffic Fatalities. May 2020, htps: / / crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov / Api / Public / ViewPubli - cation / 812957. Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES). Aug. 2023, https: / / www.transporta - tion.gov / rural. 31 Air Travel Consumer Report. The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, 2023, https: / / www.transpor - tion.gov / sites / dot.gov / files / 2023 - 04 / February % 20 2023 % 20ATCR_Revised.pdf. 32 The National Transit Database (NTD) FTA, https: / / www. transit.dot.gov / ntd. 33 DOT's Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity Charter US Department of Transportation, https: / / www.transportation.gov / civil - rights / acte / charter. 34 An Overview of the Americans With Disabilities Act ADA National Network, https: / / adata.org / factsheet / ADA - overview. 35 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law | US Department of Transportation, https: / / www.transportation.gov / biparti san - infrastructure - law. 36 What Is a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)? US Department of Transportation, https: / / www.transporta - tion.gov / osdbu / disadvantaged - business - enterprise / hat - disadvantaged - business - enterprise - dbe. 38 Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Envi - ronmental Justice for All. Federal Register, 26 Apr. 2023, https: / / www.federalregister.gov / doct hnts / 2023 / 04 / 26 / 2023 - 08955 / revitalizing - our - na - tions - commitment - to - environmental - justice - for - all, 37 Disadvantaged Communities - DOE Directives, Guidance, and Delegations, https: / / www.directives.doe.gov / rms_definitions / disadvantaged - communities - 1 39 Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Under - served Communities Through the Federal Government. Federal Register, 22 Feb. 2023, https: / / www.federal - register.gov / documents / 2023 / 02 / 22 / 2023 - 03779 / further - advancing - racial - equity - and - support - for - un - derserved - communities - through - the - federal. 40 What Is an HBCU? White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportu - nity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities, https: / / sites.ed.gov / whhbcu / one - hundred - and - five - his - rically - black - colleges - and - universities /. 41 Rep. Yarmuth, John A. H.R. 5376 - 117th Congress (2021 - 2022): Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. 16 Aug. 2022, https: / / www.congress.gov / bill / 117th - congress / house - bill / 5376 / text. 42 Justice40 Initiative I Environmental Justice, The White House, https: / / www.whitehouse.gov / environmentaljus - tice / justice40 /. 43 Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) FTA, https: / / ww.transit.dot.gov / regulations - and - guidance / trans. portation - planning / metropolitan - planning - organiza - tion - mpo. 44 Public Involvement | US Department of Transportation. 2022, https: / / www.transportation.gov / public - involve - ment. 45 Enrolled in These Institutions Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Report. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 2007, p. 196, https: / / nces.ed.gov / pubs2008 / 2008156. pdf. 46 What Is the National Environmental Policy Act? | US EPA, https: / / www.epa.gov / nepa / what - national - environmen - tal - policy - act. 47 US EPA, OEJECR. EJ 2020 Glossary. 20 Oct. 2016, https: / / www.epa.gov / environmentaljustice / ej - 2020 - glossary. 48 Small Disadvantaged Business I U.S. Small Business Administration, https: / / www.sba.gov / federal - contract - ing / contracting - assistance - programs / small - disadvan - taged - business. 49 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) FTA, https: / / www.transit.dot.gov / regulations - and - guid - ance / transportation - planning / statewide - transporta - tion - improvement - program - stip. 50 Thriving Communities Program I US Department of Transportation, https: / / www.transportation.gov / grants / thriving - communities. 51 Civil Rights Division Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 9 Apr. 2023, https: / / www.justice.gov / crt / fcs / TitleVI. 52 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) FTA, https: / / www.transit.dot.gov / regulations - and - guidance / transportation - planning / transportation - improve - ment - program - tip. 53 23 CFR Part 450 Planning Assistance and Standards, https: / / www.ecfr.gov / current / title - 23 / part - 450. 54 Executive Order on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government. The White House, 16 Feb. 2023, 3, https: / / www.whitehouse.gov / briefing - room / presidential - actions / 2023 / 02 / 16 / executive - or - der - on - further - advancing - racial - equity - and - sup - port - for - underserved - communities - through - the - feder - al - government /.

February 2022: OST published a toolkit for planning and funding rural and Tribal electric mobility infrastructure. An updated version of the Charging Forward toolkit was published in May 2023, which includes expanded content on electric transit and micromobility. March 2022: DOT piloted a new approach of releasing combined Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) to streamline the process for applicants applying for multiple discretionary grant programs. April 2022: OST launched federal partnerships with key agencies making place - based technical assistance investments. June 2022: OST released the DOT Navigator, a new one - stop shop for communities to access DOT technical assistance and capacity building resources and to get more information to help them apply for DOT funding. July 2022: OST calculated baselines of benefits distribution for Justice40 covered programs with at least one round of funding awarded. October 2022: OST launched the Thriving Communities Program to provide hands - on technical assistance and capacity building support to underserved and overburdened communities using DOT funds and issued a call for projects for place - based initiatives that are co - designed with communities most impacted by poor access and climate change. February 2023: DOT awarded $ 185 million to disadvantaged communities as part of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program to provide planning and construction grants to communities who have been cut off from opportunities by infrastructure projects. February 2023: OST announced $ 800 million in grant awards for the Safe Streets and Roads for All program to help communities improve roadway safety, especially for the most vulnerable roadway users, benefitting disadvantaged communities who are disproportionately impacted by roadway fatalities.

January 2023: FHWA released the Speed Safety Camera Program Planning and Operations Guide for state and local governments aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries resulting from speeding related crashes as part of a broader speed management program - especially in school areas and construction zones. February 2023: FTA awarded its Mobility, Access & Transportation Insecurity: Creating Links to Opportunity Research and Demonstration Program to explore strategies to improve people's mobility and access to daily needs and evaluate outcomes and impacts upon individuals and communities. May 2023: OST launched the Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer tool, an interactive mapping tool to understand where transportation insecurity, defined as limited transportation access and safety combined with high cost burden, is most acute across the country. May 2023: OST began piloting a transportation cost burden measure, using existing data sources in the ETC Explorer, to prioritize transportation investments.

GENDER JUSTICE SPOTLIGHT:

EXPANDING OUTREACH AND PLANNING CAPACITY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES:

Ensure historically overburdened and underserved communities in urban and rural areas benefit from access to generational investment in the nation's infrastructure through direct, hands - on technical support for transportation projects with local impact.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provide historic opportunities to advance equity through DOT programs. BIL authorized a total of up to $ 660.8 billion for DOT over five years across dozens of programs and DOT received a total of $ 5.6 billion for four programs under the IRA. DOT is embedding equity across BIL and IRA programs through the various strategies outlined in this Equity Action Plan, including a focus on meaningful public involvement, technical assistance, and data and tools to inform decision - making. Together, BIL and IRA will help create more livable communities and further advance transportation equity.

Develop a resource to track funding investment and technical assistance in rural communities. - December 2025

Increase social and economic opportunity for disadvantaged and underserved communities from the provision of affordable multi - modal transportation options close to affordable housing and the development of a transportation cost burden measure.

34 % of all public highway - rail grade crossing fatalities occur on rural roads, and the fatality rate on rural roads is 2 times higher than on urban roads. 30

This 2023 update to the DOT Equity Action Plan (the Plan) highlights actions being taken across DOT to address key disparities, including disproportionately high traffic fatality rates among Black people, high transportation insecurity and cost burdens experienced by low - income households and rural communities, and underrepresentation of Black -, Hispanic -, and women - owned small businesses receiving DOT direct contracts. The Plan advances equity in alignment with related Executive Orders, including Executive Order 13988 (Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation), Executive Order 14008 (Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad), and Executive Order 14020 (Establishment of the White House Gender Policy Council). The highlighted actions in the plan are also in alignment with DOT's June 2022 Equity and Access Policy Statement and include providing technical assistance to small and disadvantaged businesses, reinvigorating programmatic enforcement of

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, implementing the Justice40 Initiative, and promoting mobility justice including environmental, gender, and disability rights efforts. The highlighted actions fall under five focus areas, or " " Pillars " ", including four that carried over from the original Equity Action Plan and one new " " Institutionalizing Equity " " pillar:

Proactive Intervention, Planning, and Capacity Building: Ensure historically overburdened and underserved communities in urban and rural areas benefit from access to generational investment in the nation's infrastructure through direct, hands - on technical support for transportation projects with local impact.

Expanding Access: Increase social and economic opportunity for disadvantaged and underserved communities from the provision of affordable multi - modal transportation options close to affordable housing and the development of a transportation cost burden measure.

DOT utilized ongoing DOT program engagements, a public request for information (RFI), and in - person and virtual public meetings to solicit inputs to the update process. This resulted in refinements to some of the Department's equity performance measures and prioritization of actions in the plan. The new DOT Equity Council - a group of more than 30 multi - modal career staff and political appointees from across the Department chaired by the Secretary and CO - managed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and the Departmental Office of Civil Rights - has overseen this process and broader DOT efforts to address historical and systemic patterns of disparity in the transportation system.

The Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has made ensuring that underserved communities are prepared to respond to hazardous materials transportation emergencies a top strategic priority. PHMSA expanded its outreach efforts to vulnerable communities by utilizing new strategies, including conferences, workshops, direct stakeholder meetings, and compliance assistance visits. This included a three - day workshop attended by representatives from all 50 states and five U.S. territories. PHMSA's comprehensive stakeholder list will be used to provide targeted grant funding, emergency special permits, technical assistance, and access to data.

DOT launched the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) initiative to address concerns and identify transportation challenges facing rural communities. Department officials hosted a series of webinars and informational sessions to solicit input and increase awareness of DOT programs for rural communities and convened a council dedicated to addressing rural and Tribal initiatives. ROUTES offers comprehensive technical assistance to rural communities across a variety of transportation - related topics, including grant funding, electric vehicles, safety, and infrastructure development and maintenance.

of projects we're advancing that will reduce crashes on our roads in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

1. Improve college access, affordability, and degree completion for underserved students to increase economic mobility. The Department aims to address barriers to college access, affordability, and completion by supporting colleges to enroll more students from underserved groups, including students of color, students from low - income backgrounds, students who are English learners, and others to raise graduation rates and close graduation rate gaps for these student populations, and offer affordable credentials of value that lead to careers offering economic mobility. 2. Implement Maintenance of Equity requirements to ensure historically underserved students have equitable resources for learning recovery. The Department aims to ensure that school districts serving historically underserved student groups, including students of color, students from low - income backgrounds, students who are English learners, students experiencing homelessness, and others have the resources they need to support learning recovery. This includes the allocation of $ 122 billion in ARP funds for Title I schools, and the ARP's Maintenance of Equity requirements to protect high poverty schools from reductions in State and local education funding. 3. Address inequities faced by justice - impacted individuals by expanding access to postsecondary learning opportunities that improve outcomes for communities and reduce recidivism rates. The Department aims to ensure that our society is more just and equitable through supporting better opportunities for education during periods of incarceration and post - release. Current initiatives are set to improve the well - being of people who are incarcerated and increase successful reentry outcomes, smoothing pathways to further education, increasing workforce readiness and engagement, and reducing recidivism and preventing crime. This includes the partnerships that exist between institutions of higher education, correctional agencies, accrediting agencies, and community - based organizations. 4. Advance equity in and through career and technical education. The Department aims to invest in career and technical education to create new and inclusive pathways to well - paying jobs and upward mobility. This includes leveraging data to promote strategies that reduce segregation by gender, race, and ethnicity in high school career and technical education (CTE) programs. 5. Increase mental health resources with an emphasis on underserved communities, from the historic legislation and funding provided by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Funding: The Department will continue to work to increase appropriations for Title III / V grant programs to strengthen HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, implement a new grant competition to increase research funding and infrastructure in HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs with awards to made in the fall. The Department will also ensure successful implementation of the HBCU Partners Act to strengthen federal support for HBCUs across agencies, including working with HBCUs to increase capacity to apply for federal programs, and work with States to support funding parity between 1890 land - grant HBCUs and their counterparts to address the more than $ 12 billion in funding disparities. Completion: The Department will continue to lead the Raise the Bar: Attaining College Excellence & Equity initiative, focused on supporting data - driven improvement in inclusive institutions to improve outcomes for students, including students of color and low - income students. The initiative will include a series of summits, playbooks, and webinars on evidence - based practices that equitably improve completion including data, advising, transfer, and career - relevant learning. The initiative will also include developing new Scorecard dashboards using the Department's data to recognize inclusive institutions providing equitable value to students and provide postsecondary leaders with information to further increase their impact. The initiative complements the new Postsecondary Student Success Grants program to implement evidence - based interventions to increase completion rates, which will be awarded later this year. Value: The Department will continue to protect students from postsecondary institutions or programs that offer little to no financial value by publishing a low financial value watch list of programs and institutions not serving students well, and beginning to implement a new, stronger gainful - employment rule to help ensure that program graduates make more than high school graduates and earn enough to repay their loans. These protections are expected to help address the financial barriers that students of color and low - income students face in the workforce after attending institutions that either did not offer quality programs or did not support them through to degree completion yet left them with debt to repay.

Affordability: Select and implement new options for debt relief following negotiated rulemaking in October - December 2023, and fully implement the new income - driven repayment plan, SAVE, by June 2024, measuring near - term decreases in undergraduate loan payments and increased participation due to auto enrollment after missed payments. Equitable funding: Release NIAs for Title III / V grant programs to strengthen HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs S (specific grants and timelines TBD pending budget) and implement the new HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs Research Funding grant with awards made by December 2023. Near - term measures include number of technical assistance activities provided to grantees to support implementation of the grants. Completion: Measure engagement with the Raise the Bar initiative through three more summits for approximately 200 attendees each to be held in fall 2023 (on Student Transfer and Credit Mobility Policies), spring 2024 (Holistic Student Advising and Wraparound Supports) and fall 2024 (Career - Relevant Learning Experiences). Implement Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program with awards by December 2023, and measure near - term implementation through the number of technical assistance activities provided to grantees including on evaluation. Tentatively plan to launch new Scorecard dashboards in summer / fall 2024 with user metrics to be developed. Value: Released the final Gainful Employment regulations by November 2023 to take effect in July 2024 and measure near - term implementation with the number of institutions / programs successfully complying with the new reporting requirements. The low - value watch list is tentatively expected to launch in 2025 with user metrics to be developed.

Accessibility: Measure increase in FAFSA completion rates for the overall population, including by students of color and low - income students; approximately 600,000 more low - income students are expected to receive Pell Grant awards with the new FAFSA. Analyze and address disparities in application and award (e.g., FAFSA verification) rates by key demographics including race, income, and gender to further increase federal aid accessibility. Affordability: Continue to increase uptake of public service loan forgiveness among eligible borrowers and measure uptake of the new SAVE program by quantifying the volume of loans covered by SAVE (which is projected to increase between 1 - 19 percentage points depending on the institutional sector). Analyze and address disparities in PSLF and SAVE application and approval rates by key demographics including race, income, and gender. Funding: The Department's FY24 budget requests $ 1.76 billion - $ 429 million over FY23 - to enhance institutional capacity at HBCUs, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), MSIs, and low - resourced institutions, including community colleges. This includes $ 350 Million for research and development at HBCUs, TCCUs,

Completion: Increase commitment and engagement by institutions and States to increase completion rates, close completion gaps, and confer credentials of value through Raise The Bar activities, including engaging nearly 1,000 field leaders through summits from 2022 - 2024. Generate new evidence and exemplars from the new Postsecondary Student Success Grant program about what works to improve completion, with annual data collections (2024 - 2028) and evaluations to be published in 2028 and beyond. Value: Hold institutions accountable under the Gainful Employment rule for programs that leave students unable to pay their debt or no better off than if they had not obtained the credential, upon implementation in July 2024. Under the new rule, career training programs that fail either of the metrics in a single year will be required to provide warnings to students, and programs that fail the same metric in two out of three consecutive years would lose eligibility to participate in Title IV Federal financial aid programs. About 1,700 career training programs enrolling nearly 700,000 students are projected to fail at least one of the two metrics in the new Gainful Employment rule in a single year.

1. Prioritized college access and college completion as accessibility, affordability, equitable funding, and verification remain barriers to postsecondary education. Improved Accessibility: In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling last summer limiting the ability of colleges to consider an applicant's race in and of itself as a factor in deciding whether to admit an applicant, the Department provided colleges and universities with resources on what admissions practices and programs remain lawful to ensure diversity, convened a National Summit on Educational Opportunity, and released a report on strategies for increasing diversity and educational opportunity. The Department also awarded over $ 40 million in Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) and TRIO Upward Bound grants in FY23 for programs focused on helping low - income students, first - generation students, and students with disabilities gain access to college. Improved Affordability: The Department worked to secure a $ 500 hundred increase in the maximum Pell Grant award, the largest increase in 10 years, in the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations bill and awarded $ 22 million in grants to colleges to address students ' basic needs, including food, housing, transportation, and childcare earlier this fiscal year. The Department has implemented a number of efforts over the last year to ease repayment and reduce debt burden for student loan borrowers, which disproportionately impacts low - income students and students of color, including recently approving an additional $ 9 billion in debt relief through fixes to income - drive repayment (IDR) and Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) programs and granting automatic relief for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities, bringing the total approved debt cancellation to $ 127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans. The Department also rolled out initial implementation of the SAVE plan last fall, which is the most affordable repayment plan ever created, and has already enrolled more than 4 million borrowers. Equalized Funding: The Department worked to secure a significant increase in appropriations for programs to strengthen HBCUs, TCUs, HSIs and MSIs in the FY23 budget. The Department issued Notices Inviting Applications (NIAs) for and awarded a number of Title III / V grant programs to strengthen HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander - serving institutions (AANAPISIs) and HSIs over the last year, and published the NIA for the new $ 50 million HBCU, TCU, and MSI Research and Development Infrastructure grant last summer, which aims to provide funds to implement transformational investments in research infrastructure, including research productivity, faculty expertise, graduate programs, physical infrastructure, human capital development, and partnerships leading to increases in external funding.

Collecting per - pupil and FTE staff data from States on the LEAs and schools they have identified as serving the highest concentration of students in poverty in FYs 2019 - 2023. This ensures States interrogate their funding systems and levels through a consistent equity framework, provides States with dedicated technical assistance from Department experts, and allows Department staff to become better acquainted with school funding formulae design, with particular emphasis on States serving high numbers of students in poverty. Celebrating progress as States comply with this requirement through a variety of compliance pathways including distributing supplemental payments to high - poverty school districts.

Black, Indigenous, and people of color, 21 individuals with disabilities, 22 and LGBTQI + persons2 23 are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. These trends of criminal justice system involvement and incarceration represent a serious and stubborn set of challenges to equal and equitable participation in high - quality education by all segments of society. Educational attainment of people who are incarcerated or confined and justice - impacted learners is incredibly important. Unfortunately, many people in prison lack the education and workforce skills they need to succeed in the labor market. Fifty - eight percent of people who are incarcerated do not complete an education program while in prison. 24 Limited - skilled individuals caught up in the incarceration cycle may not be able to access educational programs. Given that education is an important determinant of social and economic well - being, 25 it is critical to reconnect this population to educational opportunities. Investments in rehabilitative measures can help facilitate the successful completion of secondary education, as well as transitions to postsecondary education and the labor market.

29 Burbank, C., Romanillos, R., and Williams, B. (2021). Equity in CTE & STEM Root Causes and Strategies: A Call to Action. PA: NAPE Education Foundation, Inc. Retrieved from: https: / / napequity.org / wp - content / uploads / RC_Call - To - Action_FNL_2021 - 04 - 24. pdf. / See also Callahan, J. Ito, M., Campbell Rea, S. et. al. (2019). Influences on Occupational Identity in Adolescence: A Review of Research and Programs. Irvine, CA: Connected Learning Alliance. Retrieved from: https: / / clalliance.org / wp - content / uploads / 2019 / 05 / Influences on Occupational Identity Adolescence.pdf, 30 Levanon, Asaf, Paula England, and Paul Allison, " " Occupational Feminization and Pay: Assessing Causal Dynamics Using 1950 - 2000 U.S. Census Data, " " Social Forces, Vol. 88, No. 2 (December 2009): 865 - 91. Retrieved from: https: / / academic.oup.com / sf / article - abstract / 88 / 2 / 865 / 2235342 31 Zhavoronkova, M., Kahattar, R., and Brady, M. (2022). Occupational Segregation in America. Washington, DC: Center for American Progress. Retrieved from: https: / / www.americanprogress.org / article / occupational - segregation - in - america /. 32 Leu, K. B., and Arbeit, C. A. (2020). Differences in High School CTE Coursetaking by Gender and Race / Ethnicity. Career and Technical Education Research, 45 (1), 33 - 61. Retrieved from: https: / / doi.org / 10.5328 / cter45.1.33. See also Hamilton, A.F., Malin, J. and Hackmann, D., 2015. Racial / Ethnic and Gender Equity Patterns in Illinois High School Career and Technical Education Coursework. Journal of Career and Technical Education, 30 (1), Retrieved from: https: / / doi.org / 10.21061 / jcte.v30i1.712. 33 Kantrov, Ilene & Shields, Katherine. (2020). Harnessing Data to Drive Equity: How Can Schools Assess and Increase Progress on Equity in CTE Participation? (Techniques, Vol. 95, No. 3, March 2020, pp. 38 - 43). Retrieved from: https: / / www.edc.org / sites / default / files / data - drive - equity.pdf. See also Burbank, C., Romanillos, R., and Williams, B. (2021). Equity in CTE & STEM Root Causes and Strategies: A Call to Action. Pennsylvania: NAPE Education Foundation, Inc. Retrieved from: https: / / napequity.org / root /.

Promote greater transparency about student participation in CTE. For the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins V), which distributes $ 1.4 billion annually to states to support and improve CTE at the secondary and postsecondary levels, the Department collects data from states on student participation in CTE programs within 16 career clusters that are disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and " " special population " " status. 35 These data have previously been disseminated as large static tables that have made it difficult to identify patterns of segregation and underrepresentation by students with different demographic characteristics. The Department will begin to supplement these tables with a dynamic, web - based data dashboard that will make clear the extent to which there is underrepresentation in different program areas by race, ethnicity, gender, and " " special population " " status at the national and state levels. Investigate collecting more data to support intersectional analyses. The Department will hold listening sessions with representatives of state agencies, civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders to explore expanding its collection of data on student participation in CTE by career cluster to data that are disaggregated by gender within each major racial and ethnic group and " " special population " " to support intersectional analyses. Participation data are now disaggregated by gender, race, ethnicity, and " " special population " " status only. Highlight state progress in reducing segregation by gender. State - reported data show that female and male participation in CTE programs in career clusters in which the other gender predominates varies widely across states, suggesting that the participation of students in programs that are non - traditional for their gender is highly dependent on the state and local context in which CTE programs in these clusters are implemented. Using state data, the Department will identify and then highlight and describe in a Dear Colleague letter the strategies used by states that have achieved relatively high levels of

Share best practices among state partners. The Department will support a webinar series on advancing equity in CTE, spotlighting states that are leading data - driven equity initiatives in CTE, research - based resources on broadening participation in STEM from the National Science Foundation's INCLUDES Network, information on strategies to increase female participation in Registered Apprenticeships from the DOL, and resources from other federal, state, and local equity leaders and exemplars. Explore new metrics. Perkins V currently has a performance indicator that assesses the extent of participation by males and females in CTE programs that prepare them for occupations that are non - traditional for their gender. In anticipation of the reauthorization of Perkins V in 2025, the Department will explore with representatives of states, civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders, options for establishing comparable measures that assess the extent to which students from racial and ethnic groups are participating in programs that prepare them for occupations in which their races and ethnicities are underrepresented.

Improved Completion: The Department re - launched the Raise the Bar: Attaining College Excellence & Equity initiative with a summit this spring focused on data - driven improvement efforts to equitably increase completion rates for students of color and low - income students, published the NIA for the Postsecondary Student Success Grants this summer, which the Department worked to increase from its initial appropriation of $ 5 million to $ 45 million this year, and renewed Project Success, which provides funding to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs through Federal Student Aid (FSA) in partnership with Guaranty Agencies to increase completion rates and decrease default rates. Increased Value: The Department has reinstated the FSA enforcement office, which was closed under the previous Administration, to better protect student loan borrowers by ensuring that schools are adhering to the federal student aid program rules and delivering quality education to students. 2. Ensured equitable impact of ARP funding for K - 12 students to support student groups most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including but not limited to students from low - income backgrounds, students with disabilities, multilingual learners, students experiencing homelessness, and migratory students. The Department implemented Maintenance of Equity ARP Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER) requirements to ensure historically underserved students have the State and local resources necessary for continued recovery. The Department provided guidance, including weekly technical assistance calls with State educational agencies (SEAs) and educational materials, including frequently asked questions (FAQs), optional reporting templates, and webinars, and other targeted supports to States to promote continued equitable investment of State and local resources in K - 12 education in high - poverty communities. The Department continues to work with States to provide technical assistance in using historic investments in Title I, now totaling $ 19 billion annually, along with other permissible funding sources to sustain key activities funded by ARP; this includes increasing academic achievement, supporting students ' mental health, expanding access to preschool, and strengthening teacher recruitment and retention. The Department continues to collect per - pupil and full time equivalent (FTE) staff data from States on the LEAs and schools they have identified as serving the highest proportion of students in poverty in FY19 - 23. 3. Invested in resources to help advance civil rights to identify inequities in educational opportunities as the country grappled with the COVID - 19 pandemic and its effects on students ' academic, social, and emotional development.

This strategy aims to leverage data to promote strategies that reduce segregation by gender, race, and ethnicity in high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

High school CTE programs that are not intentional and systematic in applying equity - centered strategies can perpetuate gaps in student enrollment based on race, gender, and ethnicity. These data show that student enrollment in certain CTE programs mirrors that of the labor market, as evidenced, for example, by the predominance of women in education, health care, and human service programs and men in architecture and construction, manufacturing, and transportation programs. 28 This practice can perpetuate occupational segregation ² 9 that suppresses the wages of women 30 and people of color3 ¹ ¹ and contributes to the underrepresentation of students of color in programs that prepare individuals for higher - wage, in - demand occupations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. 32

Disaggregating CTE participation and outcome data by gender, race, ethnicity, and other subgroups illuminates disparities in CTE access and success. Leaders in advancing equity in CTE consider disaggregation an essential foundational tool. 33 As noted in April

2022 report from the Equitable Data Working Group established by the President in Executive Order 13985, " " Equitable data illuminate opportunities for targeted actions that will result in demonstrably improved outcomes for underserved communities. " " 34

Barriers to Equity: Despite gains over the last 15 years, postsecondary attainment rates are still not high enough to meet the need for skilled workers to power our economy and considerable gaps remain by race and income - with fewer than one - third of Black and only about one - fourth of Hispanic and Native American adults holding postsecondary credentials, compared to more than 50 percent of white adults. 2 Only 15 percent of students from the lowest - income families earn bachelor's degrees by age 24. 3

workforce; 12 however, this is also partly due to some colleges and universities not providing a quality, affordable education that leads to improved economic circumstances for their students. For example, nearly 1,800 career training programs are estimated to fail at least one of the two metrics on student debt burdens and earnings gains in the new Gainful Employment rule. The rule's Earnings Premium test will measure whether at least half of program graduates earn more than a typical high school graduate, given that most students attend postsecondary education at least partly to improve their earnings or job prospects. 13

Accessibility: The Department will address the barriers that low - income students face in applying for, and receiving, federal student aid to increase their enrollment in postsecondary education by simplifying the FAFSA form, automatically populating Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data to help students fill out the FAFSA, and reducing the verification burden on students receiving financial aid through the release of the new FAFSA form in December 2023 and further implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act in the 2024 - 25 award year. The Department will also continue to promote educational opportunity and diversity in colleges and universities in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision limiting the use of race in and of itself as a factor in college admissions by utilizing the National Center for Education Statistics to consider ways to collect and publish more information on college admissions. And the Department will continue to fund the GEAR UP and TRIO programs focused on supporting low - income, first - generation students and students with disabilities to access college, including support with completing the FAFSA and other college admissions forms.

Accessibility: Release the new simplified FAFSA form in December 2023 with IRS data integration and measure near - term year - over - year increases in the number of students completing the new FAFSA compared with the prior FAFSA.

Improve access to federal funding and assistance programs for communities with environmental justice concerns. Reduce cumulative environmental and health impacts in communities with environmental justice concerns. Strengthen EPA's external civil rights compliance program and ensure that civil rights compliance is an Agency - wide responsibility. Protect children equitably from exposure to environmental contaminants. (new) Address inequitable access to information and resources to improve engagement and health impacts in rural communities. (new) Ensure public access to EPA programs and activities and ensure full protection from health and environmental harms for people with disabilities. (new) Strengthening community - based participatory science to achieve environmental equity in communities with environmental justice concerns. Improve data and analytic capacity to better identify and remove barriers faced by communities with environmental justice concerns. (new)

EPA's ongoing engagement with communities in multiple forums provides information on challenges faced by communities navigating opportunities. These include engagement through: Environmental Justice Grants and Technical Assistance programs; the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC); and additional existing channels such as monthly National EJ Community Engagement calls. The Government Accounting Office (GAO) has found communities with environmental justice concerns, in particular those in rural areas, Tribal lands, and financially disadvantaged, face challenges in accessing federal grant opportunities, navigating federal systems and managing federal grant funds.

Priority Strategy # 2: Reduce Cumulative Environmental and Health Impacts in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns. 2 EPA will develop and implement a comprehensive workplan to operationalize and address cumulative impacts in EPA's programs and activities so that no community bears a disproportionate share of adverse environmental or public health consequences. Priority Strategy # 3: Strengthen EPA's External Civil Rights Compliance Program and Ensure that Civil Rights Compliance is an Agency - Wide Responsibility. EPA will continue to strengthen EPA's external Civil Rights program and EPA's ability to enforce federal civil rights laws to their fullest extent, including by fully implementing EPA's authority to conduct investigations, compliance reviews, and other compliance and enforcement activities, issue policy guidance, and secure timely and effective resolutions to address discrimination. Priority Strategy # 4: Protect Children Equitably from Exposure to Environmental Contaminants. EPA will protect children's environmental health, especially in communities with environmental justice concerns, by consistently and explicitly considering early life exposures to environmental contaminants and lifelong health in decisions involving human health science, risk assessment, regulations, compliance and enforcement, partnerships, communications, and research. Priority Strategy # 5: Address Inequitable Access to Information and Resources to Improve Engagement and Health Impacts in Rural Communities. EPA will provide financial and technical assistance to small and rural communities to establish and improve services to lower the risk of harm to public health and protect the environment. This strategy focuses on removing barriers to resources and providing impactful improvements for rural communities. Priority Strategy # 6: Ensure Public Access to EPA Programs and Activities and Ensure Full Protection from Health and Environmental Harms for People with Disabilities. EPA will ensure that people with disabilities have meaningful access to EPA programs, activities, and services. Further, this strategy focuses EPA resources on identifying and developing appropriate indicators within the framework of EPA's environmental health disparity indicators to ensure full protection from health and environmental

Build internal capacity by developing policies, procedures, and practices to improve coordination, collaboration, and adoption of cumulative impacts approaches across programs. A formal workgroup will promote continuous learning opportunities across EPA programs and their governmental partners by identifying and facilitating development and use of promising practices and ensure accountability by tracking activities across EPA. Create forums to explore emerging tools and methodologies, innovative ideas, and promising practices. The workgroup will use multiple venues, such as focus groups, webinars, and workshops, to advance understanding of topics related to cumulative impacts. These include but are not limited to quantitative and qualitative methods, community engagement, community participatory science, disproportionate burden, historical drivers, intersectional issues, significant projects, and emerging practice. Develop a logic model for operationalizing and integrating efforts to assess and address cumulative impacts in EPA's programs. Increase internal capacity by building a network of practitioners in EPA's programs and regions to support cumulative impact assessment actions and share data, information resources, best practices, and legal tools. Promote capacity building by developing and delivering training materials on cumulative and disproportionate impacts; identify opportunities for delivering training and sharing resources. Advance the development and implementation of performance metrics on assessing and addressing cumulative impacts in EPA's Strategic Plan Goal 2 Annual Performance Goals. New recommendations regarding outcome metrics to demonstrate progress on operationalizing and integrating cumulative impacts in EPA's programs.

Systematic engagement with EPA advisory bodies, including the Science Advisory Board, Science Advisory Committee for Chemicals, National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, Local Government Advisory Committee, Board of Scientific Counselors, Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Committee, and the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee. Continuing engagement with overburdened communities with environmental justice concerns while implementing place - based projects, methods and tools development, and development of polices and regulations. Regular engagement with overburdened communities, governmental partners, stakeholders, and researchers through a variety of forums, including webinars, focus groups and symposiums.

Priority Strategy # 7: Strengthening Community - Based Participatory Science to Achieve Environmental Equity in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns. EPA will support community engagement in participatory science to facilitate community prioritization of projects, understanding, and use of data to garner resources to solve their environmental challenges. This effort will help empower communities and inform actions to benefit their health and well - being. Priority Strategy # 8: Improve Data and Analytic Capacity to Better Identify and Remove Barriers Faced by Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns. EPA commits to removing barriers to the availability and use of equitable data ³ (including limitations on the disaggregation of data) within the Agency.

Research literature associating greater exposure to pollution and adverse health outcomes with race and national origin, as well as with historic discriminatory practices such as redlining. 14 Input from ongoing engagement with stakeholders including the National Environmental Justice Advisory Counsel and quarterly through National EJ Community Engagement calls.

Use available science, research, and policy to strengthen protection for children from the health effects resulting from harmful environmental exposures and reduce environmental disparities for socially vulnerable children. For example, consider available children's environmental health science in conducting risk assessments, including cumulative risk assessments, and other analyses that drive decisions on pollution reduction rules, environmental standards, and guidance. Identify, prioritize, and conduct research to better understand the impact of environmental exposures on children and inform decisions that are protective of children's health for socially vulnerable communities. Devote compliance and enforcement resources to address areas with potential lead exposures to children as noted in the Biden - Harris fact sheet: New Actions and Progress to Protect Communities from Lead Pipes and Paint and in support of the EPA Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities. Collaborate with federal partners to advance children's health protections under the President's Task Force on Environmental Health and Safety Risks to Children. 19 Integrate children's health considerations into the work of EPA's regional offices to advance environmental justice. Support actions to protect women and children through implementation of EPA's Action Plan as part of the White House Gender Policy Council's National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. EPA actions relate to promoting gender equity in mitigating and responding to climate change and regulating and reducing exposure to environmental contaminants that pose risks to maternal and children's health. Support actions to protect children's health through EPA's implementation of the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis. EPA actions relate to women's reproductive health risks associated with lead, wildfire smoke, extreme heat, chemical and non - chemical stressors, and the provision of adequate and equitable community - level health care for environmental exposures. Support actions to address health disparities in childhood cancer through EPA's implementation of the Cancer Moonshot. Harmful environmental exposures during childhood, particularly at key life stages (in utero, childhood, adolescence), can impact health later in life and into the next generation. EPA actions relate to preventing exposure to carcinogens and other toxins by compiling data and providing analysis on children's health used to inform Agency risk assessments and regulations and using partnerships and outreach to increase awareness.

Number of EPA actions that include assessment and consideration of environmental health information and data for children at all life stages to the extent relevant data are available. Number of EPA regions with sustainable children's environmental health programs to engage stakeholders in communities with environmental justice concerns.

Improvement in children's environmental health, based on reduction in environmental exposures to children, particularly children in communities in environmental justice concerns. Reduced environmental impacts to children in communities in environmental justice concerns using new data sources and indicators (to be identified) to track national trends in children's environmental health and inform policy decisions.

Issued Cumulative Impacts: Recommendations for ORD Research, which provides recommendations for EPA's cumulative impacts research to improve scientific methods and tools. Issued Legal Tools to Advance Environmental Justice: Cumulative Impacts Addendum, an assessment of EPA's legal authorities to consider and address cumulative impacts. Released draft Guidelines for Cumulative Risk Assessment Planning and Problem Formulation. These Guidelines provide technical description of broad engagement in problem formulation and conditions for inclusion of multiple stressors in cumulative assessments. Awarded $ 21.4M in research grant funding to 16 institutions for community - based research on how climate change may compound adverse environmental conditions and health stressors in communities with environmental justice concerns. Developing Agency - wide Cumulative Impacts Framework to inform efforts to operationalize and integrate cumulative impacts analysis and action in EPA's programs. Launched Agency - wide workgroup to establish best practices to integrate susceptibility and vulnerability information into human health risk assessments and produce a state - of - the - science report. Launched cumulative impacts assessments to address long - standing environmental issues in rural and urban locations, which has resulted in eight place - based demonstration efforts across the country. Conducted workshops on cumulative impacts with Chicago Department of Public Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Incorporated community, Tribal, and academic input to cumulative impacts strategy through engagement with National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, Local Government Advisory Committee and Science Advisory Board on cumulative impacts. Initiated Agency - wide cumulative impacts webinar series and office hours, which involved nearly 20 sessions and has brought together approximately 3,000 total participants from all programs and regions. Issued STAR grant awards for Centers for Early Lifestage Vulnerabilities to Environmental Stressors - Cumulative Health Impacts to fund research investigating cumulative health impacts for children in rural agricultural communities with environmental justice concerns.

Gaps in capacity and coordination within the federal family to support economic revitalization, infrastructure improvements, and other community - specific needs. Rural communities can include underserved persons who experience inconsistent access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, due to either personal resources (e.g., homeowner well or septic system) or lack of ratepayers for public system maintenance or improvements. Rural economies are more dependent on natural resources, which may be disproportionately affected by pollution, chemical exposures, and from climate change. Rural communities may receive inequitable access to information and EPA opportunities (e.g., unreliable internet access). When equity screening information is needed or encouraged for competitive funding opportunities, a lack of robust data can inadvertently disadvantage rural communities ' ability to successfully compete for these resources (e.g., identification of communities in EJScreen and other screening tools). Requirements of funding opportunities, imposed through statute, regulation, or practice, can create additional burdens on rural communities (e.g., to perform a feasibility study). Limited access to resources (materials, skilled labor, expert consultants, etc.) in rural communities can result in more costly project expenses, delayed timelines, and / or incorrectly scoped projects.

Existing information demonstrates that there is a lack of equitable access to adequate wastewater sanitation service in rural areas. 2 24 Existing information shows that rural communities tend to have adverse health disparities compared to non - rural areas. ² 5 25

Work to provide financial and technical assistance to small and rural communities to establish and improve wastewater treatment services, lower risk of harm to public health, and protect the environment (e.g., Closing America's Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative - EPA / USDA partnership to help historically underserved communities with environmental justice concerns identify and pursue federal funding opportunities to address their wastewater needs and eliminate harmful exposure to backyard sewage). 27 Support water infrastructure using technical, managerial, and financial assistance opportunities in rural communities. ² 8 Provide technical assistance to rural communities to increase access to water and wastewater infrastructure, and other projects that in turn can reduce public health concerns. Participate in the USDA - led Rural Partners Network, " " an alliance of federal agencies and commissions working directly with rural communities to expand rural prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development, and community improvement. " " 29 Implement the Agency's long - term commitment to modernize its financial assistance programs to encourage climate - smart investments in communities across the United States, including rural communities. EPA has established a Resilient Infrastructure Subgroup on Climate to (1) support the agency's offices with integrating climate adaptation into their financial assistance programs, and (2) make EPA's tools, training, data, and technical assistance programs discoverable and accessible to applicants and funding recipients. Expand grant programs to further address concerns related to farmworkers and their children with the goal of addressing human health impacts in these communities. Work to provide access to bilingual (particularly Spanish) labeling on pesticide products with the goal of increasing the availability of pesticide safety information and reducing adverse health impacts.

Number of grant application requirements identified for revision to better reflect rural communities. Increases in the number of grant applications received from rural areas. Changes in the number and type of grants awarded to rural communities.

Reduction of health disparities affecting rural community members, including, but not limited to, the health improvement of farmworkers and the children of farmworkers. Access to water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as other projects relevant to these communities. Changes in the number of rural community environmental health and environmental quality indicators included in EPA's information system (e.g., EJScreen). Increases in the number of grant applications that were received from rural areas after any necessary revisions are made to grant application requirements.

Presented draft Equity Plan to EPA's Farm, Ranch & Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (July 2023 ongoing semiannual meetings). EPA participation and interagency coordination in the Biden - Harris Administration's Rural Partners Network, including Community Network Forums (ongoing). Multiple community engagements occurred in each of the eleven participating communities in the Closing America's Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative. (January - July 2023). Other meetings that informed development and implementation of the Equity Plan, including identifying additional barriers and solutions, along with continued engagement in developing new initiatives: Presented bilingual labeling charge questions regarding farmworker access to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (March 2023, ongoing workgroup). State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group Meeting (April 2023, ongoing semiannual meetings). Farmworker Advocacy Stakeholder Call (April 2023, August 2023, ongoing quarterly meetings). Crop Life America, Reasonable Industry for Sound Environment Conference (April 2023, August 2023, ongoing quarterly meetings). Association American Pesticide Control Officials Worker Protection Standards Committee Meeting (April 2023). Cross - agency calls with EPA regional offices. (April - May 2023, ongoing monthly and quarterly calls). Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee Meeting with Equity and EJ Panel (May 2023, typically meets semiannually). National Webinar regarding Bilingual Pesticide Labels (June 2023). Continued community engagement through participation in crop tours, visits to farmworker communities will gauge effectiveness of efforts. Continue to identify opportunities for commitments and engagements as resources allow for ground - truthing visits.

Access to scientific and technical assistance is often necessary for successful implementation of community science projects. Many communities with environmental justice concerns lack access to resources (such as funding, training and guidance, equipment loan programs, etc.) to develop and implement community - based participatory science programs. Examples listed below illustrate the benefits to communities of partnering with academic, NGO, or government scientists for technical support. Investment is needed in planning, data infrastructure, and technical support to strengthen data quality and data management to support the use of community - generated data. Anticipated receiving organizations in state, Tribal, and local governments need to be consulted and resourced to integrate and use community science in decision - making. Connecting hubs are needed between communities, technical support providers, and receptors in local, state, and federal government for the creation and use of community science. Resources (e.g., staff, financial, technical) are needed along the full data pathway from community, universities / technical support, to local, state, and federal entities to enable successful integration of participatory science into decision - making.

Pleasantville Community Air Monitoring (Houston, TX), Health Impacts of I - 10 (New Orleans, LA), and WE ACT Emissions Monitoring (New York (Harlem), NY). California Air Resources Board (CARB; AB 617) supports community steering committees in developing community air monitoring plans for the deployment of monitors. CARB technical support helps to ensure that community air monitoring campaigns produce meaningful results to address community air quality and related environmental public health concerns. The EPA Chesapeake Bay Program collaborated with the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative (CMC) to develop a strategy for providing technical support to volunteer and community scientists. The CMC is also focused on increasing representation and engagement with diverse stakeholders in alignment with the Bay Program's DEIJ priorities. Since 2017, CMC has worked with 117 communities, supporting the generation and integration of 850,000 + data points. EPA's Air Sensor Toolbox, established in 2014, provides the latest science on air sensor monitoring systems for technology developers, air quality managers, community scientists and the public. The air sensor Loan Program provides technical support and sensor loans for community scientists. Since January 2022, the website has been visited 81,000 + times. Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) grants have expanded the number of community - based volunteer watershed associations from 125 to over 560, including funding the Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds, a team of technical support providers who emphasize a community - based approach. Since 2001, CSAW has assisted 756 communities (57,258 Pennsylvanians) to develop and implement community - driven water quality assessments and supported these communities in putting data to use for local change.

Charter a Participatory Science Implementation Workgroup under EPA's Science and Technology Policy Council (STPC) to develop approaches, guidelines, tools, and training to implement the EPA Participatory Science Vision. Develop a participatory science implementation guide to serve as a facilitative resource to support the integration and use of data collected by community and volunteer scientists at EPA. Conduct outreach to technical support, and local, state, and federal government receiving agencies and community science groups to ascertain their needs with respect to data quality, data management, and resourcing of technical and staff needs. Conduct research in and with communities through the Community - Engaged Research Collaborative for Learning and Excellence (CERCLE) in Edison, NJ. Fund community science actions through Inflation Reduction Act and / or the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant solicitations such as the opportunity for community - driven partnerships to fund monitoring, sampling, and other scientific projects related to reducing pollution and increasing climate resilience through the Environment and Climate Justice Community Change Grant program.

STPC Participatory Science Implementation Workgroup is chartered, and the Agency has finalized the Participatory Science Data Management and Assessment Plan by end of calendar year 2023. Review of research implementation by the Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) Social and Community Science Subcommittee completed by end of FY 2024. CERCLE will be staffed and operational by end of FY 2024. Percentage and / or number of EPA community grant funds that support science to address environmental justice and equity concerns, including Tribal community science projects.

Participatory Science Data Management Workshop (November 2021) engaged community and non - profit organizations, state, Tribal, and federal environmental professionals, and academics. Preparation of a report (2023) that identifies success factors based on ten case studies, to support participatory science environmental justice efforts. National Water Quality Monitoring Council (2022 - 2023) hosted five webinars examining participatory science data use at local, state, regional, and national levels. Participatory Science Learn and Share (July 2023) explored lessons learned and successes with participatory science from Tribal and state governments. On - going engagement with state agencies, Tribal Nations, technical support networks, and community partners, facilitated through the E - Enterprise Leadership Council (EELC) and BOSC Subcommittee on Social and Community Science.

Limitations on the ability to develop statistical estimates of exposure to environmental hazards at the relevant geographic scale and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Lack of clarity or guidelines on how to assess progress over time in equity. Limitations to data on identifying the geographic scope of the ultimate beneficiaries of EPA actions and the actions of recipients and subrecipients of EPA grant funding. Insufficient real - time, continuous monitoring of actual ambient concentrations of pollutants in multiple communities as opposed to a few monitors for an entire metro area. Limitations in the statistical, evaluation, and data science capabilities needed to design and conduct equity assessments. Limitations on the ability to share data pertinent to equity assessment within and beyond the federal community.

Input from external and internal stakeholders on the need for data to track the distribution of Agency benefits and for civil rights enforcement. Data skills survey of EPA staff under the Foundations for Evidence - Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) highlighted a need for data literacy and skills training, improved awareness of existing data assets and improved culture that focuses on building a data and evidence focus. Initial capacity assessment suggesting limitations in our ability to perform robust program evaluation and statistical analyses.

Identify and aim to fill gaps in data collected by relevant partners and other agencies, that limit our ability to perform robust equity assessments (e.g., compare / combine media data with demographic data to determine a model to map). Partner with statistical agencies that have relevant survey or administrative data to develop robust statistical estimates of exposure to environmental hazards disaggregated across relevant dimensions and at an appropriate spatial scale. Partner with federal, state, local, and Tribal agencies, and other stakeholder groups to share data where appropriate to build larger more robust interoperable data for equity analyses. Strategically invest in human capital to advance equity assessments including, leveraging EPA data skills training program with additional resources specific to equity analysis. Leverage our community - based participatory science partners to enhance communities ' capacity to understand and use data and tools relevant to their specific concerns. Develop equity evaluation guidelines for conducting EPA program evaluations supported by equitable data approaches. Improve ways we share the data EPA manages and the tools that allow external parties to view, analyze or otherwise interact with our data, especially in an equity context (e.g., EJScreen). Develop and manage a new cooperative agreement program designed to assist EPA grant recipients representing small, underserved, and / or Tribal communities with data, reporting and evidence - building.

Identification of data gaps that limit our ability to perform equity assessments, and number of those data gaps addressed through data collection, data sharing, or statistical estimation. Use of data in program evaluations to assess the equity outcomes of EPA programs. Number of equity - aligned data and analytics training sessions given, or modules provided. Number of cooperative agreements supporting the data, reporting, and evidence - building of EPA grant recipients representing small, underserved, and / or Tribal communities. Number of EPA grant recipients provided assistance through EPA's cooperative agreement program designed to assist small underserved, and / or Tribal communities with data, reporting, and evidence - building.

Expanded EPA staff capacity to identify data gaps and engage in equity assessments. Expanded capacity of EPA grant recipients representing small, underserved, and / or Tribal communities in responding to EPA grant data and reporting requirements and engaged in evidence - building. Measurable reduction in disparities as reflected by identified indicators of health disparities.

1Civil Rights in this context refers to EPA's responsibility to enforce several civil rights laws which, together, prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin (including on the basis of limited - English proficiency); sex; disability; age; and retaliation by applicants for and recipients of federal financial assistance from EPA. (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, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, respectively.) EPA is also responsible for enforcing Section 13 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination based on sex under programs or activities receiving financial assistance under the Clean Water Act.

No community should bear a disproportionate share of adverse environmental or public health consequences from the nation's economic and other activities. Pursuant to Executive Order 14096, historically marginalized communities overburdened by the cumulative impacts ¹ ¹ of environmental and social stressors should be afforded the full protection of government agencies and programs. This will be accomplished by leveraging coordination and collaboration in addressing cumulative impacts, with whole - of - government approaches involving multiple programs and agencies. Such efforts will be supported by " " fit - for - purpose " " analytic methods and data appropriate for the decision context involved (e.g., allocation of resources, permitting, enforcement, rulemaking, and standard - setting), consistent with statutory authorities. Government decision - making should address the historical drivers of the inequitable concentration of environmental burden, such as redlining and urban renewal, as well as the inequitable impacts of climate change. These driving principles are at the core of EPA's approach to addressing cumulative impacts in underserved, overburdened and historically marginalized communities with environmental justice concerns, and establishing a pathway to health, equity, sustainability, and resilience.

EPA provides financial and technical assistance to small and rural communities to establish and improve services to lower the risk of harm to public health and protect the environment. This strategy continues EPA's work to focus on providing impactful improvements for rural communities.

These strategies are not inclusive of all the actions EPA intends to pursue in our efforts to remove barriers and improve the health and environment of the historically overburdened communities with environmental justice concerns we serve and protect, but rather support and enhance our current foundation of success and efforts to increase equitable outcomes for underserved and overburdened populations. Much of EPA's ongoing work, including for example, permitting, compliance and enforcement activities, financial and technical assistance, and cleanup actions and brownfields remediation, provides daily opportunities to address pollution burdens in historically underserved and overburdened populations. With these strategies, in conjunction with our ongoing efforts and directives, we can achieve more equitable outcomes, including a myriad of pollution reductions, water infrastructure investments, accessibility improvements, capacity building for communities with environmental justice concerns, strengthened results for rural communities and for children, and increased accessibility for people with disabilities and people with limited English proficiency.

To address barriers and to ensure equitable, meaningful, and improved health to rural communities with environmental justice concerns, EPA will:

Number of rural community environmental and health indicators added to EPA's information systems (e.g., EJScreen).

With this 2023 Equity Action Plan, EPA has identified additional priorities, including addressing barriers of access to information and resources affecting rural communities, protecting children from exposure to environmental contaminants, removing barriers of access and addressing disparities affecting people with disabilities, and building our capacity to assess equity and remove barriers faced by communities with environmental justice concerns.

3Equitable data are those that allow for rigorous assessment of the extent to which government programs and policies yield consistently fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals. Equitable data illuminate opportunities for targeted actions that will result in demonstrably improved outcomes for communities with environmental justice concerns.

Progress in addressing public disability access barriers will be measured by:

Progress in addressing disability - based health and environmental disparities will be measured by:

EPA envisions a future where all parts of society are increasingly engaged in science and use these data to inform environmental public health and environmental protection actions on local, regional, and national scales. Community - based participatory science is defined as scientific research designed, implemented, and used by the community, often in collaboration with scientists. These efforts facilitate community prioritization, understanding, and use of data to garner resources and inform actions to solve their environmental challenges. Participatory science results in an increase in place - based connections, environmental stewardship, and scientific literacy. Community based participatory science projects engage community members in problem solving and lead to better outcomes for communities. 32 Community - based participatory science is a core component of the EPA Participatory Science Vision.

Expanded capacity of communities and local, state, Tribal, and federal governments to share in embracing community science as a valued and routine asset in environmental management as a result of support for community science policies, methods, and data.

EPA recognizes that our ability to conduct equity assessments (i.e., to understand the impact of our policies on equity outcomes) and identify and remove barriers faced by communities with environmental justice concerns is contingent on gathering and analyzing the necessary data. Disaggregated data, which can be broken down and analyzed by race, ethnicity, gender, disability, income, veteran status, age, or other key demographic variables, is essential to this task. This strategy intends to remove barriers to the availability and use of equitable data ³ 3 (including limitations on the disaggregation of data) within the Agency.

Interviews and discussions with external parties designed to help us improve our support to grantees from small and / or underserved communities as they address data, reporting, and evidence - building.

With the 2023 Equity Action Plan, we set forth a clear and ambitious mandate to guide EPA's commitment to equity. Together, we will elevate the focus and importance of advancing equity across America - to protect the health and environment of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, income, location, gender, or disability.

Strategy # 5: Address Inequitable Access to Information and Resources to Improve Engagement and Health Impacts in Rural Communities.

Strategy # 8: Improve Data and Analytic Capacity to Better Identify and Remove Barriers Faced by Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns.

accessibility and performance outcomes for older devices, such as, and especially for mobile, rural, and low - bandwidth users.

increased number and percentage of disadvantaged and socioeconomic small businesses active in core GSA marketplaces; increased total dollars and percentage obligated to SDBs and SESBs relative to GSA's overall eligible annual spending; downward trends in number and percentage of SDBs and SESBs with no or low sales; upward trends in SDBs and SESBs average dollar value of awards and percentage of market share; upward trends in SDBs and SESBs overall new entrants and increased participation in high - growth and emerging market segments; improved overall qualitative data results from customer and vendor surveys, focus

Implement the Good Jobs Initiative partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor to create and support clear pathways for workers to high - quality, good - paying jobs in construction, maintenance, manufacturing, and operations. The actions outlined in the signed Memorandum of Understanding1 aim to support equitable and effective workforce development, including those from nontraditional and underserved labor sources; and improve job quality, standards and metrics on GSA construction sites. Build and release new Geographic Information System (GIS) data - informed public forecasting resources for BIL and IRA related construction projects. GIS is a computer system that analyzes and displays geographically referenced information. It uses data that is attached to a unique location. By providing more visibility and transparency about where and when Federal projects are happening, GSA can help Federal contractors, trade labor, and community stakeholders effectively plan and better connect with opportunities. This effort will help more Americans, including those from underserved communities, with access to quality employment in their communities. Increase contracting opportunities for socioeconomically disadvantaged small businesses across growing markets in construction, clean energy, and sustainability. GSA will take actions aimed to maximize participation of SDB and build its small business contractor base by improving the forecasting process, strengthening relationships with existing contractors, executing its plans for industry engagement and utilizing the Governmentwide Procurement Equity Tool to identify eligible and new businesses ready to bid for work where GSA projects are located.

Increase the number of eligible HBCUs and MSIs on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule. The MAS is a long - term contract with commercial entities that provides Federal agencies with billions of dollars in annual access to common products and services needed by the government. GSA plans to conduct outreach to eligible institutions currently without MAS contracts, conduct training and provide technical assistance on how to get on the MAS, and host HBCU - focused industry days, matchmaking events and other strategic engagements to raise awareness and help better position HBCUs and MSIs to successfully do business with the Federal Government Launch and scale adoption of new GSA public digital resource for MSIs. GSA's new public website to support Minority Serving Institutions will aggregate information and resources that help both Federal agencies and MSIs develop and sustain partnerships or contracting agreements. Resources include market research, capabilities assessments, support for exploring joint venture and other contractor team agreements and data tools to help advance supplier diversity across Federal Government procurement

Launched an Equity Study on Remote Identity, recruiting 4,000 Americans, to understand potential barriers and demographic disparities in identity verification technologies that are commonly used by the public when accessing Federal services and benefits. Developed and started implementing a roadmap for USAGov and USAGov en Español to streamline content and make it easier for the public to find and access Federal benefits and services across a digital platform that connects people with government information more than 117 million times a year. Vote.gov worked to expand access to voter registration information in communities that, due to language barriers, have not been historically part of the electorate. The platform added several Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) languages including: Bengali, Khmer, Korean, Hindi, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, with Chinese (both simplified and traditional) and its first Alaska Native language, Yup'ik - Akuzipik. Login.gov partnered with Federal agencies and State governments to provide secure, accessible identity verification services for benefits and emergency assistance programs. As an example, the U.S. Department of Labor pilot in Arkansas, helping more than 19,000 citizens of the State verify their identities while applying for unemployment benefits. Advanced public participation and equitable user research practices through user compensation pilots and increased outreach efforts to community - based organizations. Partnered with the U.S. Web Design System to launch new Inclusion Pattern Guidance, a library of design guidance and examples focused on reducing the public's barriers in key digital government interactions and fostering effective, inclusive, and equitable digital experiences.

Leveraged the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool and Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network to develop engagement strategies that advance sustainable and equitable development goals and connect communities with resources in large - scale Federal investments made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Established partnerships with the U.S. Department of Labor on the Mega Construction Project Program and Good Jobs Initiative to advance equal opportunity in the construction trade workforce and expand the use of Project Labor Agreements on Federal projects over $ 35 million. Launched the Access - for - All universal design challenge for U.S. architecture students and apprentices to source best national ideas on improving the accessibility and gender inclusiveness of Federal properties. Partnered with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and updated the Art in Architecture program rules to expand public access and artist representation in the millions of dollars of commissioned artworks permanently installed in Federal facilities.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) was designed to address immediate needs related to the COVID - 19 pandemic, with a specific focus on addressing historically disparate outcomes across race, class, and geography that were further exacerbated by the pandemic. To support the Federal Government's exploration of questions about equitable recovery, GSA's Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) established an ARP Evaluation Portfolio with two core elements: a national evaluation conducted by a third - party research contract, and a portfolio of evaluations conducted by OES, in partnership with agencies and the White House Office of Management and Budget, on ARP - funded programs with equity goals. This body of work explores effectiveness of critical relief programs like Emergency Rental Assistance and Homeowner Assistance Fund. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides $ 3.4 billion for GSA's Public Buildings Service, making a significant impact on 26 Land Ports of Entry modernizations along the Canadian and Mexican border. These projects will create new good - paying jobs, bolster safety and security, and make our economy more resilient to supply chain challenges - all while serving as models for sustainability and innovation and improving community livability. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides GSA with $ 2.15 billion for low - embodied carbon materials in construction and renovation projects, $ 975 million for GSA to support emerging and sustainable technologies, and $ 250 million to turn even more GSA facilities into High - Performance Green Buildings and accelerate efforts to achieve a net - zero Federal footprint. These investments will reduce long - term energy costs for American communities, strengthen America's domestic industrial base and catalyze innovation and job growth in homegrown industries that produce next - generation materials, products, and equipment. GSA estimates that these projects will create over 9,500 average annual economy - wide jobs across the length of the projects, support $ 2.8 billion in labor income, and generate nearly $ 1 billion in tax revenue for Federal, State and local governments.

Expand Federal agency use of the Forecast of Contracting Opportunities Tool. The tool assists with acquisition planning by helping vendors learn about potential prime contracting opportunities early in the process. Improved search functionality will simplify the process for the Federal user to post and maintain opportunities. Maximizing Federal agency use of the tool and creating a single forecast for the public to access will greatly ease the burden on small businesses attempting to track opportunities across multiple sources of information. Launch and scale Federal agency adoption of new Government - wide Procurement Equity Tool. The tool uses Federal contracting data sources to support market research focused on small disadvantaged businesses. Federal agencies can use the tool to find SDBs by geographic location, business type and category. Agencies can also find new SDBs that have registered to do business but have yet to receive a federal award. Enhance eBuy, the Request for Quote (RFQ) platform for GSA Schedule. eBuy is a powerful and intuitive acquisition tool used by thousands of Federal agencies and military services worldwide to help save government time and money as acquisitions achieve required competition, best pricing and value. Planned and ongoing updates to eBuy include new features that benefit both buyers and sellers by creating more visibility and simplification in quoting, Request for Information (RFI), and RFQ interactions.

Create new sustainability - focused markets in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Defense. Climate risk adaptation efforts and Federal sustainability goals are positioned to deploy hundreds of millions of dollars in new acquisition opportunities, including those available to small businesses, over the near / medium term. GSA is driving new and emerging market successes in Low Embodied Carbon building materials, Zero - Emission Vehicles and supply equipment, scaling of eco - labels to reduce per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and expediting procurement availability of environmental technologies. Finalize solicitations and awards for new Polaris and OASIS + contracts. 3 These newly launched governmentwide IT and professional services contracts offer more opportunities for small businesses to compete for prime contracts, including small business and socioeconomic set - asides. Since 2015, GSA's current OASIS vehicle has helped Federal agencies obligate more than $ 67 billion. Improve accessibility and reduce administrative burden. GSA committed to reviewing 37 Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) forms and identifying six design changes to appearance and layout (e.g., limiting use of capitalization and italics, continuity of 12 - point font and bolded text for readability) that could make the standard forms easier to navigate for people with dyslexia, limited vision and intellectual disabilities. GSA will redesign FAR forms and launch a public awareness campaign about the updates. For FY 2024, GSA will also increase its pledge to the AbilityOne program, a critical source for buying goods and services from suppliers who support the employment of people with disabilities. Further implement and enhance the Post - Award Engagement (PAE) Strategy. Fiscal Year 2023 sales data for SDBs and SESBs will serve as the Year 1 baseline to evaluate the efficacy of PAE plan activities. Based on analysis, GSA will update actions for post - award interventions that address the phenomena of persistent low or no sales, including: targeted training, matchmaking industry days and technical assistance.

Measuring Our Progress: Federal Procurement Equity

Measuring Our Progress: Equitable and Accessible Digital Government

Measuring Our Progress: Equitable and Sustainable Public Buildings Footprint

Measuring Our Progress: Equitable Administration of Government Programs

Measuring Our Progress: Equitable Access to Federal Resources

The Federal real estate footprint - including the 375 million rentable square feet owned and operated by GSA - has significant generational impact on communities nationwide. Federal construction projects act as anchors for economic security, reliable opportunities for good local jobs, defenses against the negative impacts of climate change, and can advance the overall livability and vitality of American communities. GSA's work often occurs in or adjacent to disadvantaged communities that have suffered from long - standing underinvestment and have dealt with historic challenges and barriers to equitable development. These communities tend to have poor transportation connectivity to job opportunities, higher exposure to many forms of pollution, and less access to green space. The impacts of this inequity are apparent in the persistent lower household income, high unemployment, and poorer health outcomes. 8 In order to help overcome these barriers, GSA is executing projects with enhanced stakeholder engagement and data analysis to better inform GSA decisionmakers and project teams about local development contexts and better connect project location, design, and facility operations with the needs of those communities that will benefit from more equitable development.

Achieve equitable and sustainable development impacts through data - driven insights, Federal partnerships and community engagement. New Federal integrated data mapping and urban planning resources, like the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool have provided GSA with deeper insights about community needs and challenges during the project planning process. This includes opportunities for GSA to collaborate directly with State / local governments and communities on ways to address environmental justice concerns, meet development goals, and scale impact through better and more robust coordination between Federal agencies.

its functions and works better for all Americans. As an example, Federal resources deployed to address immediate needs related to the COVID - 19 pandemic faced challenges in equitably reaching communities who were already suffering from legacy disparities in and outcomes across race, class, and geography; these systemic inequities were further exacerbated by the pandemic. 14 By conducting more frequent and rigorous evaluation of both the methods used to deliver government resources and the impacts of Federal programs on the public, the Federal Government has the potential to more fully understand if programs are working as intended, better interrupt bias further upstream and modernize systems for greater efficacy - with the ultimate goal of meeting the needs of communities, particularly the most vulnerable, when it matters the most.

Undertaking evaluation can be expensive, time consuming, and may require Federal agencies to build capacity for data or research needs before being able to initiate this important work. Additionally, once evaluations are completed, Federal agencies face challenges with resources or infrastructure to act on key findings; and results from evaluations currently lack communication strategies that can more easily raise awareness for the public and catalyze implementation, including across non - Federal stakeholders who also benefit from these insights.

Complete, publish and share learnings from governmentwide equity evaluations. GSA serves a unique function in the government by providing other Federal agencies with help building and using evidence. We partner with Federal agencies to answer priority questions with rigorous evaluation methods and administrative data. We design and conduct evaluations of existing programs - including life - saving programs like disaster relief, emergency assistance, and crisis hotlines - and recommend evidence - based program changes, with the ultimate goal of improving how the government is serving all Americans.

Rural, socioeconomically underserved, and historically disinvested communities, including Tribes and institutions that serve disadvantaged and minority populations like Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), disproportionately rely on Federal goods and services to bridge critical resource gaps. 15 Yet barriers to information, administrative burdens in navigating government processes, capacity and infrastructure gaps to meet government requirements, and equitable access to resource pathways prevent communities from fully realizing the available benefits from Federal support and partnership.

Our Federal Acquisition Service and Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization are committed to making it easier for businesses to succeed in the Federal marketplace. From forecasting tools and new identifiers for a diverse range of businesses to training and outreach programs, we're actively expanding our supplier diversity, reducing barriers, and improving outcomes. In fact, GSA awarded more than $ 3.3 billion to small businesses, which represents over 50 % of the agency's FY23 eligible spending, according to data current as of November 2, 2023.

We've been partnering across the government as well. Our Office of Government - wide Policy IT Accessibility team helps agencies meet Federal compliance standards while our U.S. Web Design Services offers toolkits and best practices to ensure that Federal websites are accessible for everyone - that includes providing specific resources to support customers in varying socio - economic communities. Through our work with the Department of Labor's Good Jobs Initiative, we're helping improve job quality and create access to good union jobs free from discrimination and harassment for all working people, with an emphasis on people of color, LGBTQ +, women, veterans, immigrants, individuals in rural communities, and individuals with disabilities.

Looking to the future, GSA's updated action plan aims to further advance equity through the agency's high - impact program areas like Federal procurement, Federal buildings, and Federal technology design and delivery. It also gives increased emphasis to GSA's role in helping to strengthen the government's ability to be more agile, responsive, and reflective of Americans ' needs through evaluation and data - driven insights.

In response to Executive Order 14091 on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, the U.S. General Services Administration has undertaken an agenda to operationalize equity across its public - facing mission critical programs and services. Not only do these updated strategies build on the successes and learnings from our 2022 Equity Action Plan, they further integrate cross - cutting equity goals in important and impactful ways. Deeper synergies are possible to realize across priorities related to economic justice, sustainable and equitable development, customer experience and digital government, gender equity, environmental justice, protecting civil rights, and support for an ecosystem of sociodemographic community groups, Tribes, and institutions.

Advance Equity, Economic Justice, and the Diversity of the American Supplier Base through Federal Procurement. This strategy supports the whole - of - government equity objective of economic justice; and it aims to address barriers faced by small and disadvantaged businesses as they participate in the Federal marketplace. Key actions are designed to improve contracting efficiency and success through data insights, innovative procurement tools, and greater collaboration across Federal agencies.

At the heart of these strategies are the American people - particularly those who are overcoming systemic burdens, have been locked out of a fair chance at opportunities or are disproportionately in the path of harm when disaster strikes. GSA has developed our agency actions to reflect the needs of the people, identified through data and feedback collected in our own regular engagement and evaluation practices and with the help of thoughtfully researched insights generated from trusted industry experts and Federal partners.

Enable greater Federal contracting marketplace transparency and efficiency through data - driven tools and insights. Federal agencies and the Federal acquisition workforce play a critical role in creating, sustaining, and growing opportunities where small businesses can fairly compete and succeed in being awarded government contracts. GSA is committed to helping buyers and sellers more effectively execute on all eligible small business opportunities, which includes our role in providing contracting data insights to the Federal Government and the public in support of these goals:

Mitigate bias and advance responsible adoption of civic technologies, including machine learning - enabled and emerging technologies. GSA's own internal product testing processes, as well as publicly available, peer - reviewed technical research studies from academic institutions and government research partners - like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - have identified user experience disparities and efficacy gaps in machine learning and Al - enabled technologies that adversely impact users, including: people with darker skin tones, people in rural areas with low bandwidth, people using older electronic devices, nonbinary and transgender people, people with disabilities, and people whose native language is not English. 5 The negative impacts listed above compound for government websites and digital services, including services that have the potential to impact rights (like access to benefits or other government services). For example, a user with darker skin tone who is more likely to live in a neighborhood with low - bandwidth internet access and have an older device is thus more likely to experience increased friction in their attempt to use a government website or service.

4 Al Guide for Government, IT Modernization Centers of Excellence; Blueprint for AI Bill of Rights, OSTP

Expand digital accessibility, language access, public participation and equitable user research practices. Traditional outreach, user research, data collection (including Artificial Intelligence - trained datasets), content strategy and customer experience testing methods often do not sufficiently include underrepresented groups. This means that as technology is built and deployed, those end users of the public who likely most need to connect with government information and services will often have the most difficulty accessing them. GSA will continue actions that strengthen relationships with stakeholders and meaningfully integrate the needs of communities as part of our digital services.

Preventing Child Welfare System Involvement: We understand that families in poverty and those in Tribal and other communities are impacted by the child welfare system more than others, in some cases largely because they lack sufficient access to economic resources and community networks. Our efforts will be directed at connecting families in need to supports that enable them to stay together and preventing discriminatory and other practices that make it difficult for children, youth, and families to heal when child welfare is involved. Promoting Accessible and Welcoming Health Care: A lack of health insurance coverage and social and geographic barriers to care mean that not everyone is receiving health care that meets their needs within their communities. Our actions will promote access to comprehensive insurance coverage and quality care designed to meet the diverse needs of Americans so everyone can benefit from preventive care and effective treatments. Improving Maternal Health Outcomes: Too many women, particularly racial and ethnic minority populations, and those in rural areas, are losing their lives or health during pregnancy or after giving birth. Our actions will address gaps in insurance coverage and the birthing care infrastructure to ensure better maternal health outcomes. Meeting Behavioral Health Needs: The impact of the COVID - 19 pandemic increased mental health and substance use challenges for all populations, but disproportionately exacerbated the already existing behavioral health disparities among underserved racial, ethnic, and sexual minority populations. The rising rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse among youth and adults are impacted by a decreasing workforce, limited resources, underinsurance, and lack of culturally competent care. Our actions will improve access to behavioral health care coverage and ensure that prevention and treatment are accessible and meet the needs of all populations. Advancing Clinical Innovation: To increase our understanding of what treatments are most effective for which populations, we need to increase the diversity of our research and clinical trials to inform that science. Our actions will engage a more diverse set of populations in informing our efforts and participating in clinical research so that we can innovate to improve health and well - being outcomes.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) hosted nine cross - sector summits in 2022 to build knowledge among partners about the economic mobility challenges facing their communities. All regions engaged their state leaderships in promoting intentional engagement of parents and others with lived experience to inform their policies and practices. ACF and states will continue partnering to engage communities ongoingly about child welfare through the Child and Family Service Reviews. This process ensures meeting federal child welfare requirements, determining what is happening to children and families as they are engaged in child welfare services, and assists states in enhancing their capacity to help children and families achieve positive outcomes. Through these reviews, states and ACF engage impacted communities - including youth, parents, foster parents, Tribes, courts and child welfare workers - to review data on performance and identify strengths and areas needing improvement within their agencies and programs.

Certain populations continue to face barriers to quality, affordable health services, including those with low - incomes, rural communities, households with a primary language other than English, immigrants, Tribes / Native Americans, racial and / or ethnic minority communities, LGBTQI + populations, and persons with disabilities. Certain populations experience biased treatment and care. The health care workforce needed to provide care in underserved areas needs additional supports to facilitate improved health care access and quality for populations that historically face barriers to care. There continues to be an unequal distribution of physicians coupled with a physician shortage, especially for certain specialties including primary care, dental health, and mental health practitioners.

Lack of health insurance coverage continues to be a large barrier to accessing health care services, and unequal distribution of coverage contributes to health disparities. 9,10,11 Studies show that having health insurance is associated with improved access to health services and better health monitoring. 12,13,14 Social, economic, cultural, and geographic barriers continue to affect access to care, especially for rural and Tribal communities, Native Americans, racial and ethnic minority, and low - income populations. 15,16

9 Institute of Medicine (U.S.) Committee on Understanding and Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care (2003). Unequal treatment: Confronting racial and ethnic disparities in health care (B. D. Smedley, A. Y. Stith, & A. R. Nelson, Eds.). National Academies Press. 10 Call, K. T., McAlpine, D. D., Garcia, C. M., Shippee, N., Beebe, T., Adeniyi, T. C., & Shippee, T. (2014). Barriers to care in an ethnically diverse publicly insured population: Is health care reform enough? Medical Care, 52 (8), 720 - 727. 11 Tolbert J., Drake P., Damico, A. (2022). Key Facts about the Uninsured Population. Kaiser Family Foundation. https: / / www.kff.org / uninsured / issue - brief / key - facts - about - the - uninsured - population / #:: text = One % 20in % 20five % 20uninsured % 20adults, health % 20conditions % 20and % 20chronic % 20disea ses. 12 Baicker, K., Taubman, S. L., Allen, H. L., Bernstein, M., Gruber, H., Newhouse, J. P., & Finkelstein, A.N. (2013). The Oregon experiment - effects of Medicaid on clinical outcomes. New England Journal of Medicine, 368 (18), 1713 - 1722. 13 McWilliams, J. M., Zaslavsky, A. M., Meara, E., & Ayanian, J. Z. (2003). Impact of Medicare coverage on basic clinical services for previously uninsured adults. JAMA, 290 (6), 757 - 764. 14 Buchmueller, T. C., Grumbach, K., Kronick, R., & Kahn,. G. (2005). Book review: The effect of health insurance on medical care utilization and implications for insurance expansion: A review of the literature. Medical Care Research and Review, 62 (1), 3 - 30. 15 Call, K. T., McAlpine, D. D., Garcia, C. M., Shippee, N., Beebe, T., Adeniyi, T. C., & Shippee, T. (2014). Barriers to care in an ethnically diverse publicly insured population: Is health care reform enough? Medical Care, 52 (8), 720 - 727. 16 Douthit, N., Kiv, S., Dwolatzky, T., & Biswas, S. (2015). Exposing some important barriers to health care access in the rural USA. Public Health, 129 (6), 611 - 620. doi: 10.1016 / j.puhe. 2015.04.001

According to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) data, in areas where a health workforce shortage has been identified, the U.S. needs over 17,000 primary care practitioners, 12,000 dental health practitioners, and 8,200 mental health practitioners to address Americans ' current health needs. 17 Evidence indicates that a workforce diverse in its experiences, supports enhanced access to care for underserved areas and populations, including with locating services in underserved communities, patient acceptance of preventive care, patient to clinician trust, clinician and patient communication, and provision of culturally relevant care. 18,19,20,21,22,23 Implicit racial / ethnic bias among health care professionals can lead to differences in the quality of health care services received by certain racial / ethnic populations and perpetuate existing health disparities. 24,25 Women face individual - level barriers to accessing reproductive health care including lack of insurance, difficulty obtaining appointments or accessing a clinic, not having a regular physician, and fear of lack of confidentiality of services. 26,27,28

17 HRSA. (2023). Health Workforce Shortage Areas.https: / / data.hrsa.gov / topics / health - workforce / shortage - areas 18 Kington R, Tisnado D, Carlisle DM. Increasing racial and ethnic diversity among physicians: an intervention to address health disparities? In Smedley BD, Stith AY, Colburn L, Evans CH, (eds.). The Right Thing to Do, The Smart Thing to Do: Enhancing Diversity in the Health Professions. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001. 19 Alsan, Marcella, Owen Garrick, and Grant Graziani. 2019. " " Does Diversity Matter for Health? Experimental Evidence from Oakland. " " American Economic Review, 109 (12): 4071 - 4111. DOI: 10.1257 / aer. 20181446 20 Street R.L., O'Malley, K., Cooper, L., & Haidet, P. (2008). Understanding Concordance in Patient - Physician Relationships: Personal and Ethnic Dimensions of Shared Identity. The Annals of Family Medicine, 6 (3) 198 - 205; DOI: 10.1370 / afm. 821 21 Gonzalez H.M., Vega W.A., and Tarraf W. (2010). Health Care Quality Perceptions among Foreign - Born Latinos and the Importance of Speaking the Same Language. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, (6) 745 - 752, DOI: 10.3122 / jabfm. 2010.06.090264 22 Hoffman KM, Trawalter S, Axt JR, Oliver MN. (2016). Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites. Proc Natl Acad Sci, 113: 4296 - 4301. 23 Goodfellow, Amelia; Ulloa, Jesus G. MD, MBA; Dowling, Patrick T. MD, MPH; Talamantes, Efrain MD, MBA, MSHPM; Chheda, Somil; Bone, Curtis MD, MHS; Moreno, Gerardo MD, MSHS. (2016) Predictors of Primary Care Physician Practice Location in Underserved Urban or Rural Areas in the United States: A Systematic Literature Review. Academic Medicine 91 (9): p 1313 - 1321, DOI: 10.1097 / ACM. 0000000000001203 24 Burgess DJ, Fu SS, Van Ryn M. (2004). Why do providers contribute to disparities and what can be done about it? J Gen Intern Med., 19 (11): 1154 - 1159. 25 Hall WJ, Chapman MV, Lee KM, Merino YM, Thomas TW, Payne BK, Eng E, Day SH, Coyne - Beasley T. Implicit Racial / Ethnic Bias Among Health Care Professionals and Its Influence on Health Care Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Am J Public Health. 2015 ec; 105 (12): e60 - 76. doi: 10.2105 / AJPH. 2015.302903. Epub 2015 Oct 15. PMID: 26469668; PMCID: PMC4638275. 26 Ralph LJ, Brindis CD. Access to reproductive healthcare for adolescents: establishing healthy behaviors at a critical juncture in the lifecourse. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2010;22 (5): 369 - 374. doi:: 10.1097 / GCO. 0b013e32833d9661 27 Decker MJ, Atyam TV, Zárate CG, Bayer AM, Bautista C, Saphir M. Adolescents ' perceived barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services in California: a cross - sectional survey. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021;21 (1): 1263. loi: 10.1186 / s12913 - 021 - 07278 - 3 28 Grindlay K, Grossman D. Prescription birth control access among US women at risk of unintended pregnancy. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2016;25 (3): 249 - 254. i: 10.1089 / jwh. 2015.5312

LGBTQI + populations face challenges accessing health care services resulting in worse health outcomes due to stigma, discrimination, inequality in the workplace, and other barriers. 29 Additionally, changes in laws and policies have made it more difficult to access services, including gender affirming care, in certain parts of the country. American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal communities face historical challenges in accessing timely and quality health care services due to chronic underfunding and staffing for healthcare services, discrimination, poor infrastructure including limited cellular and broadband access, remote locations, and living in health - care deserts with long - standing structural and socioeconomic inequities among other barriers. ¹ 1 A variety of evidence shows that a diverse workforce supports access to care including with preventive care, patient to clinician trust, clinician and patient communication and culturally relevant care. 32,33,34,35,36

Published draft rules on language access in all health programs and activities funded by the Department. On August 4, 2022, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), proposing comprehensive updates revisions to the Department's regulations implementing Section 1557, the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act. See proposed rule. The proposed rule restores and strengthens civil rights protections for patients and consumers in certain federally funded health programs and affirms protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, age, and disability. Created a comprehensive structure for implementing HHS's action plan and practices for language access. The Department relaunched the HHS Language Access Steering Committee (LASC), which is comprised of representatives from every HHS agency. The LASC will facilitate the sharing of effective practices and procedures for enhancing language access. Ensured state compliance with language access and effective communication obligations during and after public health emergencies. On April 5, 2023, OCR dispatched a letter to state health officials reminding states of their language access and effective communication obligations under federal civil rights laws to ensure that individuals and families continue to have access to Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage upon the expiration of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act continuous enrollment condition.

29 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Understanding the Well - Being of LGBTQI + Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https: / / doi.org / 10.17226 / 25877. 30 Dawson, L., Kates, J., Musumeci, MB. (2023). Youth Access to Gender Affirming Care: The Federal and State Policy Landscape. Kaiser Family Foundation. https: / / www.kff.org / other / issue - brief / youth - access - to - gender - affirming - care - the - federal - and - state - policy - landscape / 31 Smith, M. (n.d.) Native Americans: A Crisis in Health Equity. https: / / www.americanbar.org / groups / crsi / publications / human rights magazine home / the - state - of - healthcare - in - the - united - states / native - american - crisis - in - health - equity / 32 Smedley BD, Stith AY, Colburn L, et al.; Institute of Medicine (US). The Right Thing to Do, The Smart Thing to Do: Enhancing Diversity in the Health Professions: Summary of the Symposium on Diversity in Health Professions in Honor of Herbert W.Nickens, M.D.. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2001. Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Physicians: An Intervention to Address Health Disparities? Available from: https: / / www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / books / NBK223632 / 33 Alsan, Marcella, Owen Garrick, and Grant Graziani. 2019. " " Does Diversity Matter for Health? Experimental Evidence from Oakland. " " American Economic Review, 109 (12): 4071 - 4111. DOI: 10.1257 / aer. 20181446 34 Street RL Jr, O'Malley KJ, Cooper LA, Haidet P. Understanding concordance in patient - physician relationships: personal and ethnic dimensions of shared identity. Ann Fam Med. 2008 May - Jun; 6 (3): 198 - 205. doi: 10.1370 / afm. 821. PMID: 18474881; PMCID: PMC2384992. 35 González HM, Vega WA, Tarraf W. Health care quality perceptions among foreign - born Latinos and the importance of speaking the same language. J Am Board Fam Med. 2010 Nov - Dec; 23 (6): 745 - 52. doi: 10.3122 / jabfm. 2010.06.090264. PMID: 21057070; PMCID: PMC2995948. 36 Hoffman KM, Trawalter S, Axt JR, Oliver MN. Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2016;113: 4296 - 4301

Improve access and address barriers to care by engaging community health workers and trusted partners in rural communities, Tribal Communities, and other underserved communities Support continuity of coverage during Medicaid unwinding by working with states and external partners on renewals and connections to other forms of health coverage. Develop resources or programs to increase the number of culturally appropriate and informed health care materials and information available in - language for providers and partners. Advance social determinants of health (SDOH) research and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) research to better identify and address structural barriers to healthcare access and influence positive outcomes.

Changes in demographics of health care professionals including their service locations as well as the number of nurses and physicians who are members of, or have a history of service to, underrepresented minority communities Changes in and patterns of services accessed by patients including medical, dental, mental health, substance use disorder, vision, and enabling services Trends in demographic characteristics of total health center patients Trends related to health center patient income and insurance status Number and percentage of health center patients who are experiencing homelessness, are agricultural workers or dependents, served at a health center located in or immediately accessible to a public housing site Changes in health insurance and Medicaid coverage by state Changes in the development and use of culturally appropriate and informed health care resources for providers and partners

Maternal health outcomes vary by race, ethnicity, and rurality across the U.S. Key drivers of poor maternal health outcomes include lack of provider and service availability, lack of tailored interventions, cultural bias and relevant evidence on the safety and effectiveness of technological innovations, data lags, and inadequate preventive and supportive care. Social and environmental determinants of health such as income, housing, nutrition climate - related exposures such as extreme heat and air pollution, underlie many of the risk factors that contribute to poor maternal health outcomes.

According to the CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, women in rural areas are 60 % more likely to die during the perinatal period than women in urban areas. 37 Pregnancy related death rates are three times higher among Black individuals and two times higher among AI / AN individuals compared to White individuals. 38 Although Hispanics / Latinos have lower rates of maternal mortality, they have higher levels of severe maternal morbidity than non - Hispanic White populations. Additionally, although data are limited, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) populations also have higher rates of both maternal mortality and morbidity. 40 According to the CDC - supported Maternal Mortality Review Committees data from 2017 - 2019, more than 80 % of maternal deaths are preventable, meaning that a " " reasonable change to patient, community, provider, facility or system factors " " could have averted death. 41 Environmental exposures related to climate change have a disproportionate effect on pregnant women through influencing food and water security, civil conflicts, extreme weather events, and the spread of disease. 42

Increase access and use of health care services by continuing to promote state implementation of 12 - month postpartum coverage extension in Medicaid and CHIP to improve health insurance coverage for postpartum people, including the 40 percent of U.S. births covered by Medicaid and CHIP. Increase screening for maternal depression and substance use disorder (SUD) during the postpartum period to decrease maternal mortality. Address maternal / birthing care deserts and the maternity / birthing care safety net by strengthening birthing care infrastructure, including a focus on obstetrics (OB) readiness, especially in rural communities and Tribal communities. Build a competent and diverse workforce for maternal care pre - and post - birth, including midwives, doulas, promotoras and other non - OB (non - stigmatizing) community - based settings. Establish a task force focused on maternal mental health and perinatal mental health. Increase funding for economic development and social mobility for Tribal communities and families through grants and training and technical assistance.

Changes in maternal mental health, mortality rates, and other health indicators Number of partnerships established in Tribal communities, rural communities, low - income and low - resourced communities, and other high need areas Changes in access to primary care across the perinatal spectrum Number of states and territories that extend Medicaid coverage for a full 12 months Changes in impact and number of people who benefit from expanded Medicaid postpartum care Changes in number of hospitals with " " birthing friendly " " hospital designation Changes in number of conversations with the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline counselors Changes in the number of health center obstetrician / gynecologist and certified nurse midwife full - time equivalents and the number of clinic (in - person) and virtual visits to those providers Changes in prenatal care provided directly to health center patients or by referral Changes in the percentage of mothers enrolled in home visiting prenatally (or within 30 days after delivery) who received a postpartum visit with a healthcare provider within 8 weeks of delivery Changes in the percent of primary caregivers enrolled in home visiting who are screened for depression within 3 months of enrollment or delivery

CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) engages, and consults states regularly as part of the Quality Improvement Technical Assistance work through the Maternal and Infant Health Initiative (MIHI). Group participants are encouraged to reach out to their beneficiaries to determine barriers to improving quality on metrics, such as attendance at postpartum care or infant well - child visits, transportation issues, or difficulty scheduling. These consultations help inform states of barriers encountered by beneficiaries. HHS OMH and CMS CMCS held a listening session to gather consumer feedback regarding using inclusive maternal language (especially as it relates to the word " " maternal " " and non - binary or gender conforming people). Participants included professionals with direct clinical, research, or system - level expertise on inclusive language or experience in providing affirming care for non - binary and transgender patients. One key takeaway was that Inclusive language is important to make people feel cared for by their providers. NIH sponsored the Connecting the Community for Maternal Health Challenge to encourage and reward nonprofit community - based or advocacy organizations to develop research capabilities and infrastructure to pursue maternal health research projects. The challenge offered approximately $ 3 million in prizes, distributed across multiple phases of the competition to organizations that successfully completed the objectives and requirements of each phase. Three webinars introduced the challenge sponsors at NIH, provided general guidance on proposal submission, and shared the opportunities that participation in this challenge provide. Ongoing webinars are providing guidance to participants in building and sustaining their research activities.

Some populations are at higher risk of experiencing behavioral health challenges and some also face barriers to accessing mental and behavioral health care services, including racial and ethnic minorities, American Indian and Alaska Natives, rural populations, persons with disabilities, LGBTQI + adults and youth, older adults, and other populations. There continues to be several workforce challenges among mental and behavioral healthcare providers, including shortages, geographic maldistribution, lack of diversity, and burnout.

Youth behavioral health has worsened. In the past decade, the percentage of students across every Tribal, racial and ethnic group feeling persistently sad or hopeless increased. 43 Female students, LGBTQI + students, and students who had any same - sex partners were more likely than their peers to experience poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. 44 Behavioral health challenges are especially acute for the American Indian and Alaska Native population. The percentage of AI / AN persons aged 12 or older in 2021 with a past year substance use disorder (27.6 %) was higher than among other racial or ethnic groups. Percentage of AI / AN persons aged 18 or older in 2021 with any mental illness (26.6 %) was higher than among almost all other racial or ethnic groups. According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the percentage of adults with any mental illness in the past year who received mental health services was lower among Asian (25.4 %), Hispanic or Latino (36.1 %), or Black or African American adults (39.4 %) than among White (52.4 %) adults. 47 Adults with disabilities, compared with those without disabilities, experience more mental distress and are more likely to experience factors associated with a higher occurrence of mental disorders, including poverty and limited health care access. 48 Preventing adverse childhood experiences is key to reducing behavioral health challenges. 49 As adverse child experiences and their social drivers are interdependent, comprehensive and

Racial and ethnic minority populations, AI / ANs, older adults, women, pregnant and lactating individuals, LGBTQI + adults and youth, and persons with disabilities continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials, stifling health care innovation, and hindering the generalizability of effective treatments. Lack of diversity in clinical research has the potential to hinder innovation. Including populations that have been underrepresented in clinical trials and medical studies can help researchers better understand variation in the safety and effectiveness of interventions, identify new biological processes, and lead to new discoveries that can benefit other populations. 55 Evidence from clinical studies help inform health recommendations, insurance coverage, and reimbursement of healthcare services. Without representation of specific groups in trials and studies, we may lack confidence about how new therapeutics will impact all populations. A lack of representation in clinical studies can impede access to effective medical interventions for underrepresented groups if they are not included to build the evidence base to begin with. 56 56 Additional barriers contributing to underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minority patients ' participation in clinical trials include mistrust or fear and stigma of participation, lack of comfort with the clinical trial process, lack of information about clinical trials, time and resource constraints associated with clinical trial participation, and lack of clinical trial awareness. 57

Established guidance for HHS programs to use plain language in funding opportunities. The Office of Grants is formally tracking and reporting readability statistics for all Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) and related public documents. These documents must be easy to read and understand to reach as many potentially qualified applicants as possible. Published an NPRM clarifying nondiscrimination on the basis of sex in certain HHS grants. HHS OCR and Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources published an NPRM which states that, in statutes administered by HHS that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, the Department interprets those provisions to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. This NPRM further builds on HHS ' efforts to ensure access to health and human services in furtherance of President Biden's Executive Orders on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation and Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals.

Ensure people most affected by health challenges are represented in studies and clinical trials and medical products / device testing to better reflect the full spectrum of populations who are affected by the disease or condition for which a product / treatment is being developed, if approved. Engage communities throughout the entirety of the research process and study design to build trust and improve transparency and accountability. Engage Tribal communities throughout the research process to ensure honoring of tribal sovereignty, data sovereignty, and to engender trust, transparency, and accountability. Advance engagement with diverse communities to build trust and improve representation in clinical trials and studies by providing education, creating collaborative research opportunities, and hosting public meetings and webinars. Engage a more diverse set of populations in informing our efforts and participating in clinical research, respecting tribal sovereignty and data ownership, so that we can innovate to improve health and well - being outcomes.

Trends in recruitment and report clinical trial demographics, including sex, age, race / ethnicity and sexual orientation and gender identity data, compared to populations affected by the disease or condition being studied Increase in the number of community group and research / medical center partnerships with those who have experience working with the populations impacted by the disease or condition being studied Increase in the number of clinical research studies with enrollment addresses of the populations affected by the disease or condition being studied Increase in the number of engagements with communities, including Tribal communities, throughout the research process to engender trust, transparency, and accountability Increase in the development and use of culturally and linguistically tailored materials and information, patient navigators, and community health workers

Families who are experiencing poverty are more likely to be reported to child protective services (CPS) for neglect compared to families with more resources. The strategy seeks to better resource families so that CPS intervention and foster care, which destabilizes families, is not necessary. Certain populations of children and families experience structural barriers to resources and services that meets their unique well - being needs - namely Black families, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI / AN) families, LGBTQI + youth, children and parents with disabilities and parents with limited English proficiency.

Strategy # 3: Improve Maternal Health Outcomes for Rural, Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services seeks public comment annually regarding updates to the Medicaid and CHIP Maternity Core Set. The public comments resulted in the addition of Postpartum Depression Screening and Follow Up measure, as well as an Immunization in

Pregnancy Measure, to the Core Sets. These measures are used by CMS to measure and evaluate progress toward improvement of maternal and perinatal health in Medicaid and CHIP.

Access to care continues to be an issue. In 2021 fewer than half of people with a mental illness were able to access timely care. 51 Rural areas and economically disadvantaged cities have less behavioral health care providers serving the community, 52, 53 and many behavioral health providers report burnout which can further challenge quality care. 54

Racial and ethnic minority populations and AI / ANs continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials and clinical research. Older adults, women, children, pregnant and lactating individuals, LGBTQI + populations, and persons with disabilities remain underrepresented and may be impacted by enrollment criteria that limit their ability to participate in research. 59

Last year, I launched a policy - focused Secretary's Challenge on Equity, to inspire our dedicated workforce to be innovative in uncovering opportunities to support a robust wellness system for all. What we collectively learned from that Challenge is that we have more work to do, such as identifying and correcting gaps in our data standards to address equity, communicating more effectively with diverse audiences, and strengthening our role in facilitating an inclusive health and human services workforce. HHS is actively advancing these efforts and making the question of whether our reach is for everyone's benefit a central part of how we continuously improve our services.

Advance sustainable homeownership and wealth generation by reducing appraisal bias and expanding access to homeownership: HUD is dedicated to ensuring all people have access to affordable homeownership and the opportunity to build generational wealth. To better serve individuals and families, HUD has expanded the Family Self Sufficiency program for HUD - assisted residents to initiate a path to realizing their homeownership dreams. HUD will also support current homeowners by combatting the historic impacts of racial bias in the home appraisal process that erodes equity and robs Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities of the opportunity to maintain and grow generational wealth. Reduce barriers and enhance support for protected classes by enforcing fair housing regulations, advancing housing justice, and improving rental assistance: HUD's primary focus in advancing housing justice is to expand the Department's role in proactively supporting and protecting underserved communities through increased Fair Housing Law enforcement and compliance. As detailed within this Equity Action Plan, HUD will enact a dedicated training curriculum to national fair housing partners to ensure that knowledge of Fair Housing protections is widespread and actionable in local communities. Similarly, HUD will employ targeted efforts to engage with key populations, including those impacted by gender - based violence, LGBTQIA + communities, and people impacted by the criminal justice system, to improve the administration and delivery of HUD - assisted programs and services. Reduce racial and ethnic disparities in homeless systems through identifying and addressing barriers to engagement by underserved populations: Promoting equity is a key component in reducing homelessness. People experiencing homelessness are among the most underserved and overlooked - most especially Black, Hispanic, and Native American or Alaska Native people, who experienced increases in homelessness and are significantly overrepresented among this population. Through specialized research and data gathering initiatives, the Agency will continue to improve its ability to better identify, engage, and re - house Black, Brown, Indigenous and other systematically disadvantaged people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. In addition, HUD will expand its work with program and community partners to incorporate the voice and leadership of people with lived experience to create tailored, equitable solutions for individuals ' needs to accentuate a new approach to homelessness relief and further equal access to eviction protection resources. Advance sustainable communities by strengthening climate resilience and energy efficiency, promoting environmental justice, and driving the creation of good - paying jobs: Climate change is a worsening crisis that impacts communities across the United States and the world. Due to historic discrimination and disinvestment, systemically underserved communities often suffer climate change's consequences most acutely, deepening pre - existing societal inequities. The importance of addressing this crisis is reflected in HUD's efforts to create and expand programs that reduce assisted resident exposure to climate - related hazards. While doing so, HUD will improve energy efficiency in HUD - assisted housing and create pathways to good paying jobs. HUD will also improve the Agency's critical disaster recovery assistance through a strategic, data -

consideration the unique context of creating a pathway for homeownership on trust land as well as urban areas. Counselors will provide culturally competent homebuyer education and counseling and help tribal members make informed housing decisions, develop financial assets, and create wealth through homeownership. HUD will evaluate the effectiveness of the Moving To Work (MTW) expansion's asset - building cohort and application of lessons learned to future HUD program design. MTW is a demonstration program for PHAs that provides them the opportunity to design and test innovative, locally designed strategies that use Federal dollars more efficiently, help residents find employment and become self - sufficient, and increase housing choices for low - income families. This cohort of the MTW Expansion will evaluate policies that seek to encourage savings and improve credit for assisted households. HUD is continuing to refine the loss mitigation options available to help borrowers who fall behind on their mortgage payments to get back on track and preserve homeownership. HUD will maximize homeownership for creditworthy first - time homebuyers and preserve homeownership for existing homeowners. Historical data collected from the FHA Annual Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund report, has shown that FHA has consistently maintained an 80 percent or above single - family purchase endorsement for borrowers that are first - time homebuyers. This report has also shown that FHA has maintained a sub 30 percent re - default rate after a loss mitigation action. To continue this trend and improve these metrics, HUD will maximize homeownership for creditworthy first - time homebuyers and preserve homeownership for existing homeowners. By September 30, 2025, HUD will maintain a first - time homebuyer rate of at least 80 % for newly endorsed FHA - insured purchase mortgages and a re - default rate for seriously delinquent homeowners who received a loss mitigation action that is below 30 %.

HUD's FHEO Annual Reports on Fair Housing document the number of complaints filed with HUD and Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) agencies each year. HUD and FHAP agencies consistently receive more than 10,000 complaints per year (11,741 in FY 2022), with disability as the most common basis for alleged discrimination, followed by race and sex. For more than 40 years, HUD's Housing Discrimination studies have documented the persistence of housing discrimination among protected classes. For example, HUD's 2017 study of Rental Housing Discrimination on the Basis of Mental Disabilities found that individuals with mental illness and intellectual or developmental disabilities experienced significant levels of adverse differential treatment in the rental market, including being less likely to receive a response to their inquiries and less likely to be told a unit was available. A 2021 study of Housing Discrimination Against Same - Sex Couples and Transgender Individuals found that housing providers treated lesbians comparably to heterosexual women seeking rental housing, told gay men about fewer available rental units than they told heterosexual men, and told transgender testers about fewer units than they told cisgender home seekers. The pervasive use of criminal background checks during tenant screening can create a barrier to renting housing, even though that information may be incomplete or inaccurate and information about past criminal history is not necessarily a reliable predictor of housing success. Studies have also found that Black and Hispanic communities, are disproportionately affected by tenant screening practices that include a criminal background check. A growing body of evidence shows that the provision of housing assistance, particularly when accompanied with supportive services, can help reduce recidivism and decrease involvement in the criminal justice system, thereby strengthening public safety. HUD's forthcoming study of the Housing Needs of Survivors of Human Trafficking finds that survivors of human trafficking and those at risk of trafficking, both highly vulnerable populations, face substantial hurdles in finding affordable housing related to landlord screening for criminal background, credit history, and rental history.

Ensure full enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Access Rule to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Provide updated Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) complaint forms to grantees and conduct training and guidance on using the forms by January 2024. Provide training and technical assistance to grantees and victim service providers about the housing rights of survivors under VAWA and related laws, including information on HUD's resources on credit - building, asset - building, homeownership, and financial literacy. Encourage PHAs and HUD - assisted housing owners to adopt marketing and admissions policies, practices, and services connections or partnerships that proactively reach underserved populations and communities.

HUD's 2021 Annual Homeless Assessment Report finds that 10 percent of Black heads of households in poverty and 12 percent of Native American or Alaska Native households in poverty experienced sheltered homelessness at some point in 2021, compared to 3 percent of all households in poverty. That Black and Brown people experience homelessness at higher rates than white households is consistent with HUD's research on Worst Case Housing Needs, which finds that Black and Hispanic households are more likely to be very low - income, renters, and paying more than 50 percent of their income on rent than other groups. These statistics highly correlate with higher probably that someone will experience homelessness. Research suggests that Black and Brown households, particularly low - income renter households headed by Black women, experience evictions at disproportionately high rates. Evictions contribute to long - term housing instability and homelessness. Other factors contributing to disproportionate rates of homelessness among Black and Brown people, include criminal justice histories and discrimination from landlords and employers. In their report, Coordinated Entry Systems: Racial Equity Analysis, C4 Innovations found that race is a predictor of the score that individuals experiencing homelessness receive on commonly used vulnerability assessment tools meant to help homeless services providers prioritize housing resources. For example, the study finds that non - White individuals were 32 percent less likely than White individuals to receive a high prioritization score, meaning that non - White individuals may be less likely to be prioritized for permanent supportive housing or Housing First. An eight - city study of structural racism and homelessness conducted in 2016 found that race was a predictor of the likelihood of returning to a homeless situation after leaving a shelter or other program. They found that Black young adults were 69 percent more likely to exit back into homelessness than their white counterparts, and Native and Asian young

adults were 56 percent and 70 percent less likely to exit into a permanent housing situation than their white counterparts. The Report and Recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness, sponsored by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, found that although the coordinated entry system - the community's strategic access point to services - appears to place Black people experiencing homelessness into housing at proportional rates, Black people served through permanent housing interventions experienced a higher rate of returns to homelessness than all other race and ethnic groups.