Metrics

(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

There are proven beneficial economic and civic outcomes for immigrants who become citizens, including increased homeownership and lower levels of poverty. 6 Some research offers evidence of economic benefits to noncitizens who naturalize, including higher earnings. 7 These earning gains from naturalization translate to greater city, state, and Federal tax revenues. Such impacts can be considerable when aggregated to the national level. 8 Each fiscal year, about 41 percent, or an average of 30,175 of the total denials for the educational requirements for naturalization are based at least in part on the inability to read, speak, write, or understand English. 9 During a CIS Ombudsman outreach event, members of the public identified barriers to naturalization, including the " " complexity of the English language requirement " " and " " naturalization test - speaking portion. " "

Award and administer $ 25 million in grants to provide high - quality citizenship instruction classes and provide naturalization application services within the authorized practice of immigration law. Specifically, grantees will help LPRs understand the naturalization process, improve their English language skills, prepare for and study for the civics test, understand what to expect with the naturalization test and interview, and understand qualifications for reduced fees or a fee waiver. Evaluate Form N - 648 for burden reduction, assess the possibility of allowing additional medical professionals to certify N - 648s, and implement any appropriate changes. Consider efforts to redesign parts of the naturalization test. One of the goals of the proposed redesign is to reduce barriers to citizenship by creating a more fair and transparent speaking test.

In partnership with the White House Task Force on New Americans and the Interagency NWG, bring together professionals with equities in immigrant integration and citizenship education from the National Immigrant Integration & Citizenship Education Conference to provide access and inclusion. In FY 2024, expand the number of Citizenship Ambassadors, who help demystify the naturalization process and increase awareness of the life - changing impact of U.S. citizenship, and explore the possibility of hiring a private vendor to conduct various marketing activities to promote naturalization. Annually track the number and percentage of successful applicants from groups of LPRs who have historically been less likely to apply for naturalization to review factors that contributed to increased access to the naturalization process.

Year - over - year increase in the number and percentage of individuals who are successful in naturalization proceedings (i.e., pass English and civics tests, respond to Requests for Evidence, navigate the legal eligibility review during the naturalization interview, and become citizens). Annual percentage increase of the number of enrollees in grantee programs (e.g., citizenship courses and assistance in completing naturalization forms). Percentage of enrolled students who post - test (i.e., complete courses), percentage of enrolled students who demonstrate learning gains between pre - test and post - test, number of individuals who received a naturalization eligibility screening, number of enrollees who file a Form N - 400 and a Form G - 28 (Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative), and number of enrollees who file a fee waiver. Year - over - year increase in the number of medical professionals eligible to fill out Form N - 648. Reduction in time and expense related to applicants ' completion of Form N - 648.

Increases in the rate of naturalization among different communities, including marginalized and underserved communities. Changes in the number and type of accommodations granted to persons with disabilities to determine success in naturalization proceedings. Increase in access to medical evaluations for naturalization applications.

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.

DHS routinely engages with members of underserved communities regarding concerns related to targeted violence and domestic violent extremism. During these engagements, stakeholders have suggested strengthening and increasing DHS's communication about the public health - informed approach with communities that have expressed concern about prior prevention approaches. Existing literature proposes addressing violent extremism in a public health framework. This approach focuses on creating evidence - based prevention resources and helping prevention providers build protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels to decrease the risk of targeted violence, such as school or workplace violence, premeditated hate - fueled violence, and terrorism. The focus of a public health - informed approach is on the health, safety,

Number of new TVTP grantees representing underserved community organizations. Number of training sessions on threat assessments and management capabilities for prevention professionals. Number of equity - focused and cultural competency training sessions conducted by community members for frontline practitioners and mental health specialists. Incorporation of public health focused frameworks in local law enforcement and mental health systems tracking DVE risk identification and mitigation to improve the capacity of community prevention professionals. Number of public education sessions regarding targeted violence prevention concerning diversity and equity related issues.

Increased trust index based on frequency, rate, and depth of engagements, as well as feedback activity and completion of get - backs from engagements. Increased multidisciplinary teams to support communities in preventing, identifying, and managing potential threats. Increased networks of local social services and programs that address DVE risk factors and support threat management.

advisory councils and committees, and uncertainty that DHS would pursue modifications to unfair practices that might require legislative fixes. To address these barriers, DHS will conduct a review of contract opportunities and grant funding opportunity announcements prior to release to determine how equitable access for tribes can be furthered; examine policy and procedures to identify updates in furtherance of security and the appropriate handling of sacred, ceremonial, or cultural items and conduct training on the same; pursue adequate staffing and other resources where needed to ensure equitable service delivery; ensure Tribal representation in DHS advisory councils, committees, and other groups; and pursue modifications to service delivery, including where legislative fixes are needed. (7) Advance equity for persons seeking humanitarian protection during immigration processing by strengthening programs available to assist them. Stakeholders continue to report concerns about processing delays and access to resources. To address these barriers, USCIS will enhance processing efficiency by leveraging technology, increasing access, and seeking opportunities to reduce fees; and DHS will strengthen resources for non - detained noncitizens released on an alternative to detention program and create process efficiencies across the board. (8) Advance equity in the FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) program to increase participation of undeserved communities. In response to FEMA's 2021 Request for Information (RFI) on FEMA Programs, Regulations, and Policies and associated public meetings, members of the public suggested changes to the IA program. All relevant comments received in response to the RFI, including those received during the public meetings, have been posted to the public rulemaking docket on the Federal eRulemaking portal. To address barriers and suggested changes raised by stakeholders, FEMA will publish an Interim Final Rule (IFR) amending its regulations governing the IA program to increase equity by simplifying processes, removing barriers to entry, and increasing eligibility for certain types of assistance under the program. (9) Advance equity through Community Disaster Resilience Zones. FEMA's National Advisory Council has found that smaller, less affluent communities with fewer resources cannot access funding to appropriately prepare for a disaster, which leads to inadequate response and recovery and little opportunity for mitigation. To address this barrier, FEMA will enhance and expand Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program technical assistance; implement Benefit - Cost Analysis (BCA) enhancements for all relevant mitigation programs, including incorporating equity weights into BCA; and develop a Recovery and Resilience Resource Portal, which provides ideas and information on available funding opportunities for state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners and community decision - makers.

Advance meaningful language access to ICE and CBP programs, activities, and operations for Indigenous noncitizens encountered by ICE and CBP who are LEP and who speak Indigenous languages. Collaborate with the ICE Personnel Security Division to explore and implement approaches in the ICE clearance process that could increase the pool of possible Indigenous - speaking candidates submitted by the language services vendor (s). Coordinate with language services vendor (s) to enhance recruitment efforts and capacity for Indigenous - speaking linguists and increase overall provision of language services. Conduct detention facility assessment (s) to determine gaps in the identification of Indigenous language speakers and provision of language services in detention. Facilitate development of Indigenous cultural awareness and competency education materials, such as training and / or job aids. Participate in listening sessions and other engagements with national and community - based Indigenous organizations and develop strategic partnerships where possible. Expand the number of Indigenous languages included in the myCBP mobile application, allowing CBP officers and agents to use their mobile devices to identify the Indigenous language spoken by the individual being processed and then engage the interpretation service as appropriate.

Number of engagements or meetings with individuals who are LEP, and the language services provided to support these engagement activities, with the goal to improve delivery of language access services across the Department. Improved response and resolution times for complaints about language access issues. Number of individuals who are LEP who interact with CRCL when ombudsman - type functions are executed to issue spot and review complaint trends. Patterns and trends of language access barriers alleged in complaints or raised during engagements with communities, including the unavailability of language access in DHS programs, services, and activities. Survey and conduct focus groups of NGOs representing the concerns of LEP communities and LEP persons themselves, for recommendations on the effectiveness of public campaigns or messaging in languages other than English (e.g., Blue Campaign materials educating the public on indicators of human trafficking and how to get help). Number of ICE detention facility Indigenous language access assessment (s) conducted. Number of uses of the expanded set of languages in the myCBP mobile application.

Number and types of complaints concerning language access that are filed with DHS and the resolution of these complaints. Recommendations implemented from language access complaints and issues raised during community engagements. Track the increase in language services vendors ' Indigenous language request fulfillment rates. Track improvements in the identification of Indigenous speakers and provision of language services in ICE detention. Track the reduction in language access - related complaint activity specific to encountered Indigenous languages and / or communications. Assess CBP officers ' and agents ' feedback on the effectiveness of the myCBP Indigenous Language Identification feature. Number of CBP Information Center complaints relating to religious accommodations concerns to determine whether complaints decrease on a year - to - year basis.

Number of TSA frontline employees who take the training modules. Changes in complaints filed regarding allegations of inequitable treatment during the screening process. Number of requests for Passenger Support Specialist assistance, as an effort to provide the needed process improvements that will, in time, decrease the number of these passenger complaints due to the improvements.

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).

Number of DHS grant funds awarded to Tribal Nations. Number of Tribal consultations to expand partnerships and disseminate technical assistance for grant awards. Number of complaints alleging mishandling of Tribal sacred, ceremonial, or cultural items. Training sessions conducted on appropriate handling of Tribal sacred, ceremonial or cultural items. Number of Tribal Nation representatives participating in advisory councils and committees.

Changes in the number of Tribal governments accessing federal grants. Increased Tribal Nation capacity and infrastructure dedicated to obtaining federal resources. Changes in administrative burdens reported and experienced by Tribes through the grant application process. Changes in annual amount of grant funds awarded to Tribes.

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

Year - over - year change in number or proportion of applicant cases in compliance (e.g., has properly applied for asylum, is determined to be a refugee as defined under section 101 (a) (42) (A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and is not " " barred " " from receiving asylum). Year - over - year increase in the number of cases adjudicated by USCIS. Track the proportion of " " reopens " " that are granted asylum or other form of relief. Decrease in processing time from USCIS interview to admission to the U.S. (goal is down to three months). Increase in the number of supporting letters provided by labor agencies on behalf of workers at worksites they are investigating.

Annually track application processing time by applicant type (rendering of final decision) controlling for location and other factors. Cost savings to relevant applicants; reduced burden on USCIS to adjudicate fee waiver requests likely to be approved. Increase in the percentage of virtual asylum orientation sessions. Increase in the number of workers requesting deferred action through the centralized process.

Increase eligibility for home repair assistance by amending the definitions and application of the terms safe, sanitary, and functional, allowing assistance for certain accessibility - related items, and amending its approach to evaluating insurance proceeds. Allow for the re - opening of the applicant registration period when the President adds new counties to the major disaster declaration. Simplify the documentation requirements for continued temporary housing assistance. Simplify the appeals process. Simplify the process to request approval for a late registration. Remove the requirement to apply for a Small Business Administration loan as a condition of eligibility for Other Needs Assistance (ONA); and Establish additional eligible assistance under ONA for serious needs, displacement, disaster - damaged computing devices, and essential tools for self - employed individuals.

Number of individual households deemed eligible for IA resulting in more equitable outcomes for members of underserved communities, including those facing persistent poverty. Results from multiple disaster survivor surveys (including a longitudinal survey) to assess outcomes.

The DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) conducted targeted outreach to additional local and underserved communities, providing technical assistance and support to those stakeholders. The Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program provides funding for state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education to establish or enhance capabilities to prevent targeted violence and terrorism. In FY 2022, CP3 reached 49 new organizations and over 900 people, resulting in 31 applications from, and 11 awards to, organizations representing underserved communities. In response to a wave of bomb threats targeting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in 2022, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) conducted 27 courses for HBCU students and faculty in prevention and building resilience, trained more than 1,200 participants, delivered over 1,500 products, and saw a 54 percent increase in the more than 24,000 training video completions. Additional courses are ongoing. In 2022, CRCL, the DHS Office of State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE), and the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs, sponsored full - day courses at five HBCUs to help equip campus leaders and other community stakeholders with the problem - solving skills to prevent, protect, and mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from active shooter situations. Since July 2022, DHS has led multiple engagements focused on addressing community concerns related to DVE, Department strategy, and incidents of hate targeting specific communities. In April 2023, OPE hosted a virtual Ramadan engagement with American Muslim community leaders to solicit their feedback, concerns, and insights on DHS policies and programs. In March 2023, DHS launched the Prevention Resource Finder, providing stakeholders with information on the resources needed to help prepare for and prevent targeted violence and terrorism across our country. 5. Filing Complaints and Seeking Redress in DHS Programs and Activities. DHS continues to enhance communication with the public regarding the ability to file complaints concerning DHS programs and seek redress without retaliation, how these processes work, and what individuals can expect from these processes. OPE, CRCL, and the DHS Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) continue to hold engagement events for the public, including underserved communities, to provide more information about the various DHS complaint processes. In March 2023, CRCL launched a new online complaint portal, with prompts available in 10 languages. The portal accepts complaints in any language and also notes the availability of interpreters and translators for any language. In accordance with Section 9 (c) of Executive Order 14074, Advancing Effective Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety, DHS law enforcement agencies will continue to ensure that effective

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.

In March 2023, USCIS announced the opening of the Humanitarian, Adjustment, Removing Conditions, and Travel Documents (HART) Service Center. This new Service Center focuses on adjudication of humanitarian - based immigration relief, including Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self - petitions and petitions for U nonimmigrant status for eligible victims of qualifying crimes, and will significantly increase the number

S & T's Homeland Security Startup Studio (HSSS) pairs the next generation of entrepreneurs with federally - funded, cutting - edge homeland security technologies to help move them from the lab to the market. In the 2023 cycle, HSSS received applications from 185 entrepreneurs, with 66 percent coming from those identifying as Black, Indigenous, or persons of color, and 29 percent coming from those identifying as women. Of the 30 entrepreneurs selected for the 2023 HSSS cohort, 30 percent identified as female and 57 percent identified as Black, Indigenous, or Persons of Color.

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

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.

(8) Advance equity in the FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) program to increase participation of undeserved communities.

On April 22, 2021, FEMA published an RFI on FEMA programs, regulations, and policies. FEMA sought public input on its programs, regulations, collections of information, and policies for the agency to ensure that its programs, regulations, and policies contain necessary, properly tailored, and up - to - date requirements that effectively achieve FEMA's mission in a manner that furthers the goals of advancing equity for all, including those in underserved communities; bolstering resilience from the impacts of climate change, particularly for those disproportionately impacted by climate change; and environmental justice. FEMA held public meetings and extended the comment period on the RFI to ensure all interested parties had sufficient opportunity to provide comments on FEMA's programs. All relevant comments received in response to the request for information, including those received during the public meetings, have been posted to the public rulemaking docket on the Federal eRulemaking portal. It is anticipated FEMA will conduct additional engagements regarding the RFI input received.

Number of disadvantaged communities receiving Direct Technical Assistance.

Percent of benefits flowing to disadvantaged communities from Justice 40 covered programs.

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

Part of these efforts include leveraging the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Direct Technical Assistance (BRIC DTA) initiative to integrate climate change adaptation and disaster loss reduction into broader community and economic development initiatives in selected underserved communities through partnerships. For example, for the FY 2022 BRIC DTA cycle, FEMA selected the following projects that reflect FEMA's commitment to investing in resilience in disadvantaged communities:

STRATEGIC GOAL 3: Foster Equitable Economic Growth for All

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.

The NTIA Internet Use Survey shows that 24 million households did not use the internet at home in 2021. A recent review of research on childcare costs and women's labor supply finds that a 10 percent decrease in the cost of childcare to families leads to a 0.5 to 2.5 percent increase in mothers participating in the workforce. Research shows that productivity gains may be the greatest when low - wage workers are provided with adequate care options. Further, disruptions to childcare are more common among lower - income and lower - socially supported mothers. Education and labor market outcomes remain inequitable. Research shows that students do not receive sufficient information about what careers are available and which courses best lead to those options, so they waste time in courses that do not lead to good jobs. For example, not all students graduate from high school, and even when they do, most are ineligible for their postsecondary training program of choice.

NTIA's Internet for All. The Department is deploying nearly $ 50 billion to invest in broadband infrastructure deployment, affordability, and digital equity and inclusion efforts. Closing the digital divide will be a major step toward dismantling structural barriers to inclusive economic growth. These investments will fuel economic development as the programs are expected to create more than 150,000 jobs. BEAD, MM, BIP, TBCP, and CMC were discussed in the 2022 Equity Action Plan Progress and Accomplishment section. All of these programs are on - going and in the implementation phases. Here are the next steps for BEAD and updates on the State Digital Equity Act (DE) programs that make up NTIA's Internet for All Initiatives: Awaiting approval of initial proposals for BEAD. States, D.C., and territories (Eligible Entities) submitted their proposals for NTIA approval at the end of 2023, after fulfilling the public disclosure and comment requirements to facilitate community engagement and input. Once approved, Eligible Entities will have access to at least

EDA's Good Jobs Challenge (GJC). This program is expected to train and place 50,000 people in good jobs. GJC meets participants where they are - which includes flexible course scheduling, hands - on training, and curriculum directly aligned to jobs available in their field of training. All 32 awardees received funding to support wraparound services and have plans for how to use services to improve outcomes for participants who would have otherwise struggled to access training and job opportunities. Grantees have allocated millions of dollars to ensure participants can access to childcare, transportation, English language learning, etc. GJC also has awardees that support the workforce needs of underserved populations and areas, communities of color, women, and other groups facing labor market barriers such as persons with disabilities, disconnected youth, individuals in recovery, individuals with past criminal records including justice - impacted and reentry participants, trainees participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and veterans. EDA's Recompete Pilot Program. With over 4,000 communities eligible for the pilot, the program will invest $ 200 million in organizations committed to creating and connecting workers in persistently distressed communities to good jobs while ensuring the economic benefits are equitably allocated. Unique amongst EDA's national competitions, Recompete is designed to be exclusively targeted towards those communities grappling with persistent economic distress, with equity at its core. The Phase 1 NOFO application deadline closed on October 2023, and EDA received 565 applications - the highest number of submissions of out any national competition to - date. Phase 1 applicants seeking Recomplete Plan approval will be assessed against six competitive factors, one of which is " " equity, inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity. " " In addition, applicants are asked to articulate their approach to community engagement, acquire quality letters of support from entities representing underserved communities, and devise a plan to ensure benefits are equitably shared. In the winter of 2023, EDA will announce Strategy Development Grant recipients and at least 20 Finalists that will be invited to apply to Phase 2. In FY 2024, the EDA will announce 4 - 8 Phase 2 implementation awards averaging $ 20 - $ 50 million each.

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.

NTIA's Internet for All. NTIA supports increased capacity in local communities by hosting local coordination events and convening the Digital Equity Leaders Network (DELN), Tribal Broadband Leaders Network (TBLN), and State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN). NTIA received more than 240 stakeholder submissions to support the development of NOFOs for the Digital Equity Capacity Grant and Competitive Grant Programs, which will be launched in 2024. In addition, BEAD Eligible Entities will begin their challenge processes this winter whereby a local government, nonprofit organization, or broadband service provider may challenge whether a particular location or community anchor institution is eligible for BEAD funds, including whether it's unserved or underserved. This process will help ensure that underrepresented communities are not left behind in Eligible Entities ' plans. EDA's Good Jobs Challenge. GJC awardees call on members of the public that they are serving to sign up for a job training program in their community, hire participants from these programs, and work with their own workplaces to reconceptualize who gets hired and promoted. EDA's Recompete Pilot Program. The Phase I NOFO was informed by the RFI issued February 23, 2023, and Tribal Consultation held on March 9, 2023, both of which shaped key design features of the competition. In the lead up to the Phase 1 deadline, EDA held a number of webinars and engaged with various community stakeholders. EDA's STEM Talent Challenge. EDA launched its first and only consumer experience survey to better understand and support its stakeholders. The survey was open to current, past, and prospective STEM Talent Challenge grantees and is a precursor to longer, targeted customer experience interviews to build out the quantitative and qualitative information collected in the survey. Responses were due September 2023.

More than 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in coastal counties where residents are experiencing climate change in a variety of ways including more rapidly intensifying hurricanes, more severe storms, excessive heat, deepening droughts, and more frequent flooding. In the 1980s, the average time between billion - dollar climate disasters in the U.S. was 82 days; today, it is only 18 days. A peer - reviewed EPA report shows severe harms from climate change fall disproportionately upon underserved communities who are least able to prepare for and recover from heat waves, poor air quality, flooding, and other impacts. For example, Black and African American individuals are 40 percent more likely than non - Black and non - African American individuals to currently live in areas with the highest projected increases in mortality rates due to climate - driven changes in extreme temperatures.

EDA's Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The $ 1 billion program provides transformational investments to develop and strengthen regional industry clusters across the country, all while embracing equitable economic growth, creating good - paying jobs, and enhancing U.S. global competitiveness. Coalitions were challenged to design strategies that would ensure that the economic benefits of the project would be shared by all communities in the region, including any underserved communities. BBBRC funds numerous projects that include improving access to innovation for underserved communities as part of the program design, such as wraparound services for workforce development, fellowship programs, and governance projects that include community engagement and representation in coalition management. EDA's Tech Hubs. EDA designated Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) in geographically diverse regions, including underserved communities, with a concentration of assets, resources, capacity, and the potential to become globally competitive, innovative ecosystems for technologies critical to our economic and national security. In its application review, EDA evaluated applicants ' plans to actively engage underserved and geographically diverse communities, ensuring the benefits of innovation - based economic growth are shared broadly. EDA also encouraged the participation of labor organizations or other entities representing workers as direct members of the consortium applications. EDA accepted Tech Hubs Phase 1 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) applications through its August 15, 2023 deadline; Phase 1 Tech Hubs Designees and Strategy Development Grant recipients and the Phase 2 NOFO were announced in October 2023. Designated Tech Hubs are invited to apply for Phase 2 implementation awards, through which they will address how their proposed strategies, approaches, key metrics, and projects would increase equitable economic growth and ensure that underserved communities are represented in and benefit from the Hub.

NOAA's Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC). The CRRC is a new, two - part track, competitive grant program that will support collaborative approaches to resilience in coastal regions, emphasizing risk reduction, regional collaboration, equity and inclusion, and building enduring capacity to withstand future natural disasters. NOAA's Climate - Ready Workforce (CRW). This CRW is designed to meet the emerging and existing needs of employers while helping workers obtain the necessary skills to enter good jobs so that workers and employers can work together to enhance climate resilience. CRW will allow qualified organizations to form regional partnerships to develop training programs that build in - demand skills, offer wraparound services that allow workers to successfully enroll in and complete training, and enter or advance into good jobs that enhance climate resilience. NOAA encourages applicants to conduct recruitment outreach to workers with barriers to the labor market, including historically underserved and under - resourced communities and individuals. The CRW competition is currently underway; metrics will be finalized after full applications are received in February 2024 and before awards are announced in Summer 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.

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.

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.

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.

Leverage MBDA Business Centers. MBDA will continue to leverage its 41 Business Centers and nine Specialty Centers focused on procurement, exporting, and manufacturing. With nationwide coverage and grants totaling $ 16.4 million, these centers provide high - quality business advisory services, counseling, and mentoring to MBEs to access capital, contracts, and grants. Implement EDA's Build to Scale (B2S). EDA awards and manages a portfolio of grants designed to increase regional capacity to strengthen ecosystems that equitably and inclusively support diverse technology innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups. EDA will run two types of B2S programs. First, the Venture Challenge will fund organizations to start and speed up regional growth through technology - based economic development and by strengthening regional innovation ecosystems that promote the commercialization of new technologies, grow industry clusters, and lead to better - paying jobs. Second, the Capital Challenge awards provide programmatic and operation support for the formation, launch, and or scale of investment capital for technology companies to start and scale.

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.

3.2 Create and strengthen workforce development training and access to jobs in high - growth industries.

Strategic Goal 3: Foster Equitable Economic Growth for All

2.1 Provide capital access support to businesses and entrepreneurs, including for underserved communities, to start or scale in high - growth industries.

Implement MBDA's Capital Readiness Program (CRP). With 43 awardees, MBDA recently launched a new network of incubators, accelerators, and organizations with expertise to assist and train underserved entrepreneurs to improve access to diverse forms of capital, resources, and technical assistance to start or scale their businesses in high - growth industries such as healthcare, climate resilient technology, asset management, infrastructure, and more.

MBDA's Capital Readiness Program. Number of Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Individual (SEDI) entrepreneurs served, number of SEDI entrepreneurs that graduated from the project, number of networking or match - making events hosted, number of SEDI entrepreneurs or SEDI - owned business pitches to capital providers, number of SEDI - owned businesses formed or scaled, and total amount of capital raised (equity investments / debt / grants).

Barriers to Equity: Lack of wraparound services, such as affordable, high - quality internet service, childcare, and education, prevent many people from accessing job training programs, thereby missing out on opportunities for employment in high - growth industries. Specifically, the lack of access to internet service is a significant barrier for underserved communities, hampering full participation in modern life, such as starting a business, offering services or goods via e - commerce, taking online courses and training, finding a doctor, and much more.

20 percent of their BEAD grant funds and can begin implementation of eligible activities. An Eligible Entity may initiate its competitive subgrantee selection process upon approval of its initial proposal and will have up to one year to conduct additional local coordination, complete the selection process, and submit a final proposal to NTIA. The BEAD program required stakeholder outreach with a focus on ensuring robust local engagement and outreach to underserved communities. Eligible Entities must identify these communities and determine specific outreach and engagement strategies tailored to their needs, including providing outreach in the languages used in the communities these eligible activities serve.

NTIA's Internet for All. The number of outreach and technical assistance sessions to support broadband planning, deployment, adoption and use; the number of unserved Tribal households gaining access to broadband; the number of state or territory digital equity plans, the number of persons served by digital inclusion programs; the number of state or territory BEAD five year action plans and initial proposals; the number of unserved households gaining access to broadband; the number of unserved businesses gaining access to broadband; the number of broadband serviceable locations with potential for improved service; the number of jobs created, the number of jobs retained, the number of community anchor institutions with potential connections; and the number of connected wholesalers or last mile providers.

4.1 Benchmark and execute our Justice40 commitments. Through NOAA, EDA, and NIST, the Department has laid the foundation for programming and policies to be a part of the Justice40 Initiative, which will reach a larger and more diverse audience. Alongside this Initiative, the Department strives to address the key barriers to economic success and provide greater visibility and transparency in our effort to support communities that are underserved and overburdened by pollution and other impacts of climate change. For example, NOAA's $ 45 million Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities funding opportunity provides funding exclusively to Indian Tribes and underserved community organizations, including $ 20 million that is set aside for Tribes. The purpose of this program is to support opportunities for tribes, tribal entities, and underserved communities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities.

4.2 Invest Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds towards climate - related economic development in vulnerable communities. In June 2023 and through IRA, NOAA announced the $ 2.6 billion framework to protect coastal communities and restore marine resources to help vulnerable communities prepare, adapt, and build resilience to weather and climate events. NOAA continues to address the needs of underserved communities through its grantmaking; in addition to the funding previously awarded through BIL, NOAA is leveraging IRA funding to invest up to $ 45 million to advance coastal habitat restoration in underserved and tribal communities as well capacity building support for coastal resilience strategy development. Equity is a priority across NOAA's BIL and IRA implementation. Two key NOAA IRA programs to highlight are:

Equity Strategy 2: Expand growth opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, including in underserved communities

Strategic Goal 3: Foster Equitable Economic Growth for All

he Department of Commerce's mission is to create the conditions for economic T growth and opportunity for all communities. To increase our nation's competitiveness, opportunity must equitably be within reach of every American.

I take tremendous pride in the work being led by our first - ever Counselor for Equity to quantify, amplify, and increase equitable outcomes across the Department. The Counselor for Equity is joined by dedicated professionals who understand that equity is critical to achieving our goals. This includes our first Under Secretary and Deputy Under Secretary of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), our CHIPS Program Office Senior Advisor for Opportunity and Inclusion, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Director of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives, and the Senior Advisor for Women in Construction, among other inspiring leaders. These leaders will work closely with the Department's Equity Council to continue to drive external - facing efforts to empower underserved communities in our economy.

Mission The Department of Commerce's mission is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities.

he Department has long declared its mission is " " to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. " " T In 2022, Secretary Raimondo and Deputy Secretary Graves created the Department's new mission statement: " " to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities. " " To include " " for all " " is a small change with a significant meaning. The addition acknowledges that global competitiveness and sustained economic growth require that all communities have an opportunity to participate in the 21st - century economy. This new mission embodies the Department's commitment to institutionalizing equity across policy design, grant development, external outreach, and program implementation strategies. In short, inclusive growth is good economics. We will fail to meet our full potential as a nation unless we harness the talents and strengths of communities in all parts of the country.

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.

Equity Strategy 2: Expand growth opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, including in underserved communities.

The Barrier: Lack of wraparound services, such as affordable, high - quality internet service, childcare, and education, prevent many people from accessing job training programs, thereby missing out on opportunities for employment in high - growth industries. Specifically, the lack of access to internet service is a significant barrier for underserved communities, hampering full participation in modern life, such as starting a business, offering services or goods via e - commerce, taking online courses and training, finding a doctor, and much more.

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.

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.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) formulated an Agency Priority Goal (APG) to accelerate its digital transformation and enhance its U.S. Commercial Service arm through the Global Diversity Export Initiative (GDEI) to double the annual number of clients assisted, with a particular focus on small and medium - sized enterprises (SMEs) and businesses in the nation's underserved communities. ITA successfully served approximately 6,500 clients in underserved communities in FY 2022 and remains on track to meet its two - year target of 11,500 for FY 2023.

NOAA has co - produced seven regional pilot projects with communities across the country to address local environmental challenges, including flooding, heat, coastal inundation, and other climate change issues. Each regional pilot responds directly to feedback received from partners during Climate and Equity roundtable discussions. Pilots will take a unique, place - based approach to helping vulnerable communities better understand, prepare for, and respond to climate change. All pilot programs will wrap up by the end of 2025.

The Department of Commerce is committed to working towards President Biden's Justice40 Initiative to target 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to reach disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment. The Department's FY 2022 Phase One Scorecard highlights include nearly $ 535 million in funding for technical assistance and capacity building through NOAA's Urban Heat Island Mapping, Community Climate Studies Program, and the Climate Adaptation Partnerships Program. In centering environmental justice in the Department's decision - making, NOAA conducted two technical assistance outreach events, five tribal Consultations, and addressed 50 related requests for information and listening sessions.

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 minority - serving anchor institutions, NTIA is implementing the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program (CMC), which provides $ 268 million in grant funding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Hispanic - Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Minority - Serving Institutions (MSIs) to purchase broadband internet service and eligible equipment or to hire and train information technology personnel, to upgrade classroom technology, and to increase digital literacy skills. In February 2023, NTIA announced that all funding from this grant program had been awarded to 93 universities, including 43 HBCUs, 31 HSIs, 21 MSIs, and five TCUs.

To increase entrepreneurship and access to quality jobs for women, ITA's Women Accessing Global E - Commerce Initiative (WAGE) is dedicated to building the capacity of women - owned businesses and entrepreneurs to engage in cross - border e - commerce to scale and create more jobs. To date, ITA has established seven strategic partnerships with organizations that provide training programs and counseling. EDA's Good Jobs Challenge (GJC) encouraged applicants to reach underserved communities, including women, through their awards, and nearly 90 percent of GJC Challenge grantees have investments that focus on uplifting women's access to good - paying jobs in America's workforce. Additionally, wraparound services are a key provision for all GJC awardees. Such support is essential for ensuring participants can access training and job opportunities. While childcare is not exclusively accessed by women, all 32 grantees have included childcare as a key area for supportive services in their projects.

The American Rescue Plan funded EDA's $ 1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) and $ 500 million Good Jobs Challenge (GJC) program. For both programs, EDA has made geographic diversity a top priority, and for the first time in history, the Department has its own grant program that invests in industry - led workforce training and registered apprenticeships - focusing on underserved communities, including women and people of color.

The Department's $ 50 billion CHIPS for America program - made possible by the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS) - will strengthen and revitalize the U.S. position in semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing and create hundreds of thousands of good jobs that can change lives, offer family - sustaining benefits, and lead to long - term careers. Since announcing the first funding opportunity in February, the Department has received over 500 statements of interest and over 100 pre - and full applications from companies seeking to build semiconductor projects across 42 states.

CHIPS also authorized funds later appropriated in the FY 2023 omnibus to NIST and EDA to launch programs. With $ 1.5 billion, NTIA's Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund will help drive wireless innovation, strengthen supply chain resilience, and help unlock opportunities for innovation and competition in a market historically dominated by a few suppliers. With $ 500 million, the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) program will drive regional technology - centric growth by leveraging existing innovation capacity to catalyze the creation of good jobs in the industries of the future for American workers at all skill levels equitably and inclusively. With $ 200 million, the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete) will provide grants to eligible communities to alleviate persistent economic distress, supporting long - term comprehensive economic development and job creation.

The Inflation Reduction Act provided NOAA with $ 3.3 billion to build on its commitment to help Americans - including tribes and other underserved communities - prepare, adapt, and build resilience to weather and climate events; improve supercomputing capacity and research; strengthen NOAA's hurricane hunter aircraft and fleet; and upgrade NOAA facilities.

EQUITY STRATEGY 2: Expand growth opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, including in underserved communities.

STRATEGIC GOAL 3 Foster Equitable Economic Growth for All

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.

Equity Strategy 2: Expand growth opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, including in underserved communities.

Conducted an Opportunities Workshop and Intern Seminar for over 400 participants to expand awareness of DoD opportunities, provide a platform for collaboration, and encourage greater participation in the Department's initiatives to support national security functions and the defense mission. Hosted three successful Taking the Pentagon to the People educational outreach events during FY 2023 at: University of California at Riverside, a joint event at Tuskegee and Alabama State Universities, and Arizona State University. Announced the establishment of four new research centers of excellence at MIs of higher education, as part of its Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority - serving Institutions Research and Education Program. The awards total $ 40M and will enhance research programs and capabilities in critical scientific and engineering disciplines, while expanding HBCUs ' and MIs ' capacity to participate in DoD research programs and activities. These awards will also increase the number of graduates in STEM fields, including those from under - represented minorities, which is critically important to the Department's mission.

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

food insecurity at ~ 24 - 25 percent. Survey results are available on https: / / www.militaryonesource.mil /. The Joining Forces Sub - Interagency Policy Committee created health equity as a national patient safety goal, as of July 1, 2023, requiring incorporation of social determinants of health (e.g., food insecurity) as a priority for health care.

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.

Economic Justice: Ensure strong and fair economic conditions for communities impacted by Defense Installations. 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.

Economic Justice: Ensure strong and fair economic conditions for communities impacted by Defense Installations. 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.

The Department continues to identify and clean up past military sites that supported cold war security efforts (called Formerly Used Defense Sites) that affected remote communities. DoD used the Climate and Economic Screening Tool to determine that nearly 40 percent of major military installations are adjacent to communities that meet selected criteria for Environmental Justice considerations.

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.)

Increase states participating in MCCYN - PLUS by five no later than the end of calendar year 2023. This will increase the total number of state / county participants to 15; increasing the number of providers eligible to receive fee assistance on behalf of military families. Contingent upon participant feedback from the DoD Child Care Summit on September 15, 2023; increase usage of the Child Care in Your Home Pilot. Complete focus groups on reproductive health - related concerns to Service members.

DoD will feature a diverse portfolio / system of resources to meet the myriad child care needs of our military families. Standardization of health care policies will ensure that all female Service members have access to the same, quality care for the range of their reproductive health needs. Increase informed decision - making on family planning goals through available resources, such as walk - in contraception services and updates to the health.m website that provide clear information about available contraception. Implementation of policies and processes that permit female Service members to advance in their military careers without impediments caused by inflexible career paths and options, thereby increasing the recruitment and retention of women who serve.

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.

Developed and executed the DoD Small Business Strategy and Implementation Plan, highlighting the Department's commitment to fostering a robust and equitable defense industrial base and discussing Department policies on working with small businesses. Achieved a 10.14 percent Small Disadvantaged Business goal in FY 2022, exceeding the year - end goal by 0.64 percent. This achievement advanced the Biden - Harris Administration's whole - of - government approach to expanding contracting opportunities for Small Disadvantaged Businesses. Exceeded its yearly milestone (0.60 percent by January 2023), achieving 0.61 percent of AbilityOne Program contract spending. In FY 2022, DoD procured more than $ 2.5B of products and services from the AbilityOne Program, an increase of $ 125M in FY 2021. DoD contracts with the AbilityOne program to secure the services of approximately 35,000 individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities. The Military Departments and other participating DoD Components submitted their 2023 updates to the AbilityOne Strategic Plans, which will be implemented through the end of the calendar year. DoD continues to participate in the Federal level AbilityOne Representatives Program monthly meetings hosted by the U.S. AbilityOne Commission. Issued a memorandum titled, " " Actions to Support the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, " " that provides a list of actions to promote the awareness of workers ' organizing rights, contractors ' responsibilities, and government authorities when government contract workers are trying to organize the contracting workforce. Baselined Simplified Acquisition Threshold performance within Military Departments and other DoD Components and established goals for FY 2023 and beyond. DoD is on track to issue regular guidance to the acquisition workforce on maximizing small business participation and update and deploy the Office of Small Business Program's Market Research Center of Excellence (MRCOE) in Quarter (Q) 1 of FY 2024. Educating small business professionals on how to use MRCOE to enhance DoD small business utilization through targeted and consistent performance and goal management and institutionalizing the involvement of small business professionals in the earliest stages of acquisition planning through regulation, policy, or guidance are on track for Q3 of FY 2024. Finally, DoD will add

Hosted Teacher Leadership Academies with more than 150 participants across the DoDEA Europe, Americas, and Pacific regions. Launched the MSEP Small Business program, which brought in over 30 new small business employer partners. Added questions to the Status of Forces Surveys to better understand usage of dining facilities and federal subsistence programs. Expanded the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) - PLUS initiative to cover seven additional states, bringing the total number of states covered to 13 plus Miami - Dade County in Florida. Implemented the Basic Needs Allowance to provide an additional allowance to eligible families whose income was less than 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG). Published DoD's " " Food Security Strategy and Roadmap " " and completed 21 of its 30 actions. Launched a self - guided financial well - being assessment tool to help Service members and their families assess their financial well - being and be referred to appropriate resources.

MSEP: Output - Increase MSEP employer partners by 10 percent from FY 2023 to FY 2024; Outcome - MSEP employer partners will report hiring on at least a quarterly basis to help better identify hiring outcomes and continuity of employment.

The total number of sites eligible for remediation under the DoD NALEMP is 158 sites. Remediation is complete at over 100 sites.

These Strategies demonstrate a Department - wide commitment to equity and a holistic approach for continuing to cultivate enduring and equitable change. Significant accomplishments across these Strategies include:

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

EERE released its HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize during May 2023. This competition, with $ 7.75M in cash prizes, will help HBCU institutions develop programming to strengthen the participation of K - 12 and community college students in STEM and other associated fields that can lead to potential careers in clean energy industries. It will also give HBCUs the opportunity to create enhanced curricula and programs that will provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and establish partnerships that lead to career opportunities in clean energy. This prize supports President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which directs 40 % of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to flow to disadvantaged communities, by helping to build a diverse STEM pipeline to support the clean energy transition. The prize aims to help HBCUs achieve these goals through two distinct prize tracks, the Inspire Track and the Partnerships Track. HBCUs of all sizes are invited to apply to help foster the next generation of the clean energy technical workforce. Details can be found at the Prize website: HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize HeroX. In FY 2023, EERE's first cohort of 11 students from the Graduate Education for Minority Students fellowship (GEM Fellowship) program, a non - governmental program, started their 10 - week summer internship assignments in various EERE program offices. The goal of the GEM Fellowship program is to enhance the value of the Nation's human capital by increasing the participation of underrepresented groups at the master's and doctoral levels in engineering and science. The FY 2023 program follows EERE's pilot program, which established GEM Fellow cohorts in a partnership pilot between EERE's Building Technologies Office and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This is the first class of GEM Fellowship students within DOE. EERE's Interagency Agreement with the Army and the MSI STEM R & D Consortium was designed to increase funding opportunities for MSIs. The program has continued to show improved results in R & D awards provided to MSIs, and during FY 2022, EERE provided $ 8.6M in direct funding awards to MSIs for EERE R & D work. For FY 2023, EERE is on target to surpass last year's figures. Through an Interagency Agreement partnership with the National Science Foundation, EERE has initiated a pilot through the Geothermal Technologies Office to support 14 non - academic internships for graduate students in the geothermal industry, with placements for the summer of 2023 within state geological surveys, private industry companies, and National Labs. The

EERE is partnering with the Office of Energy Justice and Equity and NREL to develop STEM faculty from MSIs through the Faculty - Applied Clean Energy Science (FACES) program. The FACES pilot program offers a unique opportunity to foster the growth of STEM faculty from MSIs through exposure to the National Lab systems. By providing valuable on - site experiences, fostering collaboration, and developing scalable educational modules, the program aims to expand DOE funding opportunities for MSI faculty. EERE announced six grand prize winners of the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize on June 15, 2023. The prize seeks to foster a just and equitable clean energy future by investing in community - led innovation and entrepreneurship programs in areas historically underserved by federal funding. The winning teams in this first - of - its - kind competition received $ 250,000 each for their entrepreneurship, job - training, mentorship, and other solutions to expand clean energy and economic opportunities in underserved communities. The Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize recognized and assisted coalitions supporting underrepresented communities with a prize pool of $ 2.1 million to build capacity and address local energy challenges with clean energy solutions in line with the Justice40 Initiative. EERE announced successful completion of the prize on December 7, 2023. All ten coalitions participating in the prize successfully completed all three phases of the challenge and were awarded $ 205k each in aggregate. The top three coalitions were awarded additional prize bonuses ranging from $ 10k to $ 50k for the strength of their project implementation and vision for the future. The Community Energy Innovation Prize launched in November 2023 is the successor to both DOE's Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize and Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize. The prize program will award up to $ 7.5 million in cash prizes as well as mentorship opportunities to organizations supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, capacity building, and economic development in communities historically underrepresented in climate and energy technology funding. The expanded prize has three tracks: clean energy ecosystem track, manufacturing ecosystem track, and collegiate track.

EJE developed a Stakeholder Engagement Smartsheet in partnership with the Justice40 SE CoP which will track energy justice related stakeholder engagements by program office, technology, region, and attendees. Offices will also upload outcomes from engagements. V. Progress on improving access and equity in DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program. DOE created the Office of State and Community Energy Programs to administer state and community - facing programs, including the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The following bullets outline key accomplishments in WAP since the publication of the April 2022 EAP. On February 3, 2023, DOE published allocations of $ 30M for Weatherization Readiness from the FY 2023 WAP appropriation, an increase of $ 15M from FY 2022. DOE WAP and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched a Weatherization Workforce Development Pilot in February 2023 to enhance impact in four communities: Lowell, MA; Roanoke, VA; Chicago, IL; and Warner Robins, GA. The program connects HUD residents to weatherization jobs within Community Action Agencies and sets up residents for careers in green construction. This partnership aims to support the utilization of DOE Weatherization Assistance Program funds by adequately staffing the weatherization programs in local communities. Several of the communities have begun hosting job fairs to share information and recruit HUD residents interested in weatherization work. Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers (SERC) funding is available to WAP grantees, subgrantees, and non - profit organizations to demonstrate innovative technologies and approaches that go beyond the scope of the formula WAP. These grants offer more flexibility than the WAP formula grants and unique opportunities to broaden the impact of WAP. The second round of SERC funding was announced in October 2022. DOE anticipates awarding eleven grantees $ 17M with 2023 SERC funds. The projects will install various renewables, including solar technologies and heat pumps. In June 2022, DOE published WPN 22 - 9, Managing Multiple Funding Streams. This policy update provides clarification on the allowability of braiding DOE funds with other federal and non - federal funding sources to expand and enhance the services provided to low - income households.

The DOE Civil Rights Division launched a technical assistance program for recipients of DOE financial assistance. The program includes both in - person events and webinars related to providing meaningful access for limited English proficient individuals in both DOE - conducted and DOE - financially assisted programs and activities. Additionally, one session provides an overview of the Department's civil rights regulations at 10 C.F.R. 1040 and 1042, which outline compliance requirements for recipients of DOE financial assistance. On February 23, 2023, and February 28, 2023, DOE's Office of Energy Justice and Equity's Minority Business and Workforce Division hosted the inaugural DOE Minority Business and Workforce Connect Summit. This summit offered opportunities for Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Department of Energy program offices, the National Labs, higher education institutions, financial institutions, and non - profit organizations who are working to realize a just clean energy future to build lasting and generative connections. The Summit allowed participants to learn about how to engage in business with the Department of Energy and to engage with leaders in government and industry to learn more about how the energy industry is responding to historic federal investments in clean energy and communities. For more information, see DOE Minority Business Enterprise Connect Summit Department of Energy DOE's 2023 Minority Business Enterprise Connect Summit Draws Record Attendance and Announces New Partnerships Department of Energy. NNSA and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory manage the NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program (NGFP) and partner with MSIs to recruit highly qualified and diverse students for this program. In 2021, 28 % of applicants hired through this program were from underrepresented minority groups. In 2023, that number increased to 45 %, an increase of 17 %. The diversity of the applicant pool increased, and, as a result, the number of diverse people has meaningfully increased over the past two years. NGFP developed a diverse team of University Relationship Managers to assist with outreach at MSIs. This approach resulted in 20 % of all applications being submitted from an MSI. On July 6, 2023, DOE announced nine states and three Tribal communities as the third cohort to receive a combined total of $ 207.6M in Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants including the Metlakatla Indian Community (Annette Island Reserve), the Native Village of Eagle, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota. The DOE Energy Justice to the People Roadshow is a series of community listening sessions and workshops dedicated to sharing information about available DOE programs and funding opportunities to support disadvantaged frontline communities and advance U.S. energy security in a just and equitable way. To date, two stops on the DOE Energy Justice to the People

In FY 2023, DOE co - sponsored White House Hispanic Initiative's Hispanic Regional Economic Summit in San Bernardino, CA, to share federal and DOE opportunities related to careers, internships, grants, and financial assistance. On October 12, 2022, EJE met with the Alliance of Hispanic Research Universities. At that time, the Alliance consisted of 21 universities which were both Hispanic - Serving Institutions as defined by Title V of the Higher Education Act and in the top 5 % of universities in the U.S. for research as determined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The meeting was held to discuss opportunities to increase diversity in the federal work force and DOE's grant recipient pool in accordance with DOE's Justice40 implementation initiatives. In FY 2023, EJE was represented by the Minority Business and Workforce Division at the Annual U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) Legislative Summit held in Washington, D.C. The USHCC actively promotes the economic growth, development, and interests of more than 4.7 million Hispanic - owned businesses. During this event, DOE presented to Hispanic owned energy businesses on funding opportunities available through various DOE program offices.

In May 2023, DOE sponsored the Federal Asian American Pacific Council's annual National Leadership Training Program in Long Beach, CA, and attended Office of Personnel Management's AA and NHPI Federal Employee Leadership Development Conference. The Department is partnering with its Asian American Pacific Islander Network Employee Resource Group (ERG) to sponsor ERG members in the federal workforce for professional development, capacity - building, and enhancing leadership skills. In FY 2023, DOE participated in two White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Regional Economic Summits in Seattle and New York City to share federal and DOE opportunities related to careers, internships, grants, and financial assistance. DOE also actively partnered with Asian Americans in Energy, the Environment, and Commerce on two external engagement events (August 2022 in Washington, DC, and October 2022 in Boston, MA) to inform the community about employment, contracting,

(1) Establish a DOE - wide Community Benefits Plan (CBP) framework that builds trust and improves outcomes for underserved communities, which in turn supports successful Deployment & Demonstration and R & D projects that advance an equitable clean energy transition. (2) Update the DOE Merit Review Program to improve equitable outcomes for DOE awards. (3) Increase and improve access to procurement opportunities (acquisition and financial assistance) for new entrants, small, and historically disadvantaged businesses. (4) Integrate and track justice considerations through a metrics framework for the Department's R & D strategy by providing consistent communication of expectations and efficient coordination and implementation of reporting requirements across the Department. (5) Develop an agency - wide framework to effectively work with Tribal and disadvantaged communities to reimagine their clean energy future through real investments and technical assistance and ensure that community voices and decision - making are integrated into DOE funding, research, and programming.

Ensure that CBPs are scored at a minimum of 20 % of the total application score, as applicable. Enhance community capacity to participate in DOE projects. Leverage resources available through federal assistance programs such as EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers, DOE Technical Assistance, and the awardee project developer's CBP commitments to increase communities ' ability to identify potential risks and harms, identify potential risk mitigation, and possible benefits of project deployment. Revise community commitment policy and supporting clauses to reflect current priorities. (DEAR 970.2673 - 1, DEAR 970.5226 - 3 and DOE - H - 2045)

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.

(1) Establish a DOE - wide CBP framework that builds trust and improves outcomes for underserved communities, which in turn supports successful and support successful Deployment & Demonstration and R & D projects that advance an equitable clean energy transition. (2) Update the DOE Merit Review Program to improve equitable outcomes for DOE awards. (3) Increase and improve access to procurement opportunities (acquisition and financial assistance) for new entrants, small, and historically disadvantaged businesses. (4) Integrate and track justice considerations through a metrics framework for the Department's R & D strategy by providing consistent communication of expectations and efficient coordination and implementation of reporting requirements across the Department. (5) Develop an agency - wide framework to effectively work with Tribal and disadvantaged communities to reimagine their clean energy future through real investments and technical assistance and ensure that community voices and decision - making are integrated into DOE funding, research, and programming.

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.

DOE / OMB / OFPP co - sponsored two nation - wide crowdsourcing campaigns in 2021, which illustrated that underserved groups faced difficulty finding DOE financial assistance opportunities. High participation at DOE - hosted Annual Small Business Fora & Expos illustrates that small businesses, including those in underserved communities, are very interested in working with the Department and are seeking clarity on opportunities, procurement (and other funding mechanisms) processes and procedures, and subcontracting opportunities. Through involvement in numerous annual regional / local small business opportunity outreach events and conversations with business owners, DOE learned that small businesses are highly capable of performing DOE mission work that is generally less complex in nature and smaller in dollar value. By reviewing stakeholder feedback from agency Requests for Information (RFI) and Industry Days and benchmarking state and local governments and other federal agency equity procurement best practices, DOE identified the following pathways to increase equity: Create centralized, more complete forecast information for future procurement activities; Ask more detailed questions on capability during market research and provide sufficient time for industry responses; furnish more information in the pre - solicitation phase; Communicate expected timing between draft request for proposal (RFP) and final RFP for teaming purposes; Increase small business " " carve outs " " and reserve meaningful scopes of work for small businesses in larger requirements.

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.

Increase the number of federal and DOE acquisition awards to new entrants. Increase usage of DOE and SBA Mentor Protégé Programs.

Utilize the DOE Equity Action Plan to share the link to numerous DOE opportunities: htps: / / www.energy.gov / justice / articles / department - energy - and - federal - funding - prize - and - competition - opportunities. Continued attendance at Annual Small Business Fora & Expos. Maintain a presence at annual regional / local small business opportunity outreach events. Continued use of social media (i.e., Facebook, LinkedIn, X) to publicize prospective business opportunities and community outreach events.

(1) Investing in America's workforce (2) Engaging communities and labor (3) Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (4) Implementing Justice40, a federal initiative that sets the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of federal climate and clean energy investments flow to disadvantaged communities.

Although inconsistent, several offices across DOE have collected R & D impact metrics, such as the number of peer - reviewed journal articles, patents, licenses, new companies formed, and the amount of follow - on funding received from the private sector. Challenges to these current efforts include: Many of these achievements occur after a project is closed out, when awardees are no longer reporting on the project and have likely moved onto other projects. As a result, many of these outputs are not appropriately attributed to DOE funding. One study of the Web of Science - a public database of scientific articles - found that in some subject areas, as little as 28 % of the articles had any acknowledgements, and of those only 65 % acknowledged funding. 9 If funding is properly acknowledged, web - crawling techniques can be used to extract subsequent impacts. Existing project impact metrics fail to address equity or justice. There are infrequent third - party reviews of evaluation metrics. These reviews are costly, time - intensive, and limited by confidential business information restrictions. There is limited interaction and participation with citizen / community science in the development of DOE R & D strategies and metrics. There have been several approaches across the federal Government to address the foregoing challenges: In the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA - E), there are staff who follow up with past recipients to collect research outputs / publications. In the DOE Office of Science, there is an annual automated reminder to past awardees to update their profile, including information regarding publications. Existing literature shows a lack of equity consideration in R & D metrics. To fill this gap, NREL developed the Justice Underpinning Science and Technology Research (JUST - R) metrics framework - energy justice metrics specifically targeted at early - stage research. 10 Some offices have project - specific metrics. For example, DOE's Building Technology Office requires applicants of some FOAs to provide estimates of energy, cost, and emissions savings using the Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI) Impact Calculator tool - a spreadsheet - based tool for building code updates in new construction, improvements to existing buildings, and improvements in energy codes compliance. 11 Since climate change disproportionately impacts low - income and minority

Develop R & D - specific metrics to quantify Justice40 impacts (i.e., workforce development, research outputs) for all project phases including during the award post - project closeout, and secondary impacts beyond the site of performance. Develop automated, easy - to - use systems to capture standard and office - specific metrics and content for all funding (FOAs, non - competitive grants, DOE Laboratory solicitations, etc.) that integrate with Justice40, BIL, and office reporting requirements and are consistent with requirements established for each FOA, including expected follow - up actions, federal financial assistance guidelines, and the Paperwork Reduction Act.

12 Smith, G.S., Anjum, E., Francis, C. et al. " " Climate Change, Environmental Disasters, and Health Inequities: The Underlying Role of Structural Inequalities. " " Curr Envir Health Rpt 9, 80 - 89 (2022). https: / / doi.org / 10.1007 / s40572 - 022 - 00336 - w 13 National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. " " Environmental Protection Belongs to the Public A Vision for Citizen Science at EPA. " " EPA 219 - R - 16 - 001 (2016). https: / / www.epa.gov / sites / default / files / 2020 - 04 / documents / nacept_cs_report_final_508. pdf 14 f National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. " " Information to Action Strengthening EPA Citizen Science Partnerships for Environmental Protection. " " EPA 220 - R - 18 - 001 (2018). https: / / www.epa.gov / sites / default / files / 2020 - 04 / documents / nacept_2018_citizen_science_publication_eng_final_v3_508. pdf 15 National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. " " Environmental Protection Belongs to the Public A Vision for Citizen Science at EPA. " " EPA 219 - R - 16 - 001 (2016). https: / / www.epa.gov / sites / default / files / 2020 - 04 / documents / nacept_cs_report_final_508. pdf 16 National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. " " Information to Action Strengthening EPA Citizen Science Partnerships for Environmental Protection. " " EPA 220 - R - 18 - 001 (2018). tps: / / www.epa.gov / sites / default / files / 2020 - 04 / documents / nacept_2018_citizen_science_publication_eng_final_v3_508. pdf 17 https: / / www.citizenscience.gov / catalog / doe / #

Establish policies and procedures to increase community participation in development of research questions and citizen science in research and development. Identify communities to review proposed R & D metrics framework. Distribute an organizational chart with the DOE communities working in Justice40 R & D reporting, with attention to offices engaging in R & D projects that involve or could engage external EJ communities in R & D.

Establish appropriate R & D metrics. Identify applicable FY 2023 R & D FOAs and solicit program managers to identify baseline metrics that are readily available. Collect and monitor appropriate R & D metrics. Distribute best practices for R & D funding acknowledgements in awardee outputs and how to collect outputs after project closeout. Distribute training material for the automated metric reporting tool. Create a public dashboard or to show DOE R & D funding and outputs from R & D funding, such as the number of publications and expected Justice40 benefits based on the created R & D metrics. The dashboard may be a stand - alone product or integrated into an existing dashboard, such as the Energy Justice (BETA) Dashboard. 19

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

Track number of positions by program office dedicated to disadvantaged and Tribal community engagement. Track number of program offices utilizing central disadvantaged community and Tribal engagement tracker. Monitor number of Tribal and disadvantaged communities supported by capacity building, grant - writing and technical assistance. Identify and note the number of DOE processes where Tribal and disadvantaged communities participated in decision - making. Determine percent of relevant DOE employees receiving onboarding and ongoing training on Tribal and disadvantaged community engagement. Capture the number of community members or stakeholders engaged by - Communities of interest (individually and collectively) Type of Engagement Degree of Engagement

In FY 2022, SC launched Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) to establish a more targeted and intentional approach to building foundations to support undergraduate and graduate student training opportunities and support institutions historically underrepresented in the SC research portfolio. RENEW leverages the agency's unique National Laboratories, user facilities, and other research infrastructures to provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty. In FY 2022, SC announced 41 RENEW awards totaling $ 32M to 37 institutions, including 24 MSIs. In FY 2023, SC issued seven RENEW solicitations and awarded $ 70M in funding to 65 institutions, including 40 MSIs. In FY 2023, SC launched the Funding for Accelerated, Inclusive Research Initiative to build research capacity, infrastructure, and expertise at non - R1 institutions and support mutually beneficial relationships between MSIs and Emerging Research Institutions and partner institutions. SC has announced $ 37M in funding for 52 projects to 44 institutions to perform basic research in applied mathematics, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geoscience, isotope research, materials science, and physics. As a result of SC's increased outreach and engagement with MSI communities and support for funding mechanisms aimed at increasing MSI participation, SC significantly increased the participation of MSIs as lead institutions in its funding opportunities in FY 2022 over FY 2021 levels. For example: SC more than doubled the number of research grants to HBCUs as the lead institution in FY 2022 (from 15 awards in FY 2021 to 35 awards in FY 2022).

SC nearly doubled the level of funding support for research awards to Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) from FY 2021 levels (from $ 58.0M in FY 2021 to $ 109.0M in FY 2022). SC nearly doubled the number of new awards to HSIs in FY 2022 (from 71 awards in FY 2021 to 136 awards in FY 2022). In FY 2023, SC established a requirement that all research proposals submitted to SC include a plan for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER). PIER Plans describe the strategies and activities the applicants will incorporate into their research projects to promote opportunity, inclusion, and access to STEM research and training for individuals from all backgrounds. PIER Plans are evaluated as part of the merit review process. Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) FECM is collaborating with National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) acquisition professionals to embed societal and community impact criteria into FOAs - whether mandated by BIL or IRA, or program directed - that expand the pool of new entrants (e.g., MSIs) participating in program procurement, acquisition, and development activities. FECM's University Training and Research (UTR) program supports novel, early - stage research at U.S. colleges and universities, with an emphasis on student training. The UTR program has a sub - program dedicated to supporting projects specifically at HBCUs and other MSIs; in FY 2023, FECM made 18 awards totaling more than $ 7M with nearly half (10 awards) going to MSIs (totaling nearly $ 3.5M). (See University Training and Research netl.doe.gov.) FECM held a workshop (April 2023) for potential future grant applicants to provide information about the UTR program and the associated application process. Over 90 people from educational institutions participated. In June 2023, FECM announced up to $ 17.7M in available funding (FOA 3002) for five different areas of interest, including establishing multi - institution collaborations for student exchanges from MSIs, new academic curricula related to geosciences, supporting interdisciplinary training in humanities - driven STEM fields.

In May 2023, the White House published the EJ Scorecard to set the baseline for federal activities to advancing EJ. Future versions of the EJ Scorecard will build on this baseline assessment. DOE's scorecard highlights some of the funding announcements in the past year, including the $ 25M Renewables Advancing Community Energy Resilience opportunity and the $ 13M Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling Design and Deployment opportunity. The Scorecard also describes program modifications that support disadvantaged communities, including mentioning DOE's new Community Benefits Plans. The Scorecard highlights Title VI and the National Environmental Policy Act's relationship to environmental justice and some of the community - oriented programs like DOE's collaboration on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers,

and business opportunities resulting from investments via BIL and IRA. DOE co - sponsored the July 2023 WHIAANHPI Regional Economic Summit to share federal and DOE employment and contracting opportunities with AA and NHPI communities and connect with stakeholders on energy justice. In FY 2023, EJE also met with the Small Business Diversity Network focused on AA and NHPI business owners to share opportunities.

Strategy # 3: Increase and improve access to procurement opportunities (acquisition and financial assistance) for new entrants, small, and historically disadvantaged businesses.

Increase achievements towards departmental socio - economic goals in SBA's FY 2023 Goaling Memorandum for DOE, dated, January 11, 2023, as shown below.

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).

Low - income communities and communities of color often bear the brunt of the negative environmental, economic, and social impacts of energy infrastructure. Further, these communities often do not have a voice in project development and deployment. The Department has a historic opportunity to advance equity through the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

communities, 12 reduction in greenhouse gas emissions will benefit these communities. This is one of the many equity - based R & D metrics in the JUST - R framework.

Administration (SBA) Dynamic Small Business Search, General Services Administration (GSA) Market Research as a Service Request for Information (RFI) Tool to increase procurement awards to small business and other disadvantaged socioeconomic categories. In FY 2023, these robust market research techniques resulted in awards valued at approximately $ 70.5 million (M) for Women Owned Small Businesses; $ 55.6M for Veteran Owned Small Businesses; $ 38.5M for Tribal - Owned and Native American Owned Small Businesses; and $ 3.8M for HUBZone Businesses.

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.

Strengthen external civil rights enforcement and proactive engagement activities to increase equitable access to federally conducted and assisted programs and activities_for members of the public; Increase public trust in DOI Law Enforcement by evaluating its workforce, increasing transparency and accountability, and providing mental health and wellness support to law enforcement; Advance equity in contracting practices to include businesses with characteristics that align with the definition of underserved communities, taking incremental steps to ensure the Department's obligated dollars are equitably distributed to underserved communities; Increase opportunities for members of the public to access public lands, prioritizing access to recreation areas and services in underserved communities; and Institutionalize environmental justice and increase the proportion of benefits of the Justice40 initiative covered programs reaching disadvantaged communities to work toward the goal of 40 percent and progress environmental justice further.

Recruit, hire, retain, and supervise a trusted and adequately staffed workforce that reflects the people and communities they serve. Improve the effectiveness and efficiency in communicating with the public during and after critical incidents. Develop a wellness program to increase the health, wellness, and effectiveness of the law enforcement workforce.

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. " "

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.

Strengthen partnerships that will support broader equity - based representation and engagement with diverse and underserved communities and audiences. Support close - to - home recreation opportunities. Create a 21st century transportation system through investments in transit, trails, and technology. Expand partnerships to better connect neighboring communities, eliminate fatalities, and minimize injuries on the NPS transportation system, and address visitor needs as well as prepare for the future of transportation. Increase equity considerations in LWCF implementation.

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.

Overall trends in responses to visitor surveys, visitor demographics, and other metrics to track increases in use based on improvements to web - based information and reduction of barriers. Changes in transit usage numbers for new transportation infrastructure to determine any equity outcomes.

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.

Increased percentage of Justice40 Initiative covered program benefiting investments going to disadvantaged communities. Increased percentage of benefits going to underserved communities. Increased number of technical assistance engagements that target information sharing and assistance to underserved communities, including increased partnerships and joint events with other Federal agencies.

Increased number of collaborations between Bureaus and Offices across the Department that leverage the impact of individual activities on disadvantaged communities throughout a region. Number of program modifications made to reduce barriers and improved stakeholder perceptions of those programs.

Increase compliance reviews with respect to granting Federal financial assistance as well as the Department's and Bureau's actions which affect their interaction with the public. Partner with stakeholders to ensure public civil rights statutes, regulations, and EOs are considered early in all actions and processes to ensure that all are aware of their public civil rights obligations and requirements to comply SO that discrimination does not occur. Build and expand on the Department's and Bureau's efforts to allow access for all members of the public to their programs and activities which include the lands managed by the Department SO that all may participate. Increase the staffing in the DOI Public Civil Rights Office and in the Bureaus to meet the increasing demands for outreach, enforcement, and technical assistance.

Continue to improve on the Department's comprehensive Language Access Plan in order that persons who may be limited English proficient have access to the Department's and Bureaus ' programs and activities. After building capacity, conduct compliance reviews of the Department's and Bureaus ' programs and activities to determine which programs and activities are out of compliance and then ensure access to all, while also processing all complaints involving these programs and activities. After determining which programs and activities involving the Department's and Bureaus ' managed lands and facilities need improvement, ensure that they are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Officer Mental Health, Wellness, and Safety: Police officer mental health, wellness, and safety are important to achieving equity. When officers face high levels of stress, trauma, or mental health challenges, it can impact their interactions with the community and undermine their ability to serve and protect their communities safely and effectively. This barrier becomes evident through a recent survey of Department law enforcement personnel. The findings revealed that: Only 62 percent rate their mental health as " " good " " or " " great " " during core job functions. Over the last 6 months, 43 percent have experienced mental health concerns. Only 52 percent believe there are sufficient resources for their mental health support. Law Enforcement Program Effectiveness: In October 2022, the Department announced a series of updated policies that will help advance safe, transparent, accountable, and effective policing practices; build public trust; and strengthen public safety. The policies provide clear guidelines on use of force standards, require DOI officers to wear body - worn cameras, and restrict the use of no - knock warrants. These policy updates were part of the Department's continuing implementation of President Biden's May 2022 EO 14074, entitled " " Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety. " "

Increase opportunities for underserved communities to access public lands, prioritizing access to recreation areas and services in urban communities.

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).

Incorporate environmental justice considerations into Department policies and program designs and expand outreach to communities with environmental justice concerns to increase the proportion of the benefits of the Department's Justice40 Initiative covered programs that reach disadvantaged communities.

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.

Increase equitable access to federally conducted and assisted programs and activities for members of the public by strengthening external civil rights enforcement and proactive engagement activities.

Increase public trust in DOI Law Enforcement by evaluating its workforce, increasing transparency and accountability, and providing mental health and wellness support to law enforcement.

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

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). 19 BSCA provides DOJ with essential tools to help reduce gun violence. Notably, BSCA established new criminal offenses that address straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, changes to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and provided additional grant funding to reduce gun violence. BSCA also changed the background check process and narrowed what was known as the " " boyfriend loophole " " by expanding the misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence (MCDV) prohibitor to persons convicted, on or after June 25, 2022, of a qualifying offense that was committed against a person with whom they are or recently were in a dating relationship. In August 2022, NICS began denying the transfer of firearms from Federal firearms licensees to applicants based on the expanded definition of MCDV. Not Invisible Act Commission. The Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime Against Indians (Commission) was extended to increase intergovernmental coordination in combating violent crime within Indian lands and against Indigenous persons. Department components are supporting the work of the Commission, which is developing recommendations on establishing best practices for Federal, State, Tribal, and local LEAs to improve coordination and resources for survivors and victims ' families and combating the epidemic of missing, murdered, and trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. In 2023, the Commission held field hearings in the communities most affected by this crisis, which will result in a final report to the U.S. Congress, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of the Department of the Interior. V. Strategies to Advance Equity in Fiscal Year 2024 A. Strategy 1. Removing Barriers to Access to Federal Grantmaking (Economic and Criminal Justice Strategy)

ATJ will play a critical role in executing this engagement strategy by leveraging the expertise of the DOJ Language Access Coordinator and ATJ Language Access Team. For example, ATJ will, with help from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and OEJ, translate select materials and websites into the non - English languages likely to be most frequently spoken by communities with environmental justice concerns. ATJ will also work to increase awareness of environmental justice enforcement and funding tools among legal service providers, who are often the first line of defense for communities with environmental justice concerns.

Improving access to DOJ programs and services. In 2022 and 2023, the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (LAIR), a 28 - Federal agency collaboration, co - chaired by the Attorney General and White House Counsel's Office and led and staffed by DOJ's Office for Access to Justice (ATJ), engaged with legal aid and other stakeholders to inform its activities. The purpose of the engagement was to better understand the barriers and opportunities to make Federal government programs and services more accessible and equitable and increase all people's ability to obtain just outcomes. In 2022, ATJ collected feedback from over 70 legal aid and advocacy organizations across the country who regularly help people access government programs and benefits for which they are eligible. Informed by this review, the 2022 Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Report developed a roadmap to simplify Federal government forms, processes, and language, utilizing a people - centered approach. In 2023, ATJ, in collaboration with other agencies, held a listening session with 15 legal aid and other advocates to hear on - the - ground experiences of individuals interacting with Federal administrative proceedings to inform agency efforts, such as providing assistance through lawyers and nonlawyers, streamlining processes and language, and leveraging digital technologies while providing support to those without access to such technologies.

This economic and criminal justice strategy seeks to improve and increase access to grant funding and technical assistance resources that benefit communities disproportionately impacted by crime, violence, and victimization at the State, Tribal, Territorial, and local level. As such, this strategy seeks to empower these communities to develop tailored initiatives and solutions to ensure more effective and transformative public safety outcomes.

Second, the Department is working to ensure that the needs of historically marginalized and underserved communities are considered in the grantmaking process. 25 In SO doing, DOJ administers several grant programs that aim to ensure that population - specific organizations and the communities they serve have more equitable access to funding and that such funding is tailored to their needs. 26 In addition, the Department employs several flexible funding models to support organizations at different stages of growth, including by offering planning grants for new organizations, capacity - building grants for expanding organizations, implementation grants for established entities, and intermediary funding models that provide subawards and capacity - building technical assistance to community - based organizations.

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.

In addition, given the number of unmet civil legal needs that impact reentry success, ATJ, BOP, and the National Institute of Corrections have developed a pilot program to provide civil legal services to incarcerated individuals, including services related to debt collection, access to benefits, and child custody matters, in select BOP women's facilities. 33

Lastly, the Department clarified its guidance SO that State, Tribal, territorial, and local jurisdictions can better leverage Federal funds received under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and the National Criminal History Improvement Program to support efforts to seal and expunge criminal records. This will represent a critical step forward for returning citizens as they seek to access housing and employment opportunities.

In the near to mid - term, the Department will implement the rollout of the Card for formerly incarcerated individuals in all Federal facilities, with full implementation expected by the end of the first quarter of FY 2024, thereby increasing the number of returning citizens able to obtain State - issued identification. Access to identification will enable greater access to employment, housing,

benefits, and other critical reentry needs. Through OJP, DOJ will utilize grants to States for reentry efforts focused on securing healthcare access, improving community supervision outcomes, and reducing the burden of criminal justice fines and fees. In the long - term, the Department will continue the use of OJP grants designed to help lower the rates of recidivism for individuals leaving Federal custody, and increase connections to healthcare, public benefits, housing, and employment for returning citizens at the Federal and State level.

There is growing evidence about what works and what matters to improve the representation and experiences of underrepresented groups across law enforcement ranks. 41 For example, one study found that law enforcement recruitment messages focusing on the personal benefits of applying to a particular job could be three times as effective at getting individuals to apply to a job without those details, and are particularly effective at increasing the number of applicants from groups traditionally underrepresented in the profession. 42

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

victimization among transgender individuals " " was 2.5 times the rate among cisgender persons.,, 48 Yet only " " 58 % of violent victimizations against lesbian or gay persons were reported to the police., 49 A common reason for the failure to report is a belief that the " " police would be ineffective. " " Similarly, " " human trafficking disproportionately affects women and girls, people of color, [ and ] LGBTQI + individuals. " "

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

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.

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.

Identify gaps in our enforcement service delivery, to provide targeted information and outreach to vulnerable worker populations and increase awareness around worker protection and wage laws; Increase outreach to Southeast business owners, to increase awareness of federal contracting opportunities and to stimulate participation by the Southeast business owners in the competitive federal procurement process; Conduct a series of listening sessions and outreach sessions across the Southeastern United States, connecting workers with other workers, community leaders, and State officials and encouraging coalition building; Embed an equity focus on the Southeast region agencywide through upcoming agency strategic plans; and Development of a strategy for the Power of Community - amplifying the voices of marginalized communities to provide feedback on DOL engagement / services.

Number of pre - apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and job training opportunities developed in the Southeast region; Number of listening sessions and outreach sessions conducted in the Southeast; and Number of equity initiatives on the Southeastern United States incorporated into DOL subagency management plans by September 2024.

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.

Disrupting occupational segregation, getting more women in pathways to good - paying jobs The Employment and Training Administration's (ETA) Office of Apprenticeship (OA), WB, ODEP, and Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) will collaborate to increase female participation in pre - apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships, including leveraging the recently launched RA Academy to add training resources for program sponsors and State Apprenticeship Agencies on EEO and DEIA in apprenticeship; design a Federal Apprenticeship Accelerator with DEIA Focus; and award new contracts and grants like WB's Tradeswomen

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.

Review the need to translate vital information / documents, depending on the size of the language groups; the use of Babel notices or taglines to facilitate access to language assistance services; bilingual staffing resources and / or how to engage with outside interpreter services; and developing SOPs and related training to ensure consistent outreach and engagement. Take steps to increase DOL language capacity, including through expanding the pool of staff that have language skills. DOL agencies will review and update existing position descriptions to determine the need to expand language requirements for outreach to and engagement with underserved communities and will submit a plan for recruitment of bilingual positions. Develop centralized resources for Departmental agencies to use to meet needs for individual programs and populations served. In FY 2023, the CRC established the Centralized Office of Language Assistance (COLA) to improve access to DOL conducted programs and activities for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals. In FY 2024, COLA will provide agencies within DOL with a framework for engagement with LEP individuals, technical assistance training, and develop performance metrics to gauge performance as it relates to language access, among other activities. DOL agencies will implement agency - specific language access milestones, to include translation of vital documents into significant language groups, and development / implementation of an outreach and engagement strategy.

Number of bilingual and multilingual staff onboarded to support language services; Number of vital documents translated by the end of FY 2024; Number of outreach and engagement opportunities conducted with LEP demographics; and Number of technical assistance trainings provided to DOL agencies.

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.

DOL's Job Corps launched a pre - apprenticeship initiative to expand career opportunities and pathways for graduates to participate in registered apprenticeship programs in infrastructure, including clean energy and renewable energy manufacturing. There are currently 143 Corps instructors nationwide providing training towards renewable resources and energy. DOL has revamped its Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) under four Justice40 covered programs to support the development and implementation of sustainable construction and building practices and clean energy technologies, including reference to

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.

Development of an evidence - based analysis within agencywide procurement efforts. Based on analysis, number of agencies that develop strategic plans to remove internal barriers and expanded engagement with small disenfranchised and women owned businesses.

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

provide hiring authority technical assistance, educate about the provision of effective reasonable accommodations, and encourage expanding WRP and Schedule A hiring as part of agency strategic planning. In FY 2024, ODEP expects available funding of approximately $ 13M to support approximately four Equitable Transition Model (ETM) demonstration grants focused on underrepresented youth with disabilities, including youth experiencing homelessness, leaving foster care, and / or involved in the justice system, to improve employment outcomes, as well as increase states ' capacity to develop innovative employment strategies for underserved youth and their families. To further align with the Department's mission, goal, and objective of creating an economy for all workers, DOL has expanded its outreach and engagement with HBCUs, HSIs, tribal communities, and other minority serving institutions. We have advanced our engagement through mentorship programs, training, and grant opportunities, listening sessions, roundtables, formal invitations to extended procurement and contracting webinars, and more. The impact of engaging with more diverse populations through colleges and universities informs our efforts and allows for participation with communities that mirror the workforce in America. In addition, we have and will continue to embed this extended outreach and initiative into our agency strategic plans.

people. WB will also, in concert with the Office of Human Resources, explore policy options to increase recruitment at DOL of justice impacted people, and provide pilot job readiness trainings inside local jails within the Southeast region.

Studies show that a range of support services are needed to enable underserved individuals to participate in job training. Among women, who often bear the brunt of care giving responsibilities, evidence shows the positive impact supportive services have on completion of training programs and job outcomes. Studies also show that women who received occupational skills training had wages that were 80 percent higher than those who did not receive such training and those who received supportive services earned an average of $ 400 more per quarter in comparison to those not receiving those services. Apprentices who do not complete their apprenticeship are more likely to report experiencing financial difficulties, especially with being able to afford tools and clothing, housing, child care, housing, and transportation.

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.

DOL has participated in a number of partnership development sessions to build connections, understand barriers, and understand how to best serve women workers. DOL will continue to develop partnerships through community engagement, including the following actions:

Increased number of LEP individuals able to engage in DOL programs and access DOL information, and increased number of language groups served.

Increase outreach to small, disadvantaged businesses, such as Black - and women - owned businesses, in contracting processes, through the development of an evidence - based evaluation to identify opportunities in the procurement processes and implementation of a strategic engagement plan.

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.

In service of the Justice40 Initiative, federal agencies are working towards delivering forty percent of overall benefits of climate, clean energy, training, workforce development, and other federal investments to disadvantaged communities that have been marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment. [ 1 ] The Department of Labor's Phase One Scorecard identifies DOL's proposed and accomplished initiatives towards this effort, including $ 1.8 billion in funding made available from Justice40 covered programs, and 383 technical assistance outreach events in FY 2022 to provide critical information to workers, employers, and federal, state, and local governments to improve job quality and access to good jobs. Of the proposed initiatives, the Department is currently working towards or has completed the following actions to embed environmental justice into all aspects of its work:

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:

Work through existing levers and community partnerships to increase pre - apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and job training opportunities for workers in the Southeast, increasing career and wage improvement opportunities;

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.

Reduce the number of direct displacements resulting from federal - aid highway projects. Increase the number of entities using local and economic hiring preferences on highway and transit projects. Increase DOT direct contract dollars to small disadvantaged businesses from 18.2 % in FY 2021 to 22 % by FY 2026.

Lack of access to capital sources means Black - and Hispanic - owned businesses have less growth capital. These businesses are half as likely as non - minority counterparts to be fully approved for loans, lines of credit, and cash advances. 4 Minority - owned businesses and small disadvantaged businesses often have inadequate bonding capacity and access to surety expertise. This makes it difficult to compete and perform in government contracts, which limits award opportunities for many small, disadvantaged businesses. 5

In the top four industries receiving direct contracts from DOT, the following small and disadvantaged business enterprises were underrepresented in terms of total FY 2022 DOT direct contract dollars: Women and Black workers are significantly underrepresented in the construction workforce, a key job growth area from infrastructure investments. In 2020, women held about 1 in 10 construction jobs while non - Hispanic Blacks held 5.1 percent of construction jobs, compared with their 11.8 - percent share of total employment. 7

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.

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.

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.

October 2022: DOT released a guide on Promising Practices for Meaningful Public Involvement in Transportation Decision - Making to help funding recipients meaningfully involve the public in various stages of transportation decision - making and build their organizational capacities to do SO. December 2022: FHWA surveyed State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) on their inclusion of quantitative equity screenings and meaningful and representative public participation in their Statewide and Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Programs (S / TIPs) in order to help develop a baseline and work toward achieving the related Key Performance Indicator (KPI). February 2023: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a final rule, as required by BIL, updating the Uniform State Highway Safety Grant Program to require NHTSA grant recipients to conduct meaningful public engagement among affected communities, particularly those most significantly impacted by traffic crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities. April 2023: Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, convened the first ever Green Shipping Corridor Network Collaborative Forum with a variety of stakeholders to promote green shipping and environmental justice for the Great Lakes region. September 2023: DOT issued a fact sheet on Title VI and discrimination on the basis of shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.

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

All DOT Operating Administrations (OAs) have adopted an equity analysis process throughout their program offices to increase meaningful public involvement in DOT - conducted virtual engagements by 2024. All DOT OAs have well - resourced Equity Teams led by career members of the Senior Executive Service who champion, coordinate, resource, and implement the OA's equity mission by 2024. DOT staff in key job functions, including and outside civil rights offices, have the core competencies and executive sponsorship to incorporate equity into their daily work by 2024.

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.

March 2022: DOT established equity as one of the Department's fiscal year (FY) 2022 - 2026 Strategic Goals. April 2022: DOT released the Department's Equity Action Plan, establishing a foundation for DOT's path towards building a transportation system that works for all people. May 2022: DOT reestablished the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity to provide independent advice on DOT equity programs. December 2022: Issued a Department - wide Secretarial Order formalizing the Equity Council via DOT Order 1000.17 to institutionalize equity in DOT's policies and programs. June 2023: DOT hosted a Department - wide equity summit for DOT employees, organized by the DOT Equity Community of Practice to share best practices to advance equity.

THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL) AND INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA)

Upgrade skills, grow entrepreneurs, increase incomes, expand net asset ownership, and foster social well - being for underserved communities through direct procurement, infrastructure projects, community wealth building, and industry at large.

By making equity a priority and supporting that priority with the historic funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), DOT is working to make a system that meets the Department's mission to deliver the world's leading transportation system, serving the American people and economy through the safe, efficient, sustainable, and equitable movement of people and goods.

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.

Conduct quarterly DOT Navigator webinars to share information on successful grant writing strategies and spotlight new resources to assist those considering applying for grants. - Ongoing

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

U.S. major airlines reported mishandling 11,389 wheelchairs and scooters in calendar year 2022 (1.54 % mishandling rate). ³ 1 As of FY 2020, nearly 25 % of all transit stations in the U.S. were not accessible. 32

Wealth Creation: Upgrade skills, grow entrepreneurs, increase incomes, expand net asset ownership, and foster social well - being for underserved communities through direct procurement, infrastructure projects, community wealth building, and industry at large.

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 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.

In FY 2022, applicants representing disadvantaged communities accounted for about a quarter of new applicants to DOT programs. This sets the baseline for increasing the number of new applicants from disadvantaged communities by 5 % by FY 2025.

One challenge pregnant women can face is access to safe, reliable, and accommodating transportation. This challenge is especially pronounced for women who are experiencing low incomes, living with a disability, or have limited English proficiency. FTA conducted a comprehensive study that identified several challenges for pregnant women riding transit, including limited availability of accessible seating, challenges accessing health care, and exposure to health and safety risks. FTA will continue to study and raise awareness of these issues and work with stakeholders, including transit providers, health agencies, and riders to develop innovative solutions and increase access to transit for pregnant women.

Leading Change: The DOT Equity Council

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: Postsecondary institutions serving larger proportions of students of color and low - income students receive less funding per student on average than other institutions, such that four - year institutions serving larger proportions of Black students and Pell Grant recipients only spend half as much on instructional expenditures per student compared to other institutions. 8 These funding inequalities are due in part to state policies that provide more funding to more selective, research - intensive public institutions than the less - selective public four - year universities and community colleges that students of color and low - income students are more likely to attend. This is also due to the concentration of these student populations in states with lower higher education expenditures overall, particularly in the South. 9 Completion: While completion rates have increased modestly overall in recent years, about one - third of students starting in four - year institutions do not complete their degrees within six years, and about two - thirds of students starting at two - year institutions do not complete their credentials within three years. Double - digit gaps in completion rates remain between students of color and white students (e.g., a 22 - percentage point gap between Black and white students) and low - income and high - income students (e.g., a 22 - percentage point gap between Pell Grant recipients and non - recipients) in four - year institutions. Furthermore, completion rates have declined for Black and Hispanic students in the two - year sector, widening gaps with white students. 10 There are a number of obstacles to completion for students of color and low - income students, including insufficient, inaccessible, or uncoordinated academic and financial support services at the under - resourced institutions they are more likely to attend. 11 Value: While postsecondary education is critical to achieving economic mobility in this country, people of color, people from low - income circumstances, and women, especially women of color, often earn less than their peers with the same college credential. This is partly due to persistent wage discrimination against these populations in the

Accessibility: Research has shown that students who complete the FAFSA are much more likely to enroll (and continue to re - enroll) in college, reducing enrollment " " melt " " especially during the summer between high school and college. 14 However, surveys have found that 10 percent of students did not fill out a FAFSA because they found the forms too complicated, and that a quarter of Black students and one - third of Hispanic or Latino students who did not file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ®) didn't have the information needed to finish it. Making it easier to fill out the FAFSA can address one of the key barriers to enrolling in college for students of color and low - income students. 15 Affordability: Research has found that a $ 1,000 increase in grant aid can increase college enrollment by 4 percentage points, and that a $ 1,000 increase in need - based grant aid can increase college completion by nearly 4 percentage points. Increased grant aid provided by institutions, states, and the federal government can help address barriers to college access and completion for students of color and low - income students. 16 Funding: Research has found that a 10 percent increase in total expenditures can generate an additional 55 bachelor's degrees per year at a typical four - year university, while a decrease in spending can negatively affect degree completion at already underfunded institutions such as community colleges. Equalizing funding for

Completion: Research has shown that comprehensive reform efforts, such as The City University of New York's (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) model, that provide integrated advising, financial aid, and academic support can increase completion rates by 15 - 20 percentage points and increase students ' post - college earnings by over 10 percent, including for students of color and low - income students. 18 Value: Research has shown that institutions and programs can improve workforce outcomes for students by intentionally designing college - to - career pathways, contextualizing basic skills into career - aligned courses, providing proactive career advising and navigation support, and leveraging industry partnerships to provide students with work - relevant learning experiences. 19

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.

Across States, districts serving students of color, students from low - income backgrounds, English learners, and other underserved groups tend to receive less State funding than lower poverty districts. For example, an analysis by The Education Trust indicated that high - poverty districts receive, on average, 5 percent less (about $ 800 per student) combined State and local revenue than low - poverty districts. Following the Great Recession, high - poverty districts experienced an inequitable share of funding and staffing cuts. (Knight, D.S. (2017). 20

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.

The number of States that have come into compliance with the Maintenance of Equity requirements, thus ensuring that students from historically underserved groups do not experience a disproportionate share of per - pupil spending and FTE staffing cuts. The number of LEAs receiving supplemental payments to address disproportionate per - pupil reductions in State aid.

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.

Launch a new Second Chance Fellows Program by supporting an individual who was formerly incarcerated to work within the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. The selected individual will help to lead the Department's technical assistance efforts to better support institutions of higher education and correctional agencies to provide justice - impacted individuals with the support that they need, pre - and post - release, and will help the Department to be more effective in its work and expand its partnerships with other federal agencies to support learners who are justice - impacted. Improve the utilization of technical assistance assets across the agency to improve the quality and number of opportunities that learners who are impacted by the juvenile justice system, as well as incarcerated and confined learners with disabilities, have in pursuing adult education, career and technical education, Registered Apprenticeship programs, and two - and four - year degree programs that are offered in correctional facilities.

Number of PEPs approved by the Department. Number of states that participate in the Integrated Education and Training (IET) as part of their states Adult Education and Family Literacy program to support Corrections Design Camps.

Number of PEPs receiving renewed approval by the Department. Number of individuals who are incarcerated participating in PEPs eligible for Pell Grants. Number of credentials attained by students participating in PEPs.

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.

Partner with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide technical assistance to SEAs and LEAs to increase access to Medicaid reimbursement for school - based mental health services. Provide resources to address the effect of sexual harassment and violence on mental health. Advance resources and efforts to strategically share information with K - 12 stakeholders about 988, the Nation's new suicide and crisis care line. Mental health is a major communications priority SO the Department will continue to promote 988 and reframe messaging SO that students and families are familiar with available resources.

5. Advanced equity in grant process strategies through funding programs that focused on improving access to high - quality educational opportunities and programs that pursue innovations in teaching and learning with an emphasis on underserved students. Designated the $ 1 billion from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) as the Stronger Connections Grant Program. This enables SEAs to competitively award subgrants to high - need LEAs for activities to support safe and healthy students under ESEA section 4108. Funded 264 grants with $ 1 billion in BSCA funds to more than 40 states to increase the supply of school - based mental health professionals under the School - Based Mental Health Services Grant and the Mental Health Services Professional Demonstration (MHSPD) Grant Program. At least 40 States used " " high poverty " " in their definition of high - needs school. The Department estimates these 5 - year grants will result in an increase of 14,000 mental health professionals. In FY23, nearly 50 percent of the MHSPD grants include a partnership with MSIs, HBCUs, or Tribal Colleges. In a letter to State educational agencies, the Department encouraged states to prioritize funding for districts with high rates of poverty and one of the following a high student - to - mental health professional ratio; high rates of chronic absenteeism, exclusionary discipline, and / or referrals to the juvenile justice system, bullying / harassment, community and school violence, or substance abuse; or students who recently experienced a natural disaster or traumatic event. The Department issued revised non - regulatory guidance to inform SEAs, LEAs, institutions of higher education, schools, educators, partner organizations, and other stakeholders on how they can use evidence - based activities, strategies, and interventions to strengthen education investments. The Department also published a training to inform grantees of sourcing requirements for capital improvements authorized by the Build America Buy America Act (BABAA).

Accessibility: Exacerbated by the pandemic, undergraduate enrollment has declined for all students since 2019, including Native American (- 7.9 percent), Black (- 7.3 percent), Hispanic (- 5 percent) and Pell Grant recipients (- 9.9 percent) students, which threatens our ability to continue to increase postsecondary attainment rates in this country. 3 Students of color and low - income students face a number of barriers to enrolling in postsecondary education, including lack of sufficient access to counselors and advisors to support them with completing college admissions and financial aid applications. 4 Affordability: The financial burden of paying for college has increased for students and families as prices have soared and the purchasing power of the Pell Grant has diminished over time, now covering only about 25 percent of average college costs. 5 As

The number of States requesting technical assistance to inform possible adjustments to funding formulae beyond the immediate two - year requirement.

The Department's 2023 Equity Action Plan Update reflects efforts to address economic disparities through targeted funding to build and support a more just and equitable educational ecosystem and supports the Department's " " Raise the Bar: Lead the World " " initiative - to transform our educational system and unite around what truly works - based on decades of experience and research - to advance educational equity and excellence. Raise the Bar recognizes that our nation has what it takes to continue leading the world - especially when we deliver a comprehensive, rigorous education for every student; boldly improve conditions for learning; and ensure every student has a pathway to multilingualism and to college and careers. When the bar is raised in education, all our nation's students win. Our students will build skills to succeed and reach new heights in the classroom, in their careers, and in their communities, making a positive difference in the world for generations to come.

This strategy aims to ensure that the Department can contribute to making our society 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.

Education can have a transformational impact on an individual's life - and education plays a vital role in easing an individual's reentry from jail or prison back into society. Studies have found that a postsecondary education helps justice - impacted people who were formerly incarcerated find jobs upon release, support their families, and contribute positively to their communities. Research also shows that access to education in prison lowers the odds of recidivating by 43 percent and saves taxpayers up to $ 5 for every $ 1 spent. 26 However, policies have traditionally exacerbated the barriers that incarcerated people face when attempting to continue their education, including inadequate funding, local labor market trends and employer needs, statutory and administrative restrictions, and a lack of incentives and support to promote participation in education. 27

Additionally, the Department has engaged in equitable exchanges of information through gathering public comments, technical assistance, and hosting listening sessions. The Department is in partnership with State - and local - educational agencies in its commitment to address school attendance, including supporting districts with the highest rates of chronic absenteeism and will continue to increase engagement. The Department has sought to expand more equitable access to engagement in listening sessions and public comment periods by adding new places and channels to communicate these engagement opportunities to a wider audience by utilizing networks that reach racially, economically, and geographically diverse populations. Reflective of the input the Department has received, the Department has included five strategies in its 2023 Equity Action Plan Update that will help lead us to educational equity and excellence:

Economic Justice: Build a strong, fair, and inclusive workforce and economy to increase the economic and workforce mobility of every student in high - quality career pathways.

STRATEGY # 5 - INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, FROM THE HISTORIC LEGISLATION AND FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE BIPARTISAN SAFER COMMUNITIES ACT.

This strategy is aligned with findings of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released in January by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey released this past February by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC Youth Risk Behavioral Survey conveyed alarming findings of the prevalence of mental health or substance use disorders among for our nation's youth. Nearly 60 of female students and nearly 70 percent of LGBTQI + students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Thirty (30) percent of females and 45 percent of LBGTQI + students seriously considered suicide. The report advances the critical need for schools to expand school - based services and to connect youth and families to community - based sources of care. 37 Schools are a gateway to needed services that otherwise might be inaccessible for many young people.

The Medicaid Budget and Expenditure System (MBES) expenditures reports for 2021 show more than $ 5.98 billion in total computable payments for school - based health care services to Medicaid students. This report will be used to determine growth in school - based health services supported by the Medicaid program.

This strategy aims to address barriers to college access, affordability, and completion by supporting colleges to enroll more students from underserved backgrounds, 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.

This Equity Action Plan reflects our efforts to address persistent opportunity gaps and build a better education system than the one we had before the pandemic and embodies the Department's " " Raise the Bar: Lead the World " " agenda. First, thanks to President Biden's historic investments in public education, including providing $ 122 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for Title I Schools, this plan includes supporting State and local efforts to accelerate learning and provide a comprehensive, rigorous, and academically excellent education to every student. Second, we're improving learning conditions with new efforts to elevate, grow, and diversify the teaching profession, leveraging the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act's bold investments to help address chronic absenteeism, better supporting students ' mental health and positive school climates, and advancing robust parent and family engagement in schools. Third, we're focused on creating opportunities for students of all backgrounds to succeed in our globally competitive society and by investing in multilingual learning and reimagining pathways to college and careers. Finally, we are working to increase college affordability and completion SO that all students have access to quality, postsecondary education that leads to careers that provide economic mobility and stability.

Collaborating Agencies: We collaborate with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to obtain critical information about students ' income to help them secure financial aid and, after students leave, to help them secure assistance with repaying their loans and to assess the outcomes of programs and institutions. We also collaborate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to increase broadband access for eligible college students.

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

a result, low - income students and students of color face considerably more unmet financial need than their peers; the average net price after grant aid for students from the lowest - income families represents 94 percent of their annual family income compared with 14 percent for students from the highest - income families. 6 To make up the difference, low - income students and some students of color are more likely to borrow, and face more difficulties repaying their loans especially since they are also more likely to drop - out with debt but no degree.

Our prosperity at home and competitiveness abroad hinge on our collective will to ensure all children, youth, and adult learners have equitable opportunities to discover their passions, find their purpose, and fulfill their potential. This moment demands that we reject complacency and embrace equity at all levels and work together to realize education's power to transform lives, strengthen families, uplift communities, increase our competitiveness, and fuel our prosperity for generations to come.

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.

Affordability: The Department will work with Congress to double the maximum Pell Grant by 2029, work with States to increase the number of States and institutions offering free community college, and continue to work with institutions to increase

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.

ensuring an SEA does not disproportionately reduce per - pupil State funding to high - need LEAs; ensuring an SEA does not reduce per - pupil State funding to the highest - poverty LEAs below their FY19 level; ensuring an LEA does not disproportionately reduce State and local per - pupil funding in high - poverty schools; and ensuring an LEA does not disproportionately reduce the number of FTE staff per pupil in high - poverty schools. The Department is assisting with successful implementation by:

STRATEGY # 1 - IMPROVE COLLEGE ACCESS, AFFORDABILITY, AND DEGREE COMPLETION FOR UNDERSERVED STUDENTS TO INCREASE ECONOMIC MOBILITY

Priority Strategy # 1: Improve Access to Federal Funding and Assistance Programs for Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns. EPA will remove systemic barriers and support community capacity building to ensure that as EPA provides resources to communities of greatest need, they have the ability and readiness to receive and apply those resources to make positive change on the ground in their communities.

Led process of integrating EPA organizational culture change efforts that enhance vendor diversification, procurement equity, and inclusion. A webinar was hosted during Small Business Week to amplify the use of small and socioeconomic businesses. Over 1,000 EPA personnel attended this webinar. Developed EPA training curriculum for small businesses, compromised of nine topics that will be offered in FY 2024.

Committed in EPA's Strategic Plan to increase inspections at facilities that affect communities with potential environmental justice concerns from a baseline of 27 % to 45 % in FY 2022, 50 % in FYs 2023 - 2024, and 55 % in FYs 2025 - 2026; in FY 2022, EPA exceeded the target and conducted 56 % of its inspections in communities with environmental justice concerns. As a follow - up to the Administrator's Journey to Justice tour, deployed a multi - scale monitoring project (" " Pollution Accountability Team " ") in overburdened Louisiana communities; also developing enforcement actions where excess emissions are identified by these monitoring efforts and unannounced inspections. Since FY 2021, issued over 133 orders to address drinking water violations in communities, particularly in communities with environmental justice concerns, such as Cahokia Heights, Illinois, Clarksburg, West Virginia and Jackson, Mississippi and in Tribal areas.

In March 2022, reached a settlement with Chevron Phillips Chemical Company to install and operate air pollution controls at three petrochemical manufacturing facilities in Texas located in areas of environmental justice concern; monitoring results will be publicly posted, and corrective actions are required if emissions exceed certain thresholds. Took aggressive, early enforcement actions in communities with environmental justice concerns: In August 2022, following negotiations that considered concerns voiced by the local community, secured a preliminary injunction for the Toa Alta Municipal Solid Waste Landfill to take immediate action to address urgent human health and environmental concerns. Issued two Clean Air Act emergency orders to shut down the Limetree Refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands (June 2021) where residents were sickened by excess sulfur and hydrogen sulfide emissions and to cut hydrogen sulfide emissions from the New Indy plant in South Carolina (May 2021). Provided more enforcement information to communities about facilities, pollution, and enforcement activities through press releases, desk statements, public meetings, and websites focused on specific communities and incidents (e.g., Refinery on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, H2S in South and North Carolina, Toa Alta Landfill in Puerto Rico). Increased efforts to obtain input from communities on potential remedies prior to finalizing settlement agreements. Developed analytical approaches to address environmental justice implications of major regulatory proposals and final rules. For example, For the Oil and Natural Gas New Source Performance Standard proposal (November 2021) and the Supplemental Proposal (November 2022), EPA held virtual trainings (900 + participants) marketed to communities with environmental justice concerns and Tribes to assist their ability to understand and comment meaningfully on the proposal. EPA's proposal included requirements for states to undertake meaningful outreach and engagement with communities with environmental justice concerns as they develop their plans for regulating existing oil and gas sources under the emissions guidelines. In the final nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission standards for trucks, conducted analyses of the number and demographics of the populations living within close proximity to truck freight routes. This final rule will likely result in widespread air quality improvements across the U.S., especially in areas already overburdened by air pollution and diesel emissions, beginning with model year 2027. In July 2023, issued proposed rules to strengthen lead paint standards to protect against childhood lead exposure. Developed a Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in US Communities to advance EPA's work to protect the public from lead with an emphasis on high - risk communities. Announced the allotment of $ 2.865B FY 2023 funds from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for identification and replacement of lead service lines (LSLs). As part of the Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Accelerators, EPA and 4 state partners are working with 40 communities to address existing barriers and accelerate progress towards LSL identification and replacement. The new Accelerator provides targeted technical assistance services to help communities with environmental justice concerns access funds from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law4 and this initiative will prioritize benefits to communities with EJ concerns and promote equity. Provided Spanish Lead Awareness Curriculum for Indian Country.

Proposed stronger requirements5 for the removal of lead - based paint hazards in pre - 1978 buildings and child - care facilities to better protect children and communities from harmful effects of exposure to dust generated from lead paint. Released outreach and educational materials in various languages highlighting the risks of heavy metal exposures primarily to children and pregnant women in products such as spices, cosmetics and cookware. Announced a series of free educational sessions6 on the dangers of lead and ways to reduce and prevent lead exposure in children and across U.S. communities. Published the Renovate Lead - Safe Media Kit to educate about the availability of lead - safe certified contractors and the importance of following do - it - yourself lead - safe work practices in removing lead - based paint. Released an environmental justice toolkit for lead paint enforcement programs that provides strategies, examples, and other information for federal, state, Tribal and local government enforcement practitioners to use during all stages of environmental enforcement and compliance monitoring activities designed to eliminate harmful exposures to lead paint in housing. Issued principles for addressing environmental justice concerns in air permitting and conducted outreach to state and Tribal partners. In the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emissions Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Electric Generating Units (EGUs), conducted pre - proposal outreach to environmental justice organizations and representatives of communities affected by pollution from the power sector. Awarded $ 900M in funding for Clean School Buses to support replacement of existing school buses with zero - emission or low - emission buses that reduce exhaust, which is linked to asthma. In June 2023, conducted a public webinar on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers and conducted outreach and solicited feedback from stakeholders, including the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, farmworker advocacy groups, and the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee. Promoted best burn practices and cleaner technologies. Assisted partners with wood heater changeout programs to meet requirements of New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Residential Wood Heaters, which helps to protect low - income families and communities who rely on wood heaters from wood smoke. Awarded $ 2M among 10 winners for the Cool Communities Challenge. Hosted a national webinar to share innovative and effective communication strategies that inform people of the risks of extreme heat, providing materials in 13 languages and offering ways to keep safe during the hottest days to better reach communities with environmental justice concerns in inner cities and farmworkers, among others. Hosted a prize competition to protect public health, including maternal health, through the Let's Talk About Heat Challenge, focused on innovative communication strategies to warn people of the risks of extreme heat and provide solutions on how to keep safe during the hottest days. Among the winners were messages targeted to people known to be more susceptible to extreme heat, which includes those who are pregnant and children.

subgrants to communities in their regional coverage areas in amounts between $ 100 - 350K. These subgrants will essentially replace EPA's traditional grant programs such as the EJ Small Grants, which would provide such small levels of support directly to communities through a traditional government grant competition and award process. The subawards through the Grantmakers will achieve two equity goals - greatly reducing the burden capacity - constrained communities face when seeking small amounts of funding directly from the federal government, and also increasing the speed with which communities receive an award. EPA plans to make at least eleven (11) Grantmaker awards across the United States with $ 50M each, of which at least $ 40M must be directly subawarded to capacity - constrained communities. EPA anticipates that over the next three years the Grantmakers will make approximately 2,000 subawards in the amounts cited. EPA has announced the eleven (11) recipients of the EJ TCGM awards totaling $ 600M. Launched a new $ 2B Environment and Climate Justice Community Change Grant program with a focus on re - envisioning the application process to ensure equity. In FY 2024, EPA will compete these new Community Change Grants, which will be the vehicle through which approximately $ 2B in IRA funding will flow. Community Change Grants will focus on awarding between $ 10 - 20M to multi - faceted proposals from community - driven collaborations that bring together efforts to deal with legacy pollution, the impacts of climate change, development of local workforces, meaningful engagement, community education - all with a goal of implementing solutions that create positive change on the ground for communities. EPA is implementing several innovative solutions to increase equity through this program. While the EJ TCTACs will focus on providing more basic forms of support to capacity - constrained communities, they will also facilitate communities with higher levels of capacity to access more specialized forms of technical assistance provided by contractors. This contractor - provided technical assistance will offer communities the support they need for planning, project development, financing, etc. in the development of multi - faceted proposals for the Community Change Grant program. Technical assistance by the contractor will also support proposals that receive support to ensure high quality reporting, tracking, and telling the story of how the Community Change Grants catalyzed positive and meaningful change on the ground for the recipient communities. The Community Change Grant program will have a two - stage application process. The first stage will be a more traditional written application that is streamlined to the extent feasible to ease the burden on applicants. Proposals that meet minimum criteria in the paper application will then be invited to an oral presentation that will achieve two goals - minimize the role that professional grant writers play for typically better - resourced communities and allow EPA grants staff to engage directly with community leaders and their partners to investigate the authenticity of the project's community - driven nature and the sustainability ensured by different partners of the project. In addition - to ease the burden on communities - the Community Change Grant will have a 12 - month open application period. This will achieve several equity goals. It will provide communities significantly more time to build the partnerships and multi - faceted proposals sought through this competition. It will allow EPA program staff the opportunity to tailor the competition over the year - long window based upon feedback from prospective applicants and the actual proposals received to ensure that the competition fits the needs and purpose as closely as possible. The rolling application will

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

Number of communities that receive fundamental capacity building assistance through the EJ TCTACs. Number of new grantees and resources flowing to disadvantaged communities through EPA Justice40 programs. Number of successfully completed project elements vs. number of projects unsuccessfully completed resulting in funding returned to EPA. Number of new community - driven partnerships working collaboratively to implement change - making projects on the ground in communities. 10

Change in conditions on the ground for communities such as: reduction in heat islands and other negative impacts of climate change. reductions in the impact of legacy pollution on communities. increase in community capacity and ability to develop and deliver multifaceted projects through multiple funding / resource streams that implement solutions on the ground for communities. increase in workforce development in communities with environmental justice concerns that drives communities ' resilience, wealth creation, and retention within the community. increase in meaningful engagement structures and systems collaboratively developed by communities and their local, Tribal, state, and federal government partners.

Ongoing monthly National EJ Community Engagement calls. Ongoing public engagement calls open to all communities to provide educational outreach and assistance regarding federal assistance programs through the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. Ongoing in - person presentations to the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee and the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. Upcoming assistance calls at the national level regarding the Environment and Climate Justice Community Change Grant competition. Ongoing outreach engagement by the TCTACs and other contractor - led technical assistance providers, and regional staff that will provide feedback to EPA on efforts to improve access for communities with environmental justice concerns. Continuous feedback of ongoing activities through increased staffing capacity across all ten EPA regions that expands outreach and engagement efforts of regional staff with communities in their regions.

Fragmentation now systematically structured into government programs, particularly those of US EPA and its co - regulators. There is insufficient coordination and collaboration across EPA's programs, its co - regulators, and its governmental partners. Need to expand the toolkit of methods for analyzing cumulative impacts to include assessment of disproportionate impacts, health disparities, and social determinants of health. Failure of environmental decision - making to incorporate and address historical and structural factors such as redlining, where there is a demonstrated link to negative environmental quality. Failure of government programs to fully appreciate how housing, health care access, transportation, economic development, green space access, climate change, and other issues result in inequitable distribution of cumulative environmental and public health hazard and harm. The need for funding and human resources given that cumulative impact assessment requires engagement with communities and other stakeholders.

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.

Increase in the number of cumulative impacts assessments or actions initiated, in progress, and / or completed. Increase in the number of activities to: (1) facilitate discourse on emerging approaches and tools, innovative ideas, and promising practices; (2) develop and apply methods and tools; (3) implement research projects; (4) build expertise, consensus, and capacity; (5) develop and implement demonstration projects; and (6) improve cross - program, cross - agency and multi - stakeholder collaboration and coordination.

Strengthen its external civil rights workforce through hiring, onboarding, and training of dedicated civil rights staff, both in headquarters and the regions, and retaining the services of contract staff to support the civil rights mission, and the various underlying initiatives outlined below. Initiate and complete proactive pre - award and post - award civil rights compliance activities, including affirmative compliance reviews. Operationalize clear and strong civil rights guidance and provide corresponding training and technical assistance to increase recipients ' compliance with civil rights laws. Conduct timely and effective civil rights complaint investigations and resolutions, even as we work to address a record number of new incoming complaints, and simultaneously meet deadlines. Strengthen federal interagency collaboration and coordination on complaints, compliance reviews, and policy guidance. Increase transparency, enhance engagement with environmentally overburdened communities, and engage all EPA program and regional offices in civil rights compliance activities.

Number of civil rights post - award affirmative compliance reviews initiated annually. Number of civil rights audits initiated annually to ensure compliance with procedural requirements. Percentage of state recipients of EPA financial assistance that have civil rights procedural safeguard elements in place. Number of information sharing sessions and outreach and technical assistance events with communities with environmental justice concerns, community groups, and other partners on civil rights and environmental justice issues. Number of opportunities identified and implemented by program and regional offices to achieve civil rights compliance in their planning, guidance, policy directives, monitoring, and review activities.

Increase in the number of recipients and applicants of EPA financial assistance with procedural safeguards. Increased compliance with civil rights requirements by recipients of EPA funding as a result of a robust affirmative enforcement program, including compliance reviews, pre - award reviews, and post - award compliance activities.

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.

Number of Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) consultations to healthcare professionals and community members in communities with environmental justice concerns. Number of research products that address children's environmental health considerations. Milestones and metrics enumerated in EPA's Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in US Communities to reduce lead exposure to children.

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.

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.

EPA has lacked the capacity to ensure consistent, effective, and well - coordinated reasonable modifications and / or auxiliary aids and services to ensure open access to EPA programs and activities. People with disabilities are more likely to have social and economic risk factors, such as poverty and unemployment, that put them at greater risk and exposure to disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects. These effects include those related to climate change, the cumulative impacts of environmental and other burdens, and the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers.

Initiate research on the intersectionality of people with disabilities and other vulnerabilities and exposures to adverse stressors in the environment, including climate - related stressors. Determine whether additional databases and tools for identifying vulnerabilities need to be developed (i.e., research, modifications to EJ Screen, fact sheets, trainings etc.). Develop " " disability disparity indicators " " that EPA can target for mitigation (e.g., reduction in environmental exposures and harms leading to childhood asthma; reduction in exposure to PM2.5 which lead to negative diabetic outcomes, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, etc.).

Increase in the number of events or engagements that include information for members of the public to request reasonable modifications and / or auxiliary aids and services, or about disability access and accessible materials. Increase in the number of EPA programs and regions that have implemented program and region - specific disability access plans by FY 2026. Increase in the number of reasonable modifications and / or auxiliary aids and services requested versus provided once tracking system is in place. Timeliness of providing reasonable modifications and / or auxiliary aids and services to members of the public.

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.

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.

Revised EPA's pre - award compliance review process for applicants and recipients requesting EPA financial assistance to ensure that all recipients of EPA funding are in compliance with procedural requirements and entered into approximately 90 agreements with recipients to come into compliance with obligations under EPA's nondiscrimination regulation. In August 2022, EPA issued " " Interim Environmental Justice and Civil Rights in Permitting FAQs, " " which gathered existing guidance, technical assistance, and other resources to assist permit writers and reviewers with integrating environmental justice and civil rights into decision - making. Completed jurisdictional review of 47 complaints, accepted 10 of those cases, and to date, have resolved 5, as compared to FY 2020 of only 15 cases accepted. Conducted multiple national public engagement technical assistance sessions, with a future public commitment to hold at least one per quarter to provide transparency of civil rights work and an opportunity for public input. Increased transparency by affirmatively providing information to the public including an interactive Online Docket of all external civil rights complaints filed with EPA since 2014, and corresponding documents. Provided civil rights compliance technical assistance and training to hundreds of EPA financial assistance recipients and other stakeholders both one - on - one and through workshops to encourage compliance.

Implemented four policy initiatives to increase small business utilization and reduce the burden of proposal submission by socially disadvantaged and minority serving institutions. Oral Presentation Implementation underway to expedite the evaluation process by allowing small business teams to showcase their technical expertise and engage with Government evaluators. Conducted Agency outreach to provide socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses and minority - serving institutions the opportunity to learn more about EPA's operations and mission from EPA decision - makers at conferences, industry days, public outreach events, and listening sessions while simultaneously broadening Agency awareness of capabilities of these businesses and minority - serving institutions. The outreach events reached 8,238 small businesses.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provide needed resources to address burdens that, for too long, have plagued communities with environmental justice concerns across our country, including bearing the brunt of toxic pollution, enduring underinvestment in infrastructure and critical services, and suffering disproportionate impacts from climate change. In just one year, EPA has made tremendous progress in removing barriers affecting our most impacted communities with environmental justice concerns.

also allow proposals that do not score sufficiently high enough to have the opportunity to receive a debrief from the competition scoring panel and then resubmit a revised proposal. This final element will help communities increase their capacity and eliminate the sunk costs of competitions that only provide a single bite at the apple.

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.

Reduction in cumulative impacts and measurable health disparities in vulnerable and overburdened communities.

EPA continues to build upon ongoing efforts under the six priority actions outlined in our 2022 Equity Action Plan, which include addressing cumulative impacts, building the capacity of communities with environmental justice concerns to share their experience with EPA and implement community - led projects, developing EPA's internal capacity to engage communities with environmental justice concerns, strengthening EPA's external civil rights compliance program, integrating participatory science into EPA's research and program implementation, and making EPA's procurement and contracting more equitable.

Partner with the EPA Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center to refine the informal resolution process to increase opportunities for complainants and communities to participate in resolving complaints.

Children are at greater risk to environmental health impacts due to biological, behavioral, and social factors. Children eat more food, drink more water, and breathe more air in proportion to their body size as compared to adults. Breastfeeding, crawling, and hand - to - mouth contact increase children's exposure to contaminants. Exposures for even a very short duration at critical life stages can cause adverse health effects. Early life exposures may also result in adverse health impacts later in life or in later generations.

Environmental exposures cause and contribute to harmful health effects in children. 16 Research shows that social inequities create substantial environmental health disparities that result in pregnancy - related complications that affect the unborn child, adverse health outcomes, and disease. 17 Adverse health impacts on pregnant women and children are exacerbated by climate change, which demonstrates the need to give particular attention to children's environmental health in climate resilience and adaptation planning. 18 18

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.

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

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

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

Improved process for ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities based on number of accessibility complaints received and resolved.

Reduction in environmental and health disparities, as reflected in EPA's disparities indicators.

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.

Advancing equity, environmental justice, and civil rights compliance is integral to EPA's mission to protect the health and the environment of all people in the United States and its territories. In its Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 - 2026 Strategic Plan, EPA renewed its commitment to the agency's core principles - follow the science, follow the law, and be transparent - while adding a fourth principle, advance justice, and equity. To carry out its mission, EPA is committed to developing and implementing concrete policies and activities to advance equity and environmental justice across its programs. This can only be achieved by acknowledging that many communities across the country have not sufficiently benefitted from EPA's decades of progress in reducing pollution and breaking down barriers to equity. EPA strives to infuse the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals into all EPA programs, policies, and activities. EPA's commitment to equity and environmental justice forms a critical foundation on which to build meaningful engagement with communities with environmental justice concerns; achieve more equitable and just outcomes, including pollution reductions in communities with environmental justice concerns; and deliver other tangible benefits. In remaining faithful to these commitments, EPA is living up to the promise to protect human health and the environment made to all people in the United States and its territories when the Agency was created more than 50 years ago.

Deliver Equitable, Accessible and Inclusive Digital Government to the American Public. This strategy supports the whole - of - government equity objectives of Economic Justice and Civil Rights; and it aims to address potential barriers and biases present in public interactions with civic tech. Key actions include advancing human centered design and community - informed user research practices, scaling language access, and ensuring responsible adoption and procurement of Al - enabled technologies. Advance Equity, Economic Security, Sustainability and Environmental Justice through Large - Scale Construction Projects and the Federal Buildings Footprint. This strategy supports the whole - of - government equity objectives of Economic Justice, Environmental Justice, and Housing Justice and Community Investment; and it aims to address barriers to community benefits realized through equitable and sustainable Federal development. Key actions are designed to improve planning and access to local opportunities - like good jobs and cleaner, more climate change - resilient communities, made possible by landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act investments. Advance Equity and Effectiveness of Federal Programs Through Rigorous Review, Evaluation and Continuous Improvement. This strategy supports the whole - of - government equity objectives of Civil Rights, Health Equity, Economic Justice, Global Equality; and it aims to ensure Federal programs are working as intended, particularly programs that provide critical support to the public during emergencies and recovery after disasters. Key actions include scaling the Federal Government's use of evaluations to surface important findings and areas of improvement in the design and delivery of Federal programs. Advance Equitable Access to Opportunity and Federal Resources for Local Communities and Minority Serving Institutions. This strategy supports the whole - of - government equity objectives of Civil Rights and Economic Justice; and it aims to reduce barriers to access for institutions that, through Federal resources, help close critical gaps in capacity and infrastructure for the local communities they serve. Key actions include conducting proactive civil rights compliance reviews of the Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Program and broadening partnerships - including contracting agreements - between Federal agencies and Minority Serving Institutions.

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

Complete the Equity Study on Remote Identity - Proofing and publish findings. GSA launched the study and is recruiting 4,000 members of the public for participation. The peer - reviewed final report will present a statistical analysis of the performance of proofing checks, like facial verification, across a number of sociodemographic factors and explore the causes behind any negative or inconclusive results. GSA will use the results of this study, in combination with findings from other Federal agency efforts, to establish recommendations and inform future product iteration, including on Login.gov. Advance equity through civic tech shared services and large - scale modernization investments. GSA provides expertise via a portfolio of mission critical digital government projects through its universe of technologists and product managers in TTS Consulting, Presidential Innovation Fellows, U.S. Digital Corps and the Benefits Studio. The agency also supports improvements to government delivery and IT infrastructure, including automation, through investments made by the Technology Modernization Fund. These platforms are positioned to apply equity frameworks in the way government programs and services are effectively designed and delivered to the American public.

reduced negative impacts (e.g., false rejection rates in biometric identity - proofing, task completion rates, slow page load times for low - and limited - bandwidth connections) and closing those efficacy gaps across sociodemographic factors increased product efficacy and higher overall scores in usability tests increased digital accessibility fluency and compliance across GSA high - impact products increased number of community - based organizations with active user research pipelines for GSA product testing increased and proportionate participation of users from underserved community groups in GSA product testing at scale increased number of available and platform - integrated non - English languages in high - impact digital services and products

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.

increased diversity in the supplier base, including broadened participation from Tribal and disadvantaged businesses contracted to Federal construction projects and increased total dollars awarded to these businesses as a percentage of project value increased number of small and socioeconomic businesses, including new entrants, awarded contracts in the region where Federal projects are located increased number of Project Labor Agreements executed overall improved job and jobsite quality scores across GSA portfolio projects increased and more accessible pathways to training and employment opportunities in regions where GSA projects are located increased initiation and execution of community development goals established during Planning Outreach and Partnership engagements number of GSA community stakeholders who are awarded place - based assistance grants through Thriving Communities opportunities; indicators of reduced burden in disadvantaged Census tracts with GSA environmental justice ameliorations

Increase the number of Federal agencies and programs initiating equity evaluations. GSA currently partners with a handful of Federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of Education. GSA will increase its capacity for new evaluation agreements and work to recruit additional Federal agencies and programs to the service. Additionally, GSA will partner with the White House and interagency councils to bolster Federal agency capacity and readiness to undertake evaluations. Conduct public engagement and increase awareness of equity evaluation findings. The conclusions and recommendations generated from these evaluation efforts are not only useful to the Federal Government. They provide important insights to State and local governments who coordinate downstream Federal resources to communities and act as a public accountability tool to the communities themselves. GSA will undertake a strategic communications campaign to raise awareness of key findings and ensure the research has maximum impact through its scaled application by end users.

Number of Federal agencies and programs implementing updates based on findings increased number of people and communities reached by engagement and public outreach actions about evaluation findings indicators of reduced burden and improved access where Federal program delivery has been revised based on evaluation findings

Establish a plan to conduct proactive reviews for the 56 State Agencies for Surplus Property to ensure their compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with a goal of 14 SASPs for review each fiscal year. GSA's Office of Civil Rights is responsible for GSA's administration of Title VI and will work to increase equitable access to programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from GSA. Initiate an engagement and outreach plan to raise awareness in local communities about resources available through their State Agency for Surplus Property. GSA

In FY 2022, $ 2.8 billion of GSA contracting obligations went to small businesses, including 21.4 % to small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs); In FY 2023, GSA increased its small business contracting obligations to $ 3.3 billion, representing over 50 % of the agency's eligible spending. Launched a new Supplier Base Dashboard to provide more transparency and public reporting on Federal efforts to increase the number of new entrants to the Federal marketplace and reverse the general decline in the small business supplier base. Signed a new 8 (a) partnership agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration to increase 8 (a) contracting opportunities and make it easier for Federal agencies to buy from 8 (a) businesses for common goods and services needs. Established new contracting pools in the growing Federal marketplace of Information Technology services and solutions to bolster participation of Women - Owned Small Business, Service - Disabled Veteran - Owned Small Business, and small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones. The 8 (a) STARS III contracts have been awarded to 1,111 SDB. 290 " " rising stars " " have received their first awards exceeding $ 925 million in obligations. Expanded tools to support Minority Serving Institutions with training and technical assistance to achieve success in the Federal contracting marketplace. Established a Post - Award Engagement strategy to support disadvantaged and socioeconomic small businesses, which oftentimes still face challenges in successfully earning sales after being awarded a GSA contract. Published the first - ever Supplier Diversity Plan to support Federal marketplace participation of SDB. Updated the Multiple Award Schedule Welcome Package and Roadmap to improve information access and assist new contractors with success in marketing and managing their contracts.

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

number of completed civil rights SASP compliance reviews increased number of people, communities, and MSIs reached by engagement and public outreach actions increased number of underserved communities, organizations, or geographic areas that that seek to participate in the Federal surplus goods program indicators of reduced burden and improved access where program compliance reviews and any required updates have been implemented Increased number of MSI and HBCUs participating in Federal contracts Increased number of overall Federal contracting dollars obligated to MSIs and HBCUs

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.

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.

Projects implemented under the nearly $ 7 billion made available to GSA through historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) investments are poised to bolster economies with small and local business participation, improve job and jobsite quality for workers and trade labor, address sustainability and environmental justice concerns, and strengthen relationships between levels of government, Tribes, and communities.