# Purpose and applicability.
**AGENCY:**
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
**ACTION:**
Final rule; correcting amendments.
**SUMMARY:**
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights is correcting a final rule which appeared in the *Federal Register* on March 4, 2024. This final rule amends the USDA's regulations to clarify protections for beneficiaries and prospective beneficiaries of federally funded social services and the rights and obligations of organizations providing such services. The overarching goal of the regulation noted the rule is intended to cover recipients and subrecipients of domestic social service programs. However, the regulatory language did not reference social service programs. The current regulatory text specifies the policy applies to all recipients and subrecipients of USDA assistance to which USDA uniform administrative requirements for recipients applies, and to recipients and subrecipients of Commodity Credit Corporation assistance that is administered by agencies of USDA. The amendment will specifically state the rule is intended to cover recipients and subrecipients of USDA domestic social service programs to which USDA uniform administrative requirements for recipients applies.
**DATES:**
This rule is effective May 18, 2026.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Ramonda Reed, Director, Compliance Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250 at 202-815-3544 or *[email protected].*
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The USDA is issuing a correction to its regulations in 7 CFR part 16, which were amended by a final rule that published in the *Federal Register* on March 4, 2024 (89 FR 15671).
**List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 16**
Administrative practice and procedure, Grant programs.
Accordingly, 7 CFR part 16 is corrected by making the following correcting amendments:
**PART 16—EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS**
**7 CFR Part 16**
1. The authority citation for part 16 continues to read as follows:
**Authority:**
5 U.S.C. 301; 42 U.S.C. 2000bb *et seq.;* E.O. 13279, 67 FR 77141, 3 CFR, 2002 Comp., p. 258; E.O. 13280, 67 FR 77145, 3 CFR, 2002 Comp., p. 262; E.O. 13559, 75 FR 71319, 3 CFR, 2010 Comp., p. 273; E.O. 13831, 83 FR 20715, 3 CFR, 2018 Comp., p. 806; E.O. 14015, 86 FR 10007, 3 CFR, 2021 Comp., p. 517.
**7 CFR Part 16**
2. Amend § 16.1 by revising paragraph (b) to read as follows:
§ 16.1
(b) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this part, the policy outlined in this part applies to all recipients and subrecipients of USDA domestic social service programs to which 2 CFR part 400 applies, and to recipients and subrecipients of Commodity Credit Corporation assistance that is administered by agencies of USDA for the purpose of domestic social service programs.
Devon Westhill,
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.