Frequently Asked Questions

Section 504, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794 (Section 504), prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, in regard to both employment and the delivery of services or benefits, in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Title II of the Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12132 (Title II), prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in employment and the delivery of services or benefits in public entities. Title II applies to all state and local governments.

This Act of 1975, 42 U.S.C. § 6102 (Age Act), prohibits age discrimination in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. OCR enforces this Act related to services discrimination based on age. For more, see Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

OCR will accept third-party discrimination complaints on behalf of individuals who are either unable or reluctant to file a claim. However, the absence of a signed Identity Release Statement from the aggrieved party may severely limit the investigation.

No. If OCR finds that your complaint has merit, federal regulations require OCR to work with the funded agency to bring it into compliance with applicable federal civil-rights laws. These negotiations may result in a formal resolution agreement, which states remedial actions the funded agency agrees to take. A complainant has the right to review and comment on a resolution agreement before it becomes final. However, OCR alone decides that the resolution agreement's terms are acceptable.

No. Federal regulations do not provide complainants with the right to appeal OCR's administrative decisions. However, if additional facts have come to light, you may write to OCR and request your complaint's reconsideration in light of the new evidence.

Yes. OCR interprets Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other related program statutes as requiring funded agencies to have procedures for filing discrimination complaints that are accessible to the public. Funded agencies should have step-by-step, written grievance procedures that address how individuals may file a complaint, how the agency investigates a complaint, how the agency ensures impartiality in investigating itself, who is responsible for conducting the investigation, who is responsible for making findings, what the legal standards and time tables are for issuing findings, what duty the agency has to keep the complainant informed at each stage, and what the agency's obligations are when the complaint investigation shows that remedial actions are warranted.

No. A complainant must not pay any fees or charges.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has provided several million dollars to support juvenile and youth mentoring programs. See OJJDP's In Focus: Mentoring Youth fact sheet, Annual Reports for information about OJJDP's support of mentoring and other programs and the Funding page for details about awards made under previous OJJDP solicitations.

To learn about Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) funding opportunities, visit the Current Funding Opportunities section of the OJP site. Additionally, subscribe to OJJDP's JUVJUST electronic listserv to receive notices of OJJDP funding and other announcements.

Statistics on juvenile status offenses can be found in the Federal Bureau of Investigation annual Crime in the United States report and in the following Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention resources:

• Juvenile Arrests, 2018
• Juvenile Court Statistics 2018
• Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2014 National Report
• Frequently Asked Questions about Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process