{"abstract":"This action will harmonize EPA's statutory Disadvantaged Business Enterprise procurement objectives with the United States Supreme Court's decision in Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200 (1995). In that case, the Supreme Court extended strict judicial scrutiny to federal programs that use racial or ethnic criteria as a basis for decision making. Remedying discrimination is recognized as a compelling government interest, and this rule is promulgated on the understanding that the statutory provisions authorizing its adoption were enacted for that remedial purpose. This rule sets forth a narrowly tailored EPA program to serve the compelling government interest of remedying past and current racial discrimination through agency-wide DBE procurement objectives. EPA intends to evaluate the propriety of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program in 7 years through subsequent rulemaking. This rule also revises EPA's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) program and renames it EPA's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. EPA is removing existing MBE/WBE specific provisions in regulations for grants and agreements with institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit organizations; and uniform administrative requirements for grants and cooperative agreements to state and local governments, state and local assistance, and research and demonstration grants, and is consolidating and adding to these provisions in this new regulation. This rule affects only procurements under EPA financial assistance agreements. This rule does not apply to direct Federal procurement actions. If you are a recipient of an EPA financial assistance agreement or an entity receiving an identified loan under a financial assistance agreement capitalizing a revolving loan fund, this rule may affect you.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2008/03/26/E8-6003.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":30,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":31,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":33,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":35,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":40,"title":40}],"citation":"73 FR 15904","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This final rule is effective May 27, 2008.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket ID NO. EPA-HQ-OA-2002-0001","FRL-8545-9"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"E8-6003","effective_on":"2008-05-27","end_page":15922,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2008/03/26/E8-6003.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/03/26/E8-6003/participation-by-disadvantaged-business-enterprises-in-procurement-under-environmental-protection","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/E8-6003?publication_date=2008-03-26","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2008-03-26/E8-6003/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":19,"page_views":{"count":621,"last_updated":"2026-07-25 22:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2008-03-26/pdf/E8-6003.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"2008-03-26","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2008/03/26/E8-6003.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2090-AA38":{"issue":"200710","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2090-AA38/utilization-of-small-minority-and-women-s-business-enterprises-in-procurement-under-assistance-agree","title":"Utilization of Small, Minority, and Women's Business Enterprises in Procurement Under Assistance Agreements","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=200710&RIN=2090-AA38&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2090-AA38"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2011-11-14T00:34:20Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":15904,"subtype":null,"title":"Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Procurement Under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Financial Assistance Agreements","toc_doc":"Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Procurement Under EPA Financial Assistance Agreements","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Accounting","Administrative practice and procedure","Environmental protection","Grant programs","Grant programs-Indians","Grant programs-environmental protection","Hazardous waste","Indians","Intergovernmental relations","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements"],"type":"Rule","volume":73}