Title 45

SECTION 701.13

701.13 Staff organization and functions.

§ 701.13 Staff organization and functions.

The Commission staff organization and function are as follows:

(a) Office of the Staff Director. Under the direction of the Staff Director, this Office defines and disseminates to staff the policies established by the Commissioners; develops program plans for presentation to the Commissioners; evaluates program results; supervises and coordinates the work of other agency offices; manages the administrative affairs of the agency; appoints an Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for the agency's in-house Equal Employment Opportunity Program; and conducts agency liaison with the Executive Office of the President, the Congress, and other Federal agencies.

(b) Office of the Deputy Staff Director. Under the direction of the Deputy Staff Director, this Office is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the agency; evaluation of quantity and quality of program efforts; personnel administration; and the supervision of Office Directors who do not report directly to the Staff Director.

(c) Office of the General Counsel. Under the direction of the General Counsel, who reports directly to the Staff Director, this office serves as legal counsel to the Commissioners and to the agency; legal aspects of agency-related personnel actions, employment issues, and labor relations issues; plans and conducts hearings and consultations for the Commission; conducts legal studies; prepares reports of legal studies and hearings; drafts or reviews proposals for legislative and executive action; receives and responds to requests for material under the Freedom of Information Act, Federal Advisory Committee Act, Administrative Procedures Act, and the Sunshine Act; serves as the agency's ethics office and responds to requests for advice and guidance on questions of ethical conduct, conflicts of interest, and reporting financial interest; and reviews all agency publications and congressional testimony for legal sufficiency.

(d) Office of Management. This Office is responsible for all administrative, management, and facilitative services necessary for the operation of the agency, including financial management, personnel, publications, and the National Clearinghouse Library. This office consists of three divisions reporting directly to the Staff Director.

(1) Administrative Services and Clearinghouse Division. Under the direction of the Chief of Administrative Services, this Division is responsible for the identification and acquisition of Commission hearing facilities; oversight of the Rankin Library and the distribution of publications; procurement; information and resources management; security; telecommunications; transportation; space management; repair and maintenance services; supplies; central mailing lists; and assorted other administrative duties and functions;

(2) Budget and Finance Division. Under the direction of the Chief of Budget and Finance, this Division is responsible for budget preparation, formulation, justification, and execution; financial management; and accounting, including travel for Commissioners and staff; and

(3) Human Resources Division. Under the direction of the Director of Human Resources, this Division is responsible for human resources development, including career staffing, classification, benefits, time and attendance, training, and compensation.

(e) Office of Federal Civil Rights Evaluation. Under the direction of an Assistant Staff Director, this Office is responsible for monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the civil rights enforcement effort of the Federal Government; developing concepts for programs, projects, and policies directed toward the achievement of Commission goals; preparing documents that articulate the Commission's views and concerns regarding Federal civil rights to Federal agencies having appropriate jurisdiction; and receiving complaints alleging denial of civil rights because of color, race, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin and referring these complaints to the appropriate government agency for investigation and resolution.

(f) Congressional Affairs Unit. This Unit is responsible for liaison with committees and members of Congress or their staffs, monitoring legislative activities relating to civil rights, and preparing testimony for presentation before committees of Congress when such testimony has been requested by a committee.

(g) Public Affairs Unit. Under the direction of the Chief of Public Affairs, this Unit is responsible for planning and managing briefings at which the Commission receives information regarding civil rights issues; developing plans for community outreach activities; managing the Commission's public service announcements; media releases and press conferences; preparing for publication periodic updates of Commission activities and a Commission civil rights magazine; and keeping the Commission and Commission staff apprised of civil rights conferences and activities.

(h) Regional Programs Coordination Unit. Under the direction of the Chief of the Regional Programs Coordination Unit, this Unit is responsible for directing and coordinating the programs and work of the regional offices and 51 State Advisory Committees to the Commission and maintaining liaison between the regional offices and the various headquarters' offices of the Commission.

(i) Regional Offices. The Commission has six regional offices, each headed by a Director, that coordinate studies and fact-finding activities on a variety of civil rights issues addressed by the State Advisory Committees (SAC) in their regions and approved by the Staff Director; report to the Commission on the results of SAC activities; submit SAC reports to the Commission for action; and assist with follow-up on recommendations included in SAC or Commission reports. The name of the Director, the address, and telephone and facsimile numbers for each regional office are published annually in the “United States Government Manual”. The regions and the SACs that they serve are:

Region I: Eastern Regional Office, Washington, DC

Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.

Region II: Southern Regional Office, Atlanta, Georgia

Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Region III: Midwestern Regional Office, Chicago, Illinois

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Region IV: Central Regional Office, Kansas City, Kansas

Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

Region V: Rocky Mountain Regional Office, Denver, Colorado

Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

Region VI: Western Regional Office, Los Angeles, California

Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.