Policy
Directive
Effective Date: November 01, 2017
Expiration Date: December 01, 2029
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NASA Policy Directive |
NPD 2081.1B Effective Date: November 01, 2017 Expiration Date: December 01, 2029 |
NAII 2081.1, NASA Advisory Implementation Instruction (NAII): NASA Language Access Plan
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1 |
12/10/2024 |
Revalidated for another five years with administrative changes made to bring the document into compliance with requirements for directives. |
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2 |
04/11/2025 |
Administrative updates made to comply with executive actions. The term "diversity" and references to rescinded Executive Orders were removed throughout. |
a. It is NASA's policy to ensure nondiscrimination in the Federally assisted and conducted programs of NASA.
Note: The definition for "Federal Financial Assistance" may be found at Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of NASA, 14 CFR 1250.102(d) and in NPR 2081, Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted and Conducted Programs, Appendix A.
b. This directive establishes policy for ensuring that:
(1) No individual in the United States will, on the ground of race, color, religion, national origin, or age, be excluded from participation, denied the benefits of, or discriminated against in any program that receives Federal assistance from NASA.
(2) No individual in the United States will, on the ground of sex, be excluded from participation, denied the benefits of, or discriminated against in any educational program that receives Federal assistance from NASA.
(3) No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States will, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NASA or under any program or activity conducted by NASA.
(4) No individual, on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, or status as a parent, will be excluded from participation, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in Federally conducted education programs or activities conducted by NASA.
c. No grant or agreement with an institution or organization (including training grants and facilities grants) may be awarded until the
institution or organization has provided an assurance pursuant to 14 CFR 1250.104.
a. This NASA Policy Directive (NPD) is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities and Technical and Service Support Centers.
b. The applicability of this directive to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, is being assessed by NASA. This applicability statement will be updated as necessary when that assessment is completed.
c. This directive applies to other contractors, grant recipients, or parties to agreements to the extent specific or referenced in the appropriate contracts, grants, or agreements.
d. In this directive, all mandatory actions (i.e., requirements) are denoted by statements containing the term "shall." The terms: "may" or "can" denote discretionary privilege or permission, "should" denotes a good practice and is recommended, but not required, "will" denotes expected outcome, and "are" or "is" denote descriptive material.
e. In this directive, all document citations are assumed to be the latest
version unless otherwise noted.
a. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681, et seq.
b. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. §§ 701, et seq.
c. Nondiscrimination Under Federal Grants and Programs, 29 U.S.C. § 794.
d. Electronic and Information Technology, 29 U.S.C. § 794(d).
e. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d.
f. Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 6101, et seq.
g. Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Race, Sex, Color, National Origin, Disability, Religion, Age, Sexual Orientation, and Status as a Parent in Federally Conducted Education and Training Programs, Executive Order (E. O.) 13160, 3 CFR 279 (2000).
h. Designating English as the Official Language of the United States, E. O. 14224, 90 F.R. 11363 (2025).
i. Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards, 11 CFR pt. 1194.
j. Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of NASA, 14 CFR pt. 1250.
k. Nondiscrimination on Basis of Disability, 14 CFR pt. 1251.
l. Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs and Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance, 14 CFR pt. 1252.
m. Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance, 14 CFR pt. 1253.
a. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR pt. 1800.
b. Eligibility, Certification, and Protests Relating to Federal Small Disadvantaged Business Programs, 13 CFR pt. 124, subpt. B.
c. Government Contracting Programs, 13 CFR pt. 125, subpt. A.
d. Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, 13 CFR pt. 127, subpt. A.
e. Small Business Policy, 14 CFR pt. 1204, subpt. 4.
f. Cooperative Agreements with Commercial Firms, 14 CFR pt. 1274
g. NPR 2081.1, Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted and Conducted Programs.
h. NASA Form (NF) 1206, Assurance of Compliance with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Regulations Pursuant to
Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs.
a. Senior Agency leadership, including the Administrator, Deputy Administrator, Associate Administrator, and other Officials-in-Charge of Headquarters Offices and Center Directors will assist the NASA Principal Civil Rights Compliance Officer, the Head of the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO), in carrying out the provisions of the NASA Federally assisted/conducted regulations, in accordance with NPR 2081.1 .
b. The Assistant Administrator (AA) for Procurement will ensure that NASA grants and contracts are awarded and administered within the framework of applicable civil rights statutes, regulations, and policies in accordance with Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR pt. 1800 and Cooperative Agreements with Commercial Firms, 14 CFR pt. 1274. The AA for Procurement will ensure the issuance of guidance regarding procurement of electronic and information technology that complies with applicable law.
c. The Associate Administrator (AA) for Small Business Programs will exercise responsibilities in accordance with Small Business Policy, 14 CFR pt. 1204, subpt. 4 regarding:
(1) small and disadvantaged businesses in accordance with Eligibility, Certification, and Protests Relating to Federal Small Disadvantaged Business Programs, 13 CFR pt. 124, subpt. B;
(2) service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses in accordance with Government Contracting Programs, 13 CFR pt. 125, subpt. A; and
(3) women-owned small businesses in accordance with Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, 13 CFR part 127, subpt. A, and applicable Federal statutes which encourage contracting with socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and women-owned small businesses.
d. The NASA Chief Information Officer (CIO) will ensure the issuance of policies and guidance governing the technical aspects of accessibility of Agency electronic and information technology consistent with Federal statutes and regulations, for ensuring Agency compliance with those policies, and for organizing and providing leadership to Agency-wide teams promoting accessibility to NASA electronic and information technology. The CIO will ensure, unless an undue burden would result, that the electronic and information technology allows, regardless of the type of medium of the technology:
(1) Federal employees with disabilities to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use of information and data by Federal employees who do not have disabilities;
(2) Members of the public with disabilities who seek information or services from NASA to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data available to members of the public who do not have disabilities.
e. Program/grant officers will support the Head of OEO, in carrying out the terms of this policy.
f. The NASA Head of OEO, refers complaints from educational institutions, alleging discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability, to the U.S. Department
of Education as the delegated complaint investigation agency with responsibilities to address such complaints, as provided by the Agreement between NASA and the Department of Education.
In the event that the Department of Education is unable to obtain voluntary compliance from recipients found in noncompliance, the matter will be referred to NASA's Head of OEO for final
compliance determination in accordance with the Agreement and NASA regulations.
The Head of OEO, as NASA's Principal Civil Rights Compliance Officer, is delegated the authority for:
a. Administering the Federally assisted/conducted program regulations (see para. 3 (a)-(m)), including assessment of grant recipient civil rights compliance post-award and pre-award through the NF 1206, Assurance of Compliance with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Regulations Pursuant to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs.
b. Administering applicable law allowing any individual with a disability to file a complaint alleging that a Federal department or agency has failed to comply with the Act in providing electronic and information technology.
c. Ensuring compliance with relevant E. O.s, including compliance with guidance issued by the Department of Justice on those E.O.s.
The Head of OEO, will:
a. Monitor progress, evaluate results, initiate corrective actions, and periodically report outcomes of such processes to external oversight agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Justice, and Office of Personnel Management, as well as NASA senior leadership.
b. Communicate relevant information regularly to stakeholders at the Agency and Center levels.
c. Submit required annual plans and accomplishment reports, including, consistent with the Department of Justice or other Federal agency reporting requirements, periodic reports on its compliance efforts.
NPD 2081.1A, Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted and Conducted Programs, dated August 14, 2007.
Revalidated for another five years. Original signed by:
A.1 Guidance Document: Ensuring Equal Opportunity in Federally Conducted Education and Training Programs, E. O. 13160, 66 Fed. Reg. 5397-5410 (2001).
A.2 Agreement Between National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Department of Education to Delegate Certain Civil Rights Compliance Responsibilities for Elementary and Secondary Schools and Institutions of Higher Education, 52 Fed. Reg. 43385 (1987).
A.3 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR pt. 200 as implemented in 2 CFR pt. 1800.
AA - Assistant Administrator/Associate Administrator
CFR - Code of Federal Regulations
CIO - Chief Information Officer
NPD - NASA Policy Directive
NPR - NASA Procedural Requirements
None.
This document does not bind the public, except as authorized by law or as incorporated into a contract. This document is uncontrolled when printed. Check the NASA Online Directives Information System (NODIS) Library to verify that this is the correct version before use: https://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov.