15.2—Definitions.
(a)
Department means the Department of Agriculture, and includes each of its operating agencies and other organizational units.
(b)
Agency means any service, bureau, agency, office, administration, instrumentality of or corporation within the U.S. Department of Agriculture extending Federal financial assistance to any program or activity, or any officer or employee of the Department to whom the Secretary delegates authority to carry out any of the functions or responsibilities of an agency under this part.
(c)
Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture or any officer or employee of the Department to whom the Secretary has heretofore delegated, or to whom the Secretary may hereafter delegate, the authority to act in his stead under the regulations in this part.
(d)
Hearing Officer means a hearing examiner appointed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3105, and designated to hold hearings under the regulations in this part or any person authorized to hold a hearing and make a final decision under the regulations in this part.
(e)
Recipient means any State, political subdivision of any State, or instrumentality of any State or political subdivision, any public or private agency, institution, or organization, or other entity or any individual in any State, to whom Federal financial assistance is extended, directly or through another recipient, including any successor, assignee, or transferee thereof, but such term does not include any ultimate beneficiary.
(f)
Primary recipient includes any recipient which is authorized or required to extend Federal financial assistance to another recipient.
(g)
Federal financial assistance or financial assistance includes (1) grants and loans of Federal funds, (2) the grant or donation of Federal property and interests in property, (3) the detail of Federal personnel, (4) the sale and lease of, and the permission to use (on other than a casual or transient basis), Federal property or any interest in such property or the furnishing of services without consideration or at a nominal consideration, or at a consideration which is reduced for the purpose of assisting the recipient, or in recognition of the public interest to be served by such sale, lease or furnishing of services to the recipient, and (5) any Federal agreement, arrangement, or other contract which has as one of its purposes the provision of assistance.
(h)
Grant, loan or contract includes any grant, loan agreement or commitment to loan, contract or agreement to provide financial assistance or any other arrangement between the Department or any Agency and a recipient of financial assistance.
(i)
United States means the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Wake Island, the Canal Zone, and the territories and possessions of the United States, and the term State means any one of the foregoing.
(j)
Applicant means one who submits an application, request, or plan required to be approved by an Agency, or by a primary recipient, as a condition to eligibility for Federal financial assistance, and application means such an application, request, or plan.
(k)
Program or activity and program mean all of the operations of any entity described in paragraphs (k)(1) through (4) of this section, any part of which is extended Federal financial assistance:
(1)
(i)
A department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality of a State or of a local government; or
(ii)
The entity of such State or local government that distributes such assistance and each such department or agency (and each other State or local government entity) to which the assistance is extended, in the case of assistance to a State or local government;
(2)
(i)
A college, university, or other postsecondary institution, or a public system of higher education; or
(ii)
A local educational agency (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801 ), system of vocational education, or other school system;
(3)
(i)
An entire corporation, partnership, or other private organization, or an entire sole proprietorship—
(A)
If assistance is extended to such corporation, partnership, private organization, or sole proprietorship as a whole; or
(B)
Which is principally engaged in the business of providing education, health care, housing, social services, or parks and recreation; or
(ii)
The entire plant or other comparable, geographically separate facility to which Federal financial assistance is extended, in the case of any other corporation, partnership, private organization, or sole proprietorship; or
(4)
Any other entity which is established by two or more of the entities described in paragraph (k)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.
(l)
Facility includes all or any portion of structures, equipment, or other real or personal property or interests therein, and the provision of facilities includes the construction, expansion, renovation, remodeling, alteration or acquisition of facilities.