[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR15b.19]

[Page 406-407]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
PART 15b_NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR 
ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE--Table of Contents
 
                         Subpart C_Accessibility
 
Sec. 15b.19  New construction.

    (a) Design and construction. Each facility or part of a facility 
constructed by, on behalf of, or for the use of a recipient shall be 
designed and constructed in such manner that the facility or part of the 
facility is readily accessible to and usable by handicapped persons, if 
the construction is commenced after the effective date of this part.
    (b) Alteration. Each facility or part of a facility which is altered 
by, on behalf of, or for the use of a recipient after the effective date 
of this part in a manner that affects or could affect the usability of 
the facility or part of the facility shall to the maximum extent 
feasible, be altered in such manner that the altered portion of the 
facility is readily accessible to and usable by handicapped persons.

[[Page 407]]

    (c) Conformance with Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards. (1) 
Effective as of January 18, 1991, design, construction, or alteration of 
buildings in conformance with sections 3-8 of the Uniform Federal 
Accessibility Standards (USAF) (appendix A to 41 CFR subpart 101-19.6) 
shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of this section with 
respect to those buildings. Departures from particular technical and 
scoping requirements of UFAS by the use of other methods are permitted 
where substantially equivalent or greater access to and usability of the 
building is provided.
    (2) For purposes of this section, section 4.1.6(1)(g) of UFAS shall 
be interpreted to exempt from the requirements of UFAS only mechanical 
rooms and other spaces that, because of their intended use, will not 
require accessibility to the public or beneficiaries or result in the 
employment or residence therein of persons with physical handicaps.
    (3) This section does not require recipients to make building 
alterations that have little likelihood of being accomplished without 
removing or altering a load-bearing structural member.
    (d) Compliance with the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. Nothing 
in this section of Sec. 15b.18 relieves recipients, whose facilities 
are covered by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4151-4157) from their responsibility of complying with the 
requirements of that Act and any implementing regulations.

[47 FR 25470, June 11, 1982, as amended at 55 FR 52138, 52139, Dec. 19, 
1990]