Nondiscrimination Statement Policy Update

On May 5, 2022, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Civil Rights Division, issued policy memorandum CRD 01-2022. The memorandum updates the nondiscrimination statement to include gender identity and sexual orientation as part of the protected class of sex. The changes impact the USDA Nondiscrimination Statement (NDS) and the And Justice for All (AJFA) posters. An updated nondiscrimination statement can be found on the USDA Civil Rights NDS webpage . Additional guidance is outlined below.

Nondiscrimination Statement

All documents, pamphlets, websites, etc. need to have the updated NDS as follows:

• Websites must be updated by August 3, 2022.
• Documents, pamphlets, brochures, etc., must be updated when current supply on hand is exhausted or by October 2, 2023.
• All new printings must use the updated NDS starting May 5, 2022.

And Justice for All Posters

Until the new posters are received, additional guidance is outlined below:

• AJFA posters currently posted must not be removed until replaced with the new poster.
• Program Operators may request the 2019 AJFA posters until the supply is exhausted. You can request posters by emailing AJFAPosters@cde.ca.gov.
• The AJFA poster(s) language should be updated, as noted above, on websites, training presentations and any pending printing of brochures, pamphlets and materials and replaced with the appropriate 2022 version.
• Once the new AJFA posters become available, we will send out a Listserv and ship all program operators new posters.

Contact Information

For questions regarding this subject, you can contact Stephen Montano, Office Technician, Program Accountability Administration, by phone at 916-322-8314 or by email at smontano@cde.ca.gov.