---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 7141"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "7141"
heading: "Office of Minority Economic Impact"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/7141"
units:
  - "Chapter 84 — Department of Energy"
  - "Subchapter II — Establishment of Department"
---

# §7141. Office of Minority Economic Impact

- (a) **Establishment; appointment of Director; compensation—** There shall be established within the Department an [Office](/usc/42/3058f.md?p=1) of [Minority](#f-1) Economic Impact. The [Office](/usc/42/3058f.md?p=1) shall be headed by a [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1), who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) shall be compensated at the rate provided for level IV of the Executive Schedule under [section 5315 of title 5](/usc/5/5315.md).
- (b) **Advice to Secretary on effect of energy policies, regulations, and other actions of Department respecting minority participation in energy programs—** The [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) shall have the duty and responsibility to advise the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) on the effect of [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) policies, regulations, and other actions of the Department and its components on [minorities](#f-1) and [minority business enterprises](#f-2) and on ways to insure that [minorities](#f-1) are afforded an opportunity to participate fully in the [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) of the Department.
- (c) **Research programs respecting effects of national energy programs, policies, and regulations of Department on minorities—** The [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) shall conduct an ongoing research [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), with the assistance of the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the [Energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) Information Administration, and such other Federal agencies as the [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) determines appropriate, to determine the effects (including the socio-economic and environmental effects) of national [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), policies, and regulations of the Department on [minorities](#f-1). In conducting such [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), the [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) shall, from time to time, develop and recommend to the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) policies to assist, where appropriate, such [minorities](#f-1) and [minority business enterprises](#f-2) concerning such effects. In addition, the [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) shall, to the greatest extent practicable—
  - (1) determine the average [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) consumption and use patterns of [minorities](#f-1) relative to other population [categories](/usc/42/1395w–4.md?p=j-1);
  - (2) evaluate the percentage of disposable [income](/usc/42/292s.md?p=c-4) spent on [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) by [minorities](#f-1) relative to other population [categories](/usc/42/1395w–4.md?p=j-1); and
  - (3) determines[^1] how [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), policies, and actions of the Department and its components affect such consumption and use patterns and such [income](/usc/42/292s.md?p=c-4).
- (d) **Management and technical assistance to minority educational institutions and business enterprises to foster participation in research, development, demonstration, and contract activities of Department—** The [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) may provide the management any[^2] technical assistance he considers appropriate to [minority educational institutions](#f-3) and [minority business enterprises](#f-2) to enable these enterprises and institutions to participate in the research, development, demonstration, and contract activities of the Department. In carrying out his functions under this section, the [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) may enter into contracts, in accordance with [section 7256 of this title](/usc/42/7256.md) and other applicable provisions of law, with any [person](/usc/42/1320a–7k.md?p=d-4-C-i), including [minority educational institutions](#f-3), [minority business enterprises](#f-2), and organizations the primary purpose of which is to assist the development of [minority](#f-1) communities. The management and technical assistance may include—
  - (1) a national information clearinghouse which will develop and disseminate information on the aspects of [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to [minority business enterprises](#f-2), [minority educational institutions](#f-3) and other appropriate [minority](#f-1) organizations;
  - (2) market research, planning economic and business analysis, and feasibility studies to identify and define economic opportunities for [minorities](#f-1) in [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) research, production, conservation, and development;
  - (3) technical assistance [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to encourage, promote, and assist [minority business enterprises](#f-2) in establishing and expanding [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7)-related business opportunities which are located in [minority](#f-1) communities and that can provide jobs to workers in such communities; and
  - (4) [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to assist [minority business enterprises](#f-2) in the commercial application of [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7)-related technologies.
- (e) **Loans to minority business enterprises; restriction on use of funds; interest; deposits into Treasury—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2), acting through the [Office](/usc/42/3058f.md?p=1), may provide financial assistance in the form of loans to any [minority business enterprise](#f-2) under such rules as he shall prescribe to assist such enterprises in participating fully in research, development, demonstration, and contract activities of the Department to the extent he considers appropriate. He shall limit the use of financial assistance to providing [funds](/usc/42/12854.md?p=3) necessary for such enterprises to bid for and obtain contracts or other [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A), and shall limit the amount of the financial assistance to any [recipient](/usc/42/2996a.md?p=6) to not more than 75 percent of such costs.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall determine the rate of interest on loans under this section in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of the Treasury.
  - (3) The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall deposit into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts amounts received in connection with the repayment and satisfaction of such loans.
- (f) **Definitions—** As used in this section, the term—
  - (1) “minority” means any individual who is a citizen of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) and who is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, a Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Native American, or an Alaska Native;
  - (2) “minority business enterprise” means a firm, [corporation](/usc/42/2296b–7.md?p=1), association, or partnership which is at least 50 percent owned or controlled by a [minority](#f-1) or group of [minorities](#f-1); and
  - (3) “minority educational institution” means an educational institution with an enrollment in which a substantial proportion (as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2)) of the students are [minorities](#f-1).
- (g) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated to the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) to carry out the functions of the [Office](/usc/42/3058f.md?p=1) not to exceed $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1979, not to exceed $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1980, and not to exceed $6,000,000 for fiscal year 1981. Of the amounts so appropriated each fiscal year, not less than 50 percent shall be available for purposes of financial assistance under [subsection (e)](#e).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “determine”.
[^2]: So in original. Probably should be “and”.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–91, title II, § 211, as added Pub. L. 95–619, title VI, § 641, Nov. 9, 1978, 92 Stat. 3284; amended Pub. L. 114–157, § 1(a), May 20, 2016, 130 Stat. 393.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2016—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 114–157 substituted “Asian American, Native Hawaiian, a Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Native American, or an Alaska Native” for “a Negro, Puerto Rican, American Indian, Eskimo, Oriental, or Aleut or is a Spanish speaking individual of Spanish descent”.