Office of Civil Rights

Mission Statement

The Office of Civil Rights aims to create a workplace free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation, ensures that those who do business with BART are treated fairly and that BART riders and community members have fair and equal access to our system. 

The Office of Civil Rights exists to meet the following state and federal laws and regulations:

  • Disadvantaged Business Enterprise: The Federal Transit Administration requires BART to maintain a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise policy and program under 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 26 and to enforce such provisions for all of BART's federally funded contracts. This is a requirement for recipients of U.S. Department of Transportation financial assistance.
  • Labor Compliance: BART is mandated to ensure compliance with California Labor Code Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 2 and Federal Code of Federal Regulations 29 prevailing wage statutes and regulations.
  • Title VI & Title VII: The Federal Transit Administration requires transit agencies who receive money from federal sources to comply with Federal Law and regulations relating to BART equal employment opportunity programs. These obligations arise under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §2000d et seq.) and implementing regulations at 49 CFR Part 21, as well as under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq.) and FTA Circular 4704.1A. BART must also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
  • BART must comply with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Gov. Code §§12900–12996), which mandates state employment protections, training requirements, reasonable accommodations with an interactive process (Gov. Code §12940(m)–(n)).
  • The Director of the Office of Civil Rights is appointed as the EEO Officer and oversees compliance functions in the above laws and regulations.

Under these regulations, BART provides U.S. Department of Transportation with assurance that it will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts. The Office of Civil Rights is responsible for implementing and administering the DBE Program and ensuring the District complies with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 26 and the USDOT Interim Final Rule issued on October 3, 2025. BART’s DBE Program supports federal transportation funding requirements under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and other federal transportation authorization laws.

Reevaluation of DBE Firms

BART has announced it is reevaluating Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessions DBE (ACDBE) firms as part of a statewide effort in accordance with the Interim Final Rule (IFR), which went into effect October 3, 2025. This action, taken with other public agencies across the state, ensures continued compliance with federal law while maintaining fair and transparent access to contracting opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses.

Under the new federal DBE IFR, DBE certification is now based on individualized demonstrations of social and economic disadvantage, without reliance on race- or sex-based presumptions. All certified DBE/ACDBE firms (prior to the IFR issuance) in California and across the country are being reevaluated under these standards. Those who do not meet the new IFR certification criteria may not be recertified. If your firm was previously denied a DBE certification, you may reapply for DBE certification under the new guidelines after this reevaluation period (after April 16). During the reevaluation period, recipients such as BART will not set DBE contract goals nor count DBE participation toward their overall goal.

Please look for a recent email and postal letter (dated March 2, 2026) for more information about how to respond to the reevaluation through B2GNow.

The submission date for recertification packets is April 16, 2026.

Please note: If BART is not your DBE/ACDBE certifying agency, you will need to contact your designated DBE/ACDBE certifying agency in the jurisdiction of original certification (JOC) for instructions on how to submit the personal narrative.

If you have any questions regarding the DBE/ACDBE program updates, please contact BART's Office of Civil Rights, Certification Unit at [email protected].

Read the Reevaluation Letter Guide for more information.

BART’s Office of Civil Rights ensures non-discrimination in the execution of contracts.

Contact the Office of Civil Rights

Reevaluation Documentation Requirements for Recertification

Personal Narrative (PN)

USDOT Personal Net Worth (PNW) Statement & Supporting Documentation

Recertification Tools

Upcoming Webinars & Events

10/03/25 Memo to Contractors, Consultants, and Suppliers

Frequently Visited Webpages

B2Gnow Compliance System

Apply/Renew Certifications

Search for Certified Vendor Directory

Small Business Support Services

Search for Work Plans

 

Upcoming Outreach Events

Please check back soon for future outreach events— we appreciate your interest and support!

 

Latest News

 

PUBLIC NOTICE: SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT DISTRICT 

PROPOSED TRIENNIAL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GOAL 

FEDERAL FISCAL YEARS 2026 through 2028 

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program and Participation, including submission of the proposed Triennial DBE Goal, is under review. 

Public comments will be accepted via Email: [email protected]; Fax: (510) 874-7470; Mail: 2150 Webster St, BHQ4, Oakland, CA 94612. 

BART and LA Metro Announce New Reciprocity! 

Exciting updates are coming BART’s Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program starting, January 1, 2025. BART and Metro have joined forces to mutually recognize and accept each other’s SBE certifications. 

 WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

BART will now accept Metro-certified SBE firms. As an SBE-certified firm with Metro, your firm can now count towards SBE goals on BART contracts. Additionally, SBE-certified firms with Metro can now count towards BART contracts with SBE goals.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

  • CERTIFIED SBE FIRM WITH BART

    If your firm is currently SBE certified by only BART, then no action is required, your certification now has reciprocity with Metro.

  • CERTIFIED SBE FIRM WITH METRO

    If your firm is currently SBE certified by only METRO, then no action is required. Your SBE certification is now recognized by BART.

  • CERTIFIED SBE FIRM WITH BOTH METRO & BART

    If your firm is currently SBE certified by both BART and Metro, then your BART SBE certification record will be phased out in order to reduce dual information. Therefore, you will only need to maintain your Metro SBE record on an annual basis.

If your firm is not SBE certified with either agency, we encourage you to apply at: https://bart.gob2g.com/?TN=bart; for Metro, apply at: https://metro.gob2g.com/.

For BART events, news, and current/upcoming contracting opportunities please visit https://www.bart.gov/about/business. 

For Metro events, news, and current/upcoming contracting opportunities please visit Metro’s Vendor Portal at https://business.metro.net/

If you have any questions regarding BART’s SBE Reciprocity with LA Metro, please contact BART’s certifications team at [email protected] or (510) 987-5211.

BART seeks members for Business Advisory Council

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (District) is seeking new members for its Business Advisory Council (BAC) for a two-year term and your organization is invited to apply for membership. 

The BAC was established in 2010 to encourage communications between the District and the small business community and to advise the District in its efforts to ensure that small businesses are afforded equal opportunities to participate on District contracts and agreements.

The BAC currently consists of members representing the small business community covering geographical areas of the District’s service area as well as representation from the following industries: professional services, architecture and engineering, procurement and construction. Committee members serve a two-year period. Meetings are held once quarterly from 1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in-person at BART Headquarters with the option to join virtually (via Zoom). 

Members are involved in providing valuable feedback on District contracting, services and procurement policies, programs and practices. 

If you would like to join the BAC, please submit the following: 

  1. Completed BAC application
  2. Letter of recommendation from your organization (maximum one page)
  3. Cover letter outlining your interest (maximum one page) 

Just click the link to get started with your application! 

Please submit these application documents to the Office of Civil Rights by emailing [email protected]. 

Please email Alexandra Arroyo at [email protected] if you have any questions. 

Rudy Garza, Director of Office of Civil Rights 

What We Do

 

Economic Opportunity Policies and Programs

Economics Opportunity Policies and Programs Division is responsible for:

  • Policy analysis and implementation of the District’s Small Business Programs.
  • Semi-annual reporting requirements to the Federal Transit Administration on contract performance on awards and payment data; performs analysis to determine to if projects meet goals; conduct shortfall analysis.
  • Mentor Protégé Programs
  • Small Business Programs certification for small businesses seeking DBE, SBE, MSBE, LSB certifications.
  • KPIs/SOPs and strategic planning.
  • Oversee the Contracting Plan Application and B2Gnow vendor payment tracking system.
  • Small Business Programs Contract Boiler Plate updates.
  • General outreach to small businesses (provide program awareness, contracting opportunities for current and future projects)
  • Conduct Disparity Study.
  • Facilitate the Business Advisory Council.

For general inquiries and certification related questions, please contact Hoa Sin, Sr. Program Manager at [email protected]  or call (510) 464-7538

For data related inquiries, please contact Joseph Towner, Manager of Program Planning and Support at  [email protected]

Contract Compliance Program

The Office of Civil Rights Contract Compliance Unit (CCU) is responsible for the application and coordination of the District’s Small Business Programs on all local, state, and federal funded construction and procurement contracts (“Contracts”).  The District’s Small Business Programs include the Small Business, Local Small Business, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (under review), Small Business Elements and Micro-Small Business Entity for Subcontracting (collectively “Small Business Programs”).  The Small Business Programs create a level playing field for the Small Business Community by offering every opportunity to bid and participate on upcoming BART Contracts. 

Additionally, the CCU is responsible for compliance and monitoring of all Contract requirements and activities during Pre-Award and Post-Award Phases. Some of these activities include, but are not limited to the following: 

  • Participate in “Kick-Off” Meetings to discuss unbundling criteria in applicable Contracts.
  • Contract Goal Setting.
  • Review Bid Submittals and Complete Bid Analysis.
  • Participate in Pre-Bid, Pre-Construction and Progress Meetings.
  • Facilitate and coordinate Substitution Process.
  • Coordinate Project Close-Outs

The CCU has a strong commitment, and it is an integral component to the success of the District’s Overall Mission and Small Business Programs.

For assistance and general inquiries, please contact Alma Basurto, Sr. Manager of Contract and Labor Compliance, at [email protected] or at (510) 464-6388.

Labor Compliance Program

BART’s Labor Compliance Unit (LCU) is responsible for educating, assisting, monitoring and enforcing prevailing wage requirements of the applicable labor laws to ensure that all contractors and professional services firms working on public works construction projects are in compliance with State (California Labor Code Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 2) and Federal (Code of Federal Regulations 29) prevailing wage statutes and regulations.
The LCU’s mission is to: 

  • Create a fair and level playing field among contractors bidding on BART projects by ensuring consistency in enforcement of federal and state labor laws.
  • Ensure that employees working on BART projects are paid prevailing wages.
  • Responsibly administer BART’s Project Stabilization Agreements.

The Labor Compliance Unit monitors compliance with statutory and contractual requirements on District projects by collecting and reviewing certified payroll reports (CPRs) and verifying the accuracy through site visits, the review of project documentation, and worker interviews. 

LCU also initiates the enforcement process in the event of violations. California Labor Code §1726 requires that BART take cognizance of prevailing wage violations, and when BART identifies possible violations, LCU refers them to the State of California's Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) who may order withholding of contract payments, impose penalties, and recover back wages.

For assistance and general inquiries, please contact Jorge Saavedra, Labor Compliance Manager at jsaaved@bart.gov or [email protected].

Agreement Compliance Program

The Agreement Compliance Unit (ACU) plays a vital role in the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and is responsible for:

  • Pre-Award Agreement Compliance
  • Post-Award Agreement Compliance
  • Review of Agreements issued under the California Department of General Services’ Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS) for the procurement of Information Technology consulting services
  • Review of all District Work Plans
  • Management of the District’s Small Business Support Services Program

Specifically, ACU is responsible for ensuring that all District Agreements comply with the applicable District Small Business Programs. Pre-Award compliance includes review of all Agreement Contracting Plans and Request for Proposals; development of applicable goals; serving on selection panels; presenting at pre-proposal conferences; administrating networking events; and reviewing submittals for compliance with the applicable Small Business Programs. Post-Award compliance includes reviewing all Agreements for compliance with Small Business Programs commitments using B2GNOW, OCR’s compliance management and vendor payment tracking system; reviewing all substitution and addition requests; and coordinating commercially useful function site visits.

Additionally, ACU, in conjunction with Procurement and the Office of Chief Information Officer, has developed and implemented a review process for issuance of agreements under CMAS for the procurement of Information Technology consulting services. The purpose of this review process is to ensure transparency and accountability in the issuance of agreements under CMAS. Under the review process ACU reviews all agreements under CMAS.

ACU also has developed and implemented a review process for all District work plans. The purpose of this review process is to ensure transparency and accountability in the issuance of District work plans. Under the review process ACU reviews all District work plans.

Lastly, ACU oversees the implementation of the District’s Small Business Support Services (SBSS) program in junction with our SBSS consultant, The Allen Group. The SBSS offers support services for small firms seeking to participate in District construction contracts and for small firms currently working on District construction contracts.

For SBSS related questions, please contact James Soncuya, Manager of Small Business Supportive Services at [email protected].

Workforce & Policy Compliance

The Workforce & Policy Compliance Division (WPC) oversees and monitors the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO),  and Title VI compliance. The EEO Unit provides strategic direction and leadership to the District's EEO Program, complaint processing procedures, and other related EEO missions of OCR. The Title VI Unit provides strategic direction and leadership on Title VI, performs analyses on all fare and major service changes, notifies the public of their rights under Title VI, and promotes public outreach to ensure that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, BART's services or programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, or language proficiency.

For Workforce & Policy Compliance Division questions, please contact Sabrina Baptiste, Sr. Manager of Workforce & Policy Compliance, at [email protected].

For EEO and Training related questions, please contact Dalmar Ismail, Manager of EEO Programs, at [email protected].

For Title VI and language assistance questions, please contact Sabrina Baptiste at [email protected].