(1) You may campaign for a candidate in an election in which no candidate runs as representing any national political party. (2) If you could be an independent candidate in a local election described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, you may campaign for an independent candidate in such an election. You may not campaign for any side of a question or issue that is specifically identified with a political party. (c) What constitutes campaigning. You "campaign" when you: (1) Actively participate in management of a campaign; (2) Initiate nominating petitions or canvass for signatures on nominating petitions; (3) Endorse or oppose a candidate or a position through political advertisements, broadcasts, campaign literature, or the like; (4) Speak at rallies, candidate nights, party caucuses, or other political gatherings; (5) Solicit campaign contributions, promote political dinners or similar events, sell tickets for such events, or otherwise participate in campaign fundraising; (6) Help to handle campaign finances; (7) Distribute campaign material; (8) Host a coffee, cocktail party, or buffet for a candidate or a candidate's surrogate; (9) Drive voters to the polls; (10) Work at the polls as a checker, challenger, pollwatcher, or the like, or (11) Do any other work on behalf of a candidate. (d) Nonpartisan election duties. In connection with an election, you may perform nonpartisan duties provided for by law as an election clerk, judge, or the like. (e) Appointment to nonelective office. You may accept appointment to nonelective public office, subject to the same limits that apply to any other outside employment. See Subpart C, §§ 683.30 through 683.36. § 683.43 Party activities. You may not take an active part in leading or managing a political party. You do that when you: (a) Participate in organizing or reorganizing it; (b) Serve as a party officer or as a member of a national, state, or local party committee (or stand as a candidate for such a position); (c) Participate in party fundraising or in handling party finances; (d) Serve as a delegate, alternate, or proxy to a party convention (though you may attend such a convention); or (e) Take an active part in conducting or running a meeting, rally, fund-raising function, convention, or other party gathering (though you may attend such a gathering). § 683.44 Political use of official authority or influence. You must not use your official authority or influence for political purposes. Thus: (a) You must not use your official position or authority to interfere with an election or to affect the result of an election. (b) You must not solicit political contributions from other Federal employees, allow your name to appear on any fundraising appeal likely to be sent to Federal employees, or authorize anyone to solicit or receive political contributions in a building where Federal employees work. discriminate (c) You must not against any other employee because of his or her political opinions or affiliations. This is a "prohibited personnel practice". See regulations of the Merit Systems Protection Board at 5 CFR 1250.3(b)(3). PART 684-RULES FOR CONSULTANTS, BOARD MEMBERS, AND OTHER "SPECIAL EMPLOYEES" Subpart A-General Rules for Consultants, Board Members, and Other "Special Employees" Sec. 684.10 "Special employees". 684.11 Summary of rules for "special employees". 684.12 Financial disclosure. 684.13 Political activity (Hatch Act). 684.14 Representing private interests before the NSF or other Federal agencies. Subpart A-General Rules for Consultants, Board Members, and Other "Special Employees" § 684.10 "Special employees”. (a) “Special employees". Any NSF consultant, National Science Board member, or other temporary or intermittent employee (including a rehired annuitant) who works or is expected to work for the NSF 130 days a year or less is a "special Government employee." The rules in this Subpart apply to you only if you are such a "special employee". Other employees should see Parts 680 through 683 of the NSF conflict-of-interests regulations. (b) Days worked. If you have any uncertainty about how many days you work or are expected to work for the NSF, consult an ethics counselor in the Office of the General Counsel. There are specific rules for counting the days, and the rules that apply while you are still employed differ somewhat from those that apply afterward. § 684.11 Summary of rules for "special employees". duce the NSF conflict-of-interests regulations and explain their purposes. Members of the National Science Board are committed to observe, besides the requirements summarized here, the special rules of the Board for its members. See Subpart B, §§ 684.20 through 684.22. (b) NSF work on proposals and awards of others. (1) If you serve on a panel that reviews proposals or otherwise serve as a peer reviewer, you will be given instructions designed to deal with any conflict of interests you may have. (2) If you participate in action on proposals and awards as a National Science Board member, see § 684.21. (3) If you should otherwise become involved with the handling of a proposal of other award-related application you should follow the same rules and procedures on conflicts or potential conflicts in handling proposals and awards as regular NSF employees. They are set out in Part 681 of the NSF conflicts regulations, §§ 681.20 through 681.26. (c) Financial disclosure (§ 684.12). (1) If you are compensated at a rate at or above the lowest rate for a GS-16 regular employee and plan to work or actually do work more than sixty days in any calendar year, you must file public Financial Disclosure Reports. (2) If you are not required to file public Financial Disclosure Reports, you must file a confidential Statement of Financial Interests at the time of your appointment (or reappointment). (3) You may ask for forms if you need them. Normally, however, they will be provided to you automatically, with instructions. (d) Political activity (Hatch Act) (§ 684.13). The Hatch Act prohibits you from being involved in an election campaign or in political-party activity on any day when you work for the Government. (e) Representational restrictions and involvement with proposals and awards during and after NSF service (§ 684.14). (1) You must never represent any private party in dealings with any Federal official on any proposal, project, or other matter if you have been personally involved with that matter at or for the NSF. ties are a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. (b) Proposals and awards. You will not violate this restriction in handling proposals and awards as long as you abide by the requirements on handling proposals and awards described in Part 681 of these regulations. Broad (c) Policy determinations. policy determinations that might affect your home institutions, but only in the same manner as all similar institutions, are not covered. (d) "Matter". Otherwise, the term "matter" has the same meaning here as in connection with the representational restrictions described in Part 682 of this chapter. It is elaborated in § 682.13 of this chapter. Note that here specific parties need not be involved. (e) "Personally involved". The term "personally involved" has exactly the same meaning here as in connection with the representational restrictions described in Part 682 of this chapter. It is elaborated in § 682.12(b) of this chapter. In general, you can be "personally involved" in the handling of a matter even though you actually make none of the critical decisions, if you contribute by recommendations, advice, approval, or the like, and your contribution is substantial. (f) Immediate family. Only your spouse and minor children are considered members of your "immediate family" under this rule. (g) "Organization of which you are or may become a part". You are a part of an organization if you are an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee. You "may become" part of an organization if you are negotiating with it or have an arrangement with it concerning a position. (h) Waiver. This provision may be waived where the interest is so insubstantial as to be unlikely to affect the integrity of your services to the Government. If you think such a waiver is called for, consult an ethics counselor in the Office of the General Counsel. The ethics counselor will advise you and will make a recommendation to the official who would have to approve such a waiver. (a) P first. W may wor zations e teer, with rest of the understar dertaking Those tha tion apply for pay. A duty com engage in pairs your gies, or oth doing your (b) Polic work for c may not pa officer for institution, any profess the written selor. When tion is preser approval, you may raise the Counsel and, Director of th (c) Visiting should not pa tions of a coll committee. Ho meet with suc tion official w priate to attend any other com ing his or her a [47 FR 32145, Ju 51 FR 22939, June es and in itical civil (2) No compensation out of an in eral award. You must not see or accept any compensation out of merit, not that come wholly or partly from a Federal award. (3) No compensation in connection. with any matter involving the Govern ment. You must not seek or accep; AN compensation for services by you c anyone else in connection with an proposal, project, or other matter: which the United States is a party a has a direct interest. BE CAREFUL: Breaking any of the rules would be a Federal crime. (b) Pensions and other employee de efits. These rules do not preclude v... from continuing to participate bona fide pension or other emp benefit plan maintained by & employer. (c) Wording and terms. The of these restrictions has bee fied here substantially from ing of the underlying statutes, 12 they will be easier to unde terpret them conservative have any doubt about the terms, consult an ethics the Office of the Genera he law re deral civil isan polire from a he Hatch t restricor public partisan elections. in elecLonpartiAl elec ve part olitical official olitical ou are ou are are a point Firma al aphe reYou est of your are stric 1 are ras They Govwork rary yas ree in cifically refer to a “national political party". § 683.41 Basic political rights unaffected. The Hatch Act restrictions do not affect your basic political rights. Specifically: (a) You may register and vote as you choose in any election. (b) You may contribute to a political party or candidate, though you may not be pressured to do so because of your Federal employment. (c) You may be a member of a political party or other political organization. You may attend party meetings and vote on issues. You may not, however, be involved in managing or leading the organization. See § 683.43. (d) You may write, call, or visit any Federal, state, or local political official (including, for example, your Congressman) to express your views on any political issue and on how the official should vote or act on the issue. (e) You may sign political petitions, including nominating petitions, but you may not circulate such petitions for others to sign. See § 683.42(d)(2). § 683.42 Candidacy and campaigns. (a) Running for office. You may not run for nomination or election to public office. There are two exceptions: (1) You may run in an election in which no candidate runs as representing any national political party. (Currently, this means the Democratic or Republican party, but if another party wins electoral votes in a Presidential election, that could change.) (2) You may run for office in most ent of the local political jurisdictions in ent the Washington, DC area if you run as an independent not representing any political party, national or otherwise. (To be sure that your jurisdiction is among those in which this is permitted, check with an Ethics Counselor in the Office of the General Counsel.) in day vern emyou ical or restrictions Dr. reres. described in { 68.20 against misuse c described in § 682 this qualified for DIE Spe proposals and the. (b) No partisan campaigning. You may not campaign for or against a political party or candidate in an election for public office or in an election for party office. Essentially the same two exceptions apply: (2) If you have been employed with the NSF more than sixty days a year, you must not represent anyone in dealings with any NSF official during your NSF service and for one year thereafter on any proposal, project, or other matter involving specific parties. General effect: These restrictions do not preclude you from preparing a proposal for your institution, from serving as principal investigator under an NSF proposal or award, from otherwise working under an NSF award, or from receiving compensation or expenses out of an NSF award. If you are a member of the National Science Board, however, see § 684.22. (f) Compensation (§ 684.15). (1) While you are an NSF "special employee" you must not seek or accept (except from the Government) any compensation for services by you or anyone else in relation to any matter involving specific parties if you have been personally involved for the Government. (2) If you have been employed with the NSF for more than sixty days in the last 365, you must not seek or accept (except from the Government) any compensation for services by you or anyone else in relation to any matter involving specific parties that is pending in the NSF. (g) Acts affecting your financial interests (§ 684.16). You must not be personally involved as a Federal employee in the handling of any proposal, award, or other matter in which you, a member of your immediate family, a business partner, or an organization of which you are or may become a part has a financial interest. You will not violate this restriction with respect to proposals and awards as long as you follow the instructions provided in paragraph (b) of this section. (h) Use of inside information (§ 684.17). If your work for the Government gives you access to information not generally available to the public, you must not use that information for your private benefit or make it available for the private benefit of any other person or organization. (i) Effect of simplified wording. The wording of the requirements as presented in these regulations has been simplified substantially from the wording of underlying statutes and other authorities, so that they will be easier to understand. Your initial interpretation should be conservative. If in doubt on the meaning of terms or otherwise troubled, consult an ethics counselor in the Office of the General Counsel. (j) General standards of conduct. You are also responsible for being familiar with general standards of conduct described in § 680.18 of this chapter and for observing them. § 684.12 Financial disclosure. (a) Unless you are required under paragraph (b) of this section to file public Financial Disclosure Reports, you must file a confidential Statement of Employment and Financial Interests at the time of your appointment (and of any reappointment). The Personnel Office automatically supplies you with the necessary forms, and you file the Statement there. (b) High-ranking "special employees" who work more than sixty days a year. If you are compensated as a "special employee" at a rate at or above the lowest rate for a GS-16 regular employee, you are a "senior employee". Regular senior employees are required to file public Financial Disclosure Reports. You are required to do so, however, only if you plan to work or actually do work more than sixty days in any calendar year. Specifically: (1) If at the time of your appointment you are expected to serve more than sixty days in any calendar year, you must file such a Report then and again within thirty days after your appointment ends. (2) If you did not file at the time of your appointment, but do in fact serve more than sixty days in any calendar year, you must file such a Report within fifteen days of your sixty-first day of work and again within thirty days after your appointment ends. (3) In either case, if you in fact serve more than sixty days in any calendar year, you must also file such a Report before May 15 of the next year. A person who is under consideration for nomination to the National Science Board may be asked to file a Fi |