programs, or operations of the Department of Commerce, or which draws substantially on official data or ideas which have not become part of the body of public information. As used in this paragraph, "the body of public information" shall mean information which has been disseminated widely among segments of the public which may be affected by or interested in the information concerned, or which is known by such segments of the public to be freely available on request to a Government agency.

(d) [Reserved]

(e) Application of the limitations. This section does not preclude an employee from:

(1) [Reserved]

(2) Participation in the activities of National or State political parties not proscribed by law.

(3) Participation in the affairs of, or acceptance of an award for a meritorious public contribution or achievement given by a charitable, religious, professional, social, fraternal, nonprofit educational and recreational, public service, or civic organization.

[32 FR 15222, Nov. 2, 1967, as amended at 33 FR 9765, July 6, 1968]

§ 0.735-13 Financial interests.

(a) An employee shall not: (1) Have a direct or indirect financial interest that conflicts substantially, or appears to conflict substantially, with his Government duties and responsibilities; or (2) Engage in, directly or indirectly, a financial transaction as a result of, or primarily relying on, information obtained through his Government employment.

(b) No employee shall participate in any manner, on behalf of the United States, in the negotiation of contracts, the making of loans, and grants, the granting of subsidies, the fixing of rates, or the issuance of valuable permits or certificates, or in any investigation or prosecution, or in the transaction of any other official business, which affects chiefly a person with whom he has any economic interest or any pending negotiations concerning a prospective economic interest, except with express prior authorization as provided for in Subpart G of this part.

(c) This section does not preclude an employee from having a financial interest or engaging in financial transactions to the same extent as a private citizen not employed by the Government so long as it is not prohibited by law, Executive order, Civil Service regulations (5 CFR Part 735), or regulations in this part.

(d) The financial (or economic) interests described below are too remote or too inconsequential to affect the integrity of an employee's services in any matter involving them, and are thereby exempted from the prohibitions of 18 U.S.C. 208(a), and do not exclude such employee's participation in the transaction of any official business involving such financial or economic interests:

Deposits in a bank, savings and loan association, building association, credit union or similar financial institution; policies held with an insurance company; constructive interests in companies and other entities owned or held by a mutual fund or other diversified investment company in which the employee has an interest.

These exempted financial (or economic) interests need not be reported by employees in their statements of employment and financial interests referred to in § 0.735-21.

(18 U.S.C. 208(b); 5 CFR 735.404a)

[32 FR 15222, Nov. 2, 1967, as amended at 41 FR 34939, Aug. 18, 1976; 47 FR 3350, Jan. 25, 1982]

§ 0.735-14 Use of Government time or property.

(a) An employee shall not directly or indirectly use, or allow the use of, Government time or property of any kind, including property leased to the Government, for other than officially approved activities.

(b) Each employee shall protect and conserve Government property, including equipment, supplies, and other property entrusted or issued to him.

§ 0.735-15 Misuse of employment or information.

(a) Use of Government employment. An employee shall not use his Government employment for a purpose that is, or gives the appearance of being, motivated by the desire for private

gain for himself or another person, particularly one with whom he has family, business, or financial ties.

(b) Use of inside information. For the purpose of furthering a private interest, an employee shall not, except as provided in § 0.735-12(c), directly or indirectly use, or allow the use of, information which has been or has the appearance of having been obtained through or in connection with his Government employment and which has not been made available to the general public.

(c) Coercion. An employee shall not use his Government employment to coerce, or give the appearance of coercing, a person to provide financial benefit to himself or another person, particularly one with whom he has family, business, or financial ties.

(d) Disclosure of restricted information. No employee shall divulge restricted commercial or economic information, or restricted information concerning the personnel or operations of any Government agency, or release any such information in advance of the time prescribed for its authorized release.

(e) Discrimination. No employee, acting in his official capacity, shall, directly or indirectly, authorize, permit, or participate in any act or course of conduct which, on the ground of race, color, creed, national origin, or sex, excludes from participation, denies any benefit to, or otherwise subjects to discrimination any person under any program or activity administered or conducted by the Department or one of its units, or such employee. (See Department Order 195.)

(a) An employee shall pay each just financial obligation in a proper and timely manner, especially one imposed by law such as Federal, State, or local taxes. For purposes of this section, "a just financial obligation" means one acknowledged by the employee or reduced to judgment by a court, and "in a proper and timely manner" means in a manner which, in the view of the Department, does not, under the circumstances, reflect adversely on the Government as his employer.

(b) In the event of dispute between an employee and an alleged creditor, this section does not require the Department to determine the validity or amount of the disputed debt.

$ 0.735-17 Gambling, betting, and lotteries.

An employee shall not participate while on Government-owned or leased property or while on duty for the Government, in any gambling activity including the operation of a gambling device, in conducting a lottery or pool, in a game for money or property or in selling or purchasing a numbers slip or ticket. However, this section does not preclude activities (a) necessitated by an employee's law enforcement duties, or (b) under section 3 of Executive Order 10927 (relating to solicitations conducted by organizations composed of civilian employees or members of the armed forces among their own members for organizational support or for benefit or welfare funds for their own members) and similar agency-approved activities.

§ 0.735-18 General conduct prejudicial to the Government.

(a) General policy. Officers and employees of the Federal Government are servants of the people. Because of this, their conduct must, in many instances, be subject to more restrictions and to higher standards than may be the case in certain private employments. They are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which will reflect favorably upon their employer. Although the Government is not particularly interested in the private lives of its employees, it does expect them to be honest, reliable, trustworthy, and of good character and reputation. They are expected to be loyal to the Government, and to the department or agency in which they are employed.

(b) Specific policy. An employee shall not engage in criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or notoriously disgraceful conduct, or other conduct prejudicial to the Government.

(c) Regulations applicable to public buildings and grounds. Each employee is responsible for knowing and complying with regulations of the General

Services Administration and of the Department of Commerce applicable to public buildings and grounds.

$ 0.735-19 Reporting undue influence to superiors.

Each employee shall report to his superior any instance in which another person inside or outside the Federal Government uses or attempts to use undue influence to induce, by reason of his official Government position, former Government employment, family relationship, political position, or otherwise, the employee to do or omit to do any official act in derogation of his official duty.

Subpart E-Statements of Employment and Financial Interests

§ 0.735-20 General provisions.

(a) In order to carry out the purpose of this part, certain employees of the Department, specified in or pursuant to this part, will be required to submit statements of outside employment and financial interests for review designed to disclose conflicts of interest, apparent conflicts of interest on the part of employees, and other matters within the purview of this part.

(b) When a conflict or apparent conflict of interest on the part of an employee or other question of compliance with the provisions of this part arises and is not resolved at a lower level within the Department, e.g., by appropriate remedial action, the information concerning the matter shall be reported to the Secretary through the counselor for the Department designated in § 0.735-38.

(c) In the event of a conflict or apparent conflict of interest on the part of an employee or other question of compliance with the provisions of this part, the employee concerned shall be provided an opportunity to explain the matter. After consideration of the conflict or apparent conflict of interest or other question of compliance, and the employee's explanation thereof, appropriate action shall be taken.

§ 0.735-21 Form and content of statements.

(a) Statements of employment and financial interests shall be submitted as far as practicable on one of the following forms, as appropriate:

(1) Form CD-220, "Confidential Statement of Employment and Financial Interests (For Use by Government Employees Other Than Special Government Employees)"; or

(2) Form CD-219, "Confidential Statement of Employment and Financial Interests (For Use by Special Government Employees)."

(b) Each of the foregoing forms shall contain, as a minimum, the information required by the formats prescribed by the Civil Service Commission in the Federal Personnel Manual. Questions on a statement of employment and financial interests that go beyond, or are in greater detail than, those included on the Commission's formats may be included on a statement only with the approval of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and the Commission.

(c) [Reserved]

(d) The employee will not be required to reveal precise amounts of financial interest when such information is not necessary for a proper determination as to whether there is any apparent conflict of interest.

§ 0.735-22 Employees required to submit statements.

Except as provided in § 0.735-23, a statement of employment and financial interests shall be submitted by the following employees other than special Government employees:

(a) Employees paid at a level of the Executive Schedule in Subchapter II of Chapter 53 of Title 5, United States Code.

(b) Employees classified at GS-13 or above under section 5332 of Title 5, United States Code, or at a comparable pay level under another authority, who are in positions the basic duties and responsibilities of which are determined by the head of the operating unit concerned to require the incumbent to make a Government decision or to take a Government action in regard to:

(1) Contracting or procurement; (2) Administering or monitoring grants or subsidies;

(3) Regulating or auditing private or other non-Federal enterprise; or

(4) Other activities where the decision or action has an economic impact on the interests of any non-Federal enterprise.

Each employee who occupies a position in one of the above-listed categories and who is not excluded from the reporting requirement shall be notified that he is subject to the reporting requirement.

(c) The following employees classified at GS-13 or above under section 5332 of Title 5, United States Code, or at a comparable pay level under another authority, not otherwise subject to paragraph (b) of this section:

(1) Employees in grade GS-16 or above, or in comparable or higher positions.

(2) Employees in Schedule C positions.

(3) Employees in hearing examiner or hearing officer positions.

(4) Persons employed as experts, consultants, or advisers.

(5) Employees in positions or categories of positions, regardless of their official title, identified in Appendix B of this part.

(d) Employees classified below GS13 under section 5332 of Title 5, United States Code, or at a comparable pay level under another authority, who are in positions or categories of positions, regardless of their official title, identified in Appendix C to this part.

CFR

(e) Appendices B and C. (1) Appendix B to this part shall be maintained and changes made therein in accordance with the criteria in 5 735.403(c) and in accordance with the procedure in this paragraph. Appendix C to this part shall be maintained and changes made therein in accordance with the criteria in 5 CFR 735.403(d) and in accordance with the procedure in this paragraph.

(2) Heads of operating units and heads of offices in the Office of the Secretary shall, in conformity with the above-cited criteria, recommend changes in Appendix B and Appendix C to the Assistant Secretary for Ad

§ 0.735-23 Employees not required to submit statements.

(a) Employees in positions that meet the criteria in paragraph (b), (c), or (d) of $0.735-22 may be excluded from the reporting requirement when the head of the operating unit concerned determines that:

(1) The duties of a position are such that the likelihood of the incumbent's involvement in a conflicts-of-interest situation is remote; or

(2) The duties of a position are at such a level of responsibility that the submission of a statement of employment and financial interests is not necessary because of the degree of supervision and review over the incumbent or the inconsequential effect on the integrity of the Government.

(b) A statement of employment and financial interests is not required by this part from the Secretary of Commerce, from the head of an independent agency for which the Department of Commerce performs administrative services, or from a full-time member of a committee, board, or commission appointed by the President. These employees are subject to separate report

ing requirements under section 401 of Executive Order 11222.

$ 0.735-24 Time and place for submission of original statements.

(a) An employee required to submit a statement of employment and financial interests under this part shall submit that statement not later than:

(1) Ninety days after the effective date of this part if the employee is employed by the Department on or before the effective date of this part;

or

(2) Thirty days after the employee's entrance on duty date, but in no case earlier than 90 days after the effective date of this part.

(b) Statements shall be submitted to a personnel officer specified by the head of the operating unit or to such other person as the head of the operating unit, with the approval of the Secretary, may specify. Secretarial officers and heads of operating units shall submit their statements to the Secretary or to such person as the Secretary may designate.

§ 0.735-25 Supplementary statements.

Changes in, or additions to, the information contained in an employee's statement of employment and financial interests shall be reported in a supplementary statement as of June 30 each year, except when the Civil Service Commission authorizes a different date on a showing by the Department of necessity therefor. (The Commission has authorized filing of the supplementary statement for 1967 as of September 30, 1967.) If no changes or additions occur, a negative report is required. Notwithstanding the filing of the annual report required by this section, each employee shall at all times avoid acquiring a financial interest that could result, or taking an action that would result, in a violation of the conflicts-of-interest provisions of section 208 of Title 18, United States Code, or Subpart D of this part.

§ 0.735-26 Interests of employees' relatives.

The interest of a spouse, minor child, or other member of an employee's immediate household is consid

ered to be an interest of the employee. For the purpose of this section, "member of an employee's immediate household" means those blood relations who are members of the employee's household.

§ 0.735-27 Information not known by employees.

If any information required to be included on a statement of employment and financial interests or supplementary statement, including holdings placed in trust, is not known to the employee but is known to another person, the employee shall request that other person to submit information in his behalf.

§ 0.735-28 Information not required.

This part does not require an employee to submit on a statement of employment and financial interests or supplementary statement any information relating to the employee's connection with, or interest in, a professional society or a charitable, religious, social, fraternal, recreational, public service, civic, or political organization or a similar organization not conducted as a business enterprise. For the purpose of this section, educational and other institutions doing research and development or related work involving grants of money from or contracts with the Government are deemed "business enterprises" and are required to be included in an employee's statement of employment and financial interests.

§ 0.735-29 Confidentiality of employees' statements.

(a) No employee may have access to a statement of employment and financial interests, or a supplementary statement, unless his official duties make access necessary. Each employee who has access to such a statement is responsible for maintaining it in confidence and shall not allow access to, or allow information to be disclosed from, a statement except to an employee of the Department of Commerce or the Civil Service Commission to carry out the purpose of this part or to other persons as the Civil Service Commission or the Assistant Secretary