cal and other conduct of Federal employees are adopted and will be enforced as administrative regulations, violations of which may in appropriate cases be the basis for disciplinary action, including removal. The fact that a statute which may relate to employee conduct is not identified in this part does not mean that it may not be the basis for disciplinary action against an employee. § 0.735-10a Proscribed actions.

An employee shall avoid any action, whether or not specifically prohibited by this subpart, which might result in, or create the appearance of:

(a) Using public office for private gain;

(b) Giving preferential treatment to any person;

(c) Impeding Government efficiency or economy;

(d) Losing complete independence or impartiality;

(e) Making a Government decision outside official channels; or

(f) Affecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the Government.

§ 0.735-11 Gifts, entertainment, and favors.

(a) General limitations. Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (f) of this section, an employee shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan, payment of expenses, fee, compensation, or any other thing of monetary value, for himself or another person, from a person who:

(1) Has, or is seeking to obtain, contractual or other business or financial relations with the Department of Commerce;

(2) Conducts operations or activities that are regulated by the Department of Commerce; or

(3) Has interests that may be substantially affected by the performance or nonperformance of the employee's official duty or by actions of the Department.

(b) Exceptions. The following exceptions are authorized to the limitation in paragraph (a) of this section:

(1) Acceptance of a gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan, payment of expenses, fee, compensation, or other thing of monetary value incident to obvious family or personal relationships (such as those between the employee

and the parents, children, or spouse of the employee) when the circumstances make it clear that it is those relationships rather than the business of the persons concerned which are the motivating factors.

(2) Acceptance of food and refreshments of nominal value on infrequent occasions in the ordinary course of a luncheon or dinner meeting or other meeting or on an inspection tour where an employee may properly be in attendance. For the purpose of this section, "nominal value" means that the value of the food or refreshments shall not be unreasonably high under the circumstances.

(3) Acceptance of loans from banks or other financial institutions on customary terms and on security not inconsistent with paragraph (a) of this section, to finance proper and usual activities of employees, such as home mortgage loans.

(4) Acceptance of unsolicited advertising or promotional material, such as pens, pencils, note pads, calendars, and other items of nominal intrinsic value.

(5) Acceptance of a gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan, payment of expenses, fee, compensation, or other thing of monetary value when such acceptance is determined by the head of the operating unit concerned to be necessary and appropriate in view of the work of the Department and the duties and responsibilities of the employee. A copy of each such determination shall be sent to the counselor of the Department.

(6) Special Government employees are covered by this section only while employed by the Department or in connection with such employment.

(c) [Reserved]

(d) Gifts to superiors. An employee shall not solicit a contribution from another employee for a gift to an official superior, make a donation as a gift to an official superior, or accept a gift from an employee receiving less pay than himself (5 U.S.C. 7351). However, this paragraph does not prohibit a voluntary gift of nominal value or donation in a nominal amount made on a special occasion such as marriage, illness, or retirement. An employee who violates these requirements shall be removed from the service.

(e) Gifts from a foreign government. An employee shall not accept a gift, present, decoration, or other thing from a foreign government unless acceptance is (1) authorized by Congress as provided

by the Constitution and in Public Law 89-673, 80 Stat. 952, and (2) authorized by the Department of Commerce as provided in Administrative Order 202-739.

(f) Reimbursement for travel expenses and subsistence. Neither this section nor § 0.735-12 precludes an employee from receipt of bona fide reimbursement, unless prohibited by law, for expenses of travel and such other necessary subsistence as is compatible with this part for which no Government payment or reimbursement is made. However, this paragraph does not allow an employee to be reimbursed, or payment to be made on his behalf, for excessive personal living expenses, gifts, entertainment, or other personal benefits, nor does it allow an employee to be reimbursed by a person for travel on official business under agency orders when reimbursement is proscribed by Decision B-128527 of the Comptroller General dated March 7, 1967. (Requirements applicable to Department of Commerce employees are set forth in Department of Commerce Administrative Order 203-9.)

§ 0.735-12 Outside employment or other activity.

(a) Incompatible outside employment or other outside activity. An employee shall not engage in outside employment or other outside activity not compatible (i) with the full and proper discharge of the duties and responsibilities of his Government employment, (ii) with the policies or interests of the Department, or (iii) with the maintenance of the highest standards of ethical and moral conduct. Incompatible activities include but are not limited to:

(1) Acceptance of a fee, compensation, gift, payment of expense, or any other thing of monetary value in circumstances in which acceptance may result in, or create the appearance of, a conflict of interest;

(2) Outside employment which tends to impair the employee's mental or physical capacity to perform his Government duties and responsibilities in an acceptable manner;

(3) Employment with any foreign government, corporation, partnership, instrumentality, or individual unless authorized by the Department;

(4) Employment by, or service rendered under contract with, any of the persons listed in § 0.735-11(a);

(5) Receipt by an employee, other than a special Government employee, of

any salary or anything of monetary value from a private source as compensation for his services to the Government. (18 U.S.C. 209)

(b) Improper benefit from official activity. (1) No employee of the Department shall receive compensation (e.g., an honorarium) or anything of monetary value, other than that to which he is duly entitled from the Government, for the performance of any activity during his service as such employee of the Department and within the scope of his official responsibilities.

(2) As used in this paragraph, "within the scope of his official responsibilities" means in the course of or in connection with his official responsibilities. (See 29 Comp. Gen. 163; 30 id. 246; 32 id. 454; 35 id. 354; B-131371, July 17, 1957.)

(3) An activity shall ordinarily be considered to be in the course of or in connection with an employee's official responsibilities if it is performed as a result of an invitation or request which is addressed to the Department or a component thereof, or which is addressed to an employee at his office at the Department, or which there is reason to believe is extended partly because of the official position of the employee concerned. (When in doubt, it may be asked whether it is likely that the invitation would have been received if the recipient were not associated with the Department.) Whether an employee is on leave while performing an activity shall be considered irrelevant in determining whether an activity is performed in the course of or in connection with the employee's official responsibilities.

(4) Acceptance of a gift or bequest on behalf of the Department shall be made in accordance with Department Order 3 and Administrative Order 203-9.

(c) Teaching, lecturing, and writing. Employees are encouraged to engage in teaching, lecturing, and writing that is not prohibited by law, Executive Order 11222, 5 CFR Part 735, or the regulations in this part and Administrative Order 201-4, "Writing for Outside Publication," subject to the following conditions:

(1) An employee shall not, either for or without compensation, engage in teaching, lecturing, or writing, including teaching, lecturing, or writing for the purpose of the special preparation of a person or class of persons for an examination of the Civil Service Commission or the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service, that depends on infor

mation obtained as a result of his Government employment, except when that information has been made available to the general public or will be made available on request, or when the Assistant Secretary for Administration or his designee gives written authorization for the use of nonpublic information on the basis that the use is in the public interest.

(2) No employee shall receive compensation or anything of monetary value for any consultation, lecture, discussion, writing, or appearance, the subject matter of which is devoted substantially to the responsibilities, 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 subparagraph, "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 F.R. 15222, Nov. 2, 1967, as amended at 33 F.R. 9735, 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 (1) by whom he has been employed or with whom he has had any economic interest within the preceding 2 years, or (2) 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. § 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.

For

(b) Use of inside information. 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, particu

larly 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.)

§ 0.735-16 Indebtedness.

(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.

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 or

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ganizational 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 state

ments.

(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 fol

lowing 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

grants or subsidies;

monitoring

(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 GS-13 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.

(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 CFR 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