APPENDIX A TO PART 0-STATUTES GOVERNING CONDUCT OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES APPENDIX B TO PART 0-POSITION

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EGORIES, GRADE GS-13, AND ABOVE, REQUIRING STATEMENTS OF EMPLOYMENT AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS BY INCUMBENTS APPENDIX C TO PART 0-POSITION CATEGORIES BELOW GS-13 REQUIRING STATEMENTS OF EMPLOYMENT AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS BY INCUMBENTS

AUTHORITY: E.O. 11222 of May 8, 1965, 30 FR 6469, 3 CFR, 1965 Supp.; 5 CFR 735.104, unless otherwise noted.

SOURCE: 32 FR 15222, Nov. 2, 1967, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A-General Provisions $0.735-1 Purpose.

The purpose of this part is to set forth Department of Commerce policy and procedure relating to employee responsibilities and conduct.

$0.735-2 Relation to basic provisions. (a) This part implements the following:

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(ii) Every other person who is retained, designated, appointed, or employed by a Federal officer or ployee, who is engaged in the performance of a function of the Department under authority of law or an Executive act, and who is subject to the supervision of a Federal officer or employee while engaged in the performance of the duties of his position not only as to what he does but also as to how he performs his duties, regardless of whether the relationship to the Department is created by assignment, detail, contract, agreement or otherwise.

(2) Shall not include: (i) Members of the Executive Reserve except when they are serving as employees of the Department under the circumstances described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section;

(ii) Members of crews of vessels owned or chartered to the Government and operated by or for the Maritime Administration under a General Agency Agreement; or

(iii) Any other person who is determined legally not to be an officer or employee of the United States.

(b) Special Government employee shall mean an employee as defined in paragraph (a) of this section who is retained, designated, appointed, or employed to perform with or without compensation, for not to exceed 130 days during any period of 365 consecutive days, temporary duties on either a full-time or intermittent basis.

(c) Personnel officer means a personnel official to whom the power of appointment is redelegated under Administrative Order 202–250.

(d) Operating unit means, for purposes of this part, primary and constituent operating units designated as such in the Department Order Series of the Department of Commerce and, in addition, the Office of the Secretary.

(e) Head of an operating unit, for the purposes of this part, includes the Assistant Secretary for Administration with respect to the performance of functions under this part for the Office of the Secretary.

Subpart B-General Policy

$0.735-5 General principles.

Apart from statute, there are certain principles of fair dealing which have the force of law and which are applicable to all officers of the Government. A public office is a public trust. No public officer can lawfully engage in business activities which are incompatible with the duties of his office. He cannot, in his private or official character, enter into engagements in which he has, or can have, a conflicting personal interest. He cannot allow his public duties to be neglected by reason of attention to his private affairs. Such conflicts of interest are not tolerated in the case of any private fiduciary, and they are doubly proscribed for a public trustee. (40 Ops. Atty. Gen. 187, 190.)

$0.735-6 Standards required in the Federal service.

5 CFR 735.101 states: "The maintenance of unusually high standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality, and conduct by Government employees and special Government employees is essential to assure the proper performance of the Government business and the maintenance of confidence by citizens in their Government."

$0.735-7 Special requirements of the Department.

The close and sensitive relationship between the Department of Commerce and the Nation's business community calls for special vigilance on the part of all officers and employees to avoid even any appearance of impropriety. The regulations set forth in this part have been adopted in order to promote the efficiency of the service in the light of the particular ethical and administrative problems arising out of the work of the Department.

$0.735-8 Limitations on private activities and interests.

It is the policy of the Department to place as few limitations as possible on private activities or interests consistent with the public trust and the effective performance of the official business of the Department. There is no general statutory or regulatory limitation on the conduct of private activities for compensation by officers or employees of the Department, when the private activity is not connected with any interest of the Government. When the private activity does not touch upon some interest, it may be conducted if it falls outside applicable statutory limitations and regulatory limitations.

Subpart C-Statutory Limitations Upon Employee Conduct

$0.735-9 Employee responsibilities.

Each employee and special Government employee has a positive duty to acquaint himself with the numerous statutes relating to the ethical and other conduct of employees and special employees of the Department and of the Government Appendix A of this part contains a listing of the more important statutory provisions of general applicability. In case of doubt on any question of statutory application to fact situations that may arise, the employee should consult the text of the statutes, which will be made available to him by his organization unit, and he should also avail himself of the legal counseling provided by this part.

Subpart D-Regulatory Limitations Upon Employee Conduct

80.735-10 Administrative extension of statutory limitations.

The provisions of the statutes identified in this part which relate to the ethical 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.

80.735-11 Gifts, entertainment, and fa

vors.

(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