(a) Outside employment may be appropriate when it will not adversely affect performance of an employee's official duties and will not reflect discredit on the Government or the Department. Such work may include civic, charitable, religious, and community undertakings. There are certain types of outside work, however, which give rise to a real or apparent conflict of interest. Some of these are prohibited by law. Others are prohibited by regulation, as discussed in paragraph (b) of this section, or by criteria developed by heads of operating components for application within a particular component. All of these provisions are binding, but they do not necessarily include all possible conflicts of interest. In all instances, good judgment must be used to avoid a conflict between an employee's Federal responsibilities and outside activities.

(b) An employee shall not engage in outside employment or other outside activity not compatible with the full and proper discharge of the duties and responsibilities of his or her Government employment whether or not in violation of any specific provision of law. 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 any circumstances in which acceptance may result in, or create the appearance of, conflicts of interest;

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

(3) Work which identifies the Department or any employee in his or her official capacity with any organization commercializing products relating to work conducted by the Department, or with any commercial advertising matter, or work performed under such circumstances as to give the impression that it is an official act of the Department or represents an official point of view;

(4) Outside work or activity that takes the employee's time and attention during his official work hours.

(c) An employee shall not receive any salary or anything of monetary value from a private source as compensation for services to the Government. For example, a Department employee may be called upon, as a part of his or her official duties, to participate in a professional meeting sponsored by a non-Government organization, or to contribute a paper or other writing prepared on official time for publication under non-Government auspices. The employee must not accept an honorarium or fee for such services, even though the organization accepting the service customarily makes such a payment to those who participate. Nor may the employee accept a contribution to some charity, educational institution, or the like, in appreciation of the services furnished by the Department employee who cannot accept the usual payment. All offers to make such a contribution must be refused. Any employee with whom such a question is raised shall explain that the service involved was provided as an official action of the Department and is authorized by law. Under these circumstances, it is inappropriate for any payment to be made, even indirectly and to a third party, for services which are furnished without charge by the Government.

(d) Other than as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, employees may receive compensation or other things of monetary value for any lecture, discussion, writing or appearance the subject matter of which is in part devoted to the responsibility, programs or operations of the Department so long as the activity is undertaken in a personal capacity, is not performed as official duty, is not done while on official time, and does not create a conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest. However, such activities are considered outside employment and may be undertaken only as provided in this subpart.

(e) This section does not restrict the acceptance of compensation or other things of monetary value for any lecture, discussion, writing or appearance, the subject matter of which is not devoted to the responsibilities, programs, or operations of the Department and which are undertaken in a private capacity and in accordance with § 73.735-704, § 73.735-705, or § 73.735-706.

(f) Federal law limits the amount of honorarium that may be paid any employee for any one speech, writing or appearance to $2,000.00 (not to include amounts for actual travel and subsistence expenses for the employee and his or her spouse) and an aggregate of $25,000.00 in any calendar year. This limitation applies to such activities whether or not the subject matter is related to the responsibilities, programs or operations of the Department. (2 U.S.C. 441i) The term “honorarium” means payment of money or other thing of value whether made gratuitously or as a fee for an appearance, speech or article but does not include salary or compensation made for services rendered on a continuing basis, such as for teaching, or as proceeds from the sale of a book or similar undertaking.

(g) An employee who is a Presidential appointee covered by section 401(a) of Executive Order 11222 shall not 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 his or her component, or which draws substantially on official data or ideas which have not or will not on request become public information.

(h) Application of these general provisions to some specific activities is discussed below.

(a) An employee may not, with or without compensation, represent another before any Government agency, court or commission in connection with any proceeding, application, request for a ruling, contract, claim or other particular matter in which the United States is a party or has a direct and substantial interest. (18 U.S.C. 203 and 205)

(b) An employee may not act as agent or attorney for anyone else in prosecuting any claim against the United States (18 U.S.C. 205).

(c) As an exception to the above, if it is not inconsistent with the performance of his or her duties, an employee may act without compensation as an agent or attorney for another employee, or a person under active consideration for Federal employment, who is the subject of disciplinary, loyalty, or other personnel administration proceedings in connection with those proceedings at the administrative level. For example, an employee may represent another employee who is the subject of disciplinary action, or the complainant in a discrimination proceeding, at all stages within the Department and before the Merit Systems Protection Board or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but not in Federal Court. It would be inconsistent with the performance of official duties for a supervisor to represent subordinate employees.

(d) The law and these regulations do not prohibit an employee from acting, with or without compensation, as agent or attorney for his or her parents, spouse, child or any person for whom, or estate for which, he or she is acting as fiduciary provided that the head of the principal operating component or his or her designee approve. Such approval, if granted, must be granted in accordance with the procedures for approval of outside activity. However, the employee may not do so if the particular matter is one in which he or she has participated personally and substantially or which is his or her official responsibility. (18 U.S.C. 205).

Employees, including officers in the Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps and retired officers of the Regular Commissioned Corps of the PHS, may not, without the consent of Congress, be employed by a foreign government or agency of a foreign government (Art. I, Sec. 9, U.S. Const.). Congress has consented to such employment by Reserve Commissioned Officers of the PHS not on active duty and by Retired Regular Commissioned Officers (37 U.S.C. 801, note) if approved under regulations of the Department of State. 22 CFR part 3a.

(a) Employees may engage in outside professional or consultative work only after meeting certain conditions. Except as provided in §§ 73.735-705 and 73.735-706 for activities discussed in those sections, the conditions which must be met are:

(1) The work is not to be rendered, with or without compensation, to organizations, institutions, or state or local governments with which the official duties of the employee are directly related, or indirectly related if the indirect relationship is significant enough to cause the existence of conflict or apparent conflict of interest; or

(2) The work is not to be rendered for compensation to help a person, institution, or government unit prepare or aid in the preparation of grant applications, contract proposals, program reports, and other material which are designed to become the subject of dealings between the institutions or government units and the Federal Government. All requests to perform consultative services, either compensated or uncompensated, for institutions or government units which have recently negotiated or may in the near future seek a contract or grant from this Department must be carefully appraised to avoid any conflict or apparent conflict of interest.

(b) Advance administrative approval in accordance with § 73.735-708 of this subpart must be obtained. Such approval is required whether or not the services are for compensation, and whether or not related to the employee's official duties.

(c) For the purpose of this section, “professional and consultative work” is performance of work requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a course of specialized instruction and study in an institution of higher education, or hospital which requires the exercise of judgment and discretion in its performance and is primarily intellectual in nature as opposed to manual, mechanical or physical work.

(d) Membership on a Board of Directors, Board of Regents, Board of Trustees, Planning Commission, Advisory Council or Committee, or on any similar body which provides advice, counsel, or consultation, shall be considered outside consultative services for which advance administrative approval is required.

(a) Employees are encouraged to engage in outside writing and editing whether or not done for compensation, when such activity is not otherwise prohibited. Such writing and editing, though not a part of official duties, may be on a directly related subject or entirely unrelated. Certain conditions must be met in either case, however, and certain clearances or approvals are prescribed according to the content of the material as set forth in paragraphs (b) through (e) of this section.

(b) Conditions applying to writing and editing done not as a part of official duties.

(1) The following conditions shall apply to all writing and editing whether related or unrelated to the employee's official duties:

(i) Government-financed time or supplies shall not be used by the author or by other Government employees in connection with the activity; and

(ii) Official support must not be expressed or implied in the material itself or advertising or promotional material, including book jackets and covers, relating to the employee and his or her contribution to the publication.

(2) If the writing or editing activity is unrelated to the employee's official duties or other responsibilities and programs of the Federal government, the employee must:

(i) Make no mention of his or her official title or affiliation with the Department, or

(ii) Use his or her official title or affiliation with the Department in a way that will not suggest or convey official endorsement of the work.

(3) If the writing or editing activity is related to the employee's official duties or other responsibilities and programs of the Federal government, the employee must:

(i) Make no mention of his or her official title or affiliation with the Department, or

(ii) Use his or her official title or affiliation with the Department and a disclaimer as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, or

(iii) Submit the material for clearance within the operating component, under procedures established by the component. When clearance is denied at any lower level, the employee shall have recourse for review up to the head of the principal operating component. This clearance will show there are no official objections to the activity and the employee may then use his or her official title or affiliation with the Department usually without a disclaimer.

(c) Disclaimers. (1) Except where the requirement for disclaimer is waived as a result of official clearance, disclaimers shall be used in all writing and editing related to the employee's official duties or other responsibilities and programs of the Federal government:

(i) In which the employee identifies himself or herself by official title or affiliation with the Department, or

(ii) When the prominence of the employee or the employee's position might lead the public to associate him or her with the Department, even without identification other than name.

(2) Disclaimers shall read as follows unless a different wording is approved by the Assistant General Counsel, Business and Administrative Law Division, Office of the General Counsel: “This (article, book, etc.) was (written, edited) by (employee's name) in (his or her) private capacity. No official suport or endorsement by (name of operating component or of Department) is intended or should be inferred.”

(d) Advance approval. Advance approval is required in accordance with § 73.735-708 of this subpart when one or more of the following conditions apply:

(1) Any Government information is used which is not available on request to persons outside the Government;

(2) Material is written or edited which pertains to subject matter directly related to an employee's official duties; (This includes editing for scientific or professional journals which is related to his or her official duties.)

(3) Material is written or edited which pertains to any Government-sponsored research or other studies for which clinical case records or other material of a confidential nature are used or to which access is limited for persons outside the Government. Such use will not be permitted unless made under safeguards established by the operating component to retain the confidentiality of the material, and such use is determined to be in the public interest.

(a) Employees are encouraged to engage in teaching and lecturing activities which are not part of their official duties when certain conditions are met. These conditions, which apply to outside teaching and lecturing (including giving single addresses such as commencement and Memorial Day speeches) whether or not done for compensation, are:

(1) No Government-financed time, or Government supplies not otherwise available to the public, are used in connection with such activity;

(2) Government travel or per diem funds are not used for the sole purpose of obtaining or performing such teaching or lecturing;

(3) Such teaching or lecturing is not dependent on specific information which would not otherwise be available to the public;

(4) Teaching, lecturing, or writing may not be for the purpose of the special preparation of a person or class of persons for an examination of the Office of Personnel Management or Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service, that depends on information obtained as a result of the employee's Government employment, except when that information has been made available to the general public or will be made available on request;

(5) Such activities do not involve knowingly instructing persons on dealing with particular matters pending before Government organizations with which the employee is associated in an official capacity;

(6) Advance approval is obtained when required by paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Advance approval. Advance approval must be obtained in accordance with § 73.735-708 of this subpart before an employee may:

(1) Teach or lecture for an institution which has or is likely to have official dealings with the bureau or comparable organizational unit in which he or she is employed;

(2) Use, for teaching or lecturing purposes, clinical case records or other material of a confidential nature or to which access is limited for persons outside the Government. Such use will not be permitted unless made under safeguards established by the operating component to retain the confidentiality of the material, and such use is determined to be in the public interest.

(a) Employees may be members of professional societies and be elected or appointed to office in such a society. Activity in professional associations is generally desirable from the point of view of both the Department and the employee. Employees shall avoid, however, any real or apparent conflict of interest in connection with such membership. For example, they must not:

(1) Directly or indirectly commit the Department or any portion of it on any matter unless such action is taken in an official capacity;

(2) Permit their names to be attached to documents the distribution of which would be likely to embarrass the Department; or

(3) Serve in capacities involving them as representatives of non-Government organizations in dealing with the Government.

(b) In undertaking any office or function beyond ordinary membership in a professional association, a Department employee must obtain advance approval in accordance with § 73.735-708 of this subpart in any situation in which his or her responsibilities as an officer would relate to his or her official duties or would create a real or apparent conflict of interest with responsibilities as a Department employee. For example, advance administrative approval must be obtained:

(1) Before an employee who is responsible for review and approval of grants or contracts, or is in a supervisory position over those who conduct review and approval, may hold office, or be a trustee or member of the governing board, or the chairman or member of a committee, in any organization which has or is seeking a grant or contract with the bureau or comparable organizational unit in which he or she is employed;

(2) Before an employee may hold office in an organization which customarily expresses publicly views on matters of legislative or administrative policy within the specific areas of concern to the Department.

(a) Scope. As specified in § 73.735-704 through 707, an employee is required to obtain advance administrative approval to engage in the following outside activities:

(1) Certain writing or editing activities;

(2) Certain types of teaching and lecturing;

(3) All professional and consultative services;

(4) Any other outside activity for which the head of a principal operating component or the head of a sub-unit of a principal operating component imposes internal requirements for administrative approval; and

(5) Certain office-holding activities in professional societies.

(b) Requests for Administrative Approval. An employee seeking to engage in any of the activities for which advance approval is required shall make a written request for administrative approval a reasonable time before beginning the activity. (See § 73.735-202(e)(1)). This request should be directed to the employee's supervisor who will forward it to the official authorized to approve outside work requests for the employee's component. The request should include the following information:

(1) Employee's name, position title, grade or rank;

(2) Nature of the activity, fully describing the specific duties or services for which approval is requested;

(3) Name and business of person or organization for which work will be done, or statement that work will be self-employment. If self-employment, employee must state whether activity will be conducted alone or with partners;

(4) Place where work will be performed;

(5) Estimated total time to be devoted to activity. If on a continuing basis, indicate estimated time per year and the anticipated termination date;

(6) Whether services can be performed entirely outside of usual duty hours. If not, the estimated number of hours absent from work should be indicated;

(7) Method or basis of compensation if any (e.g., fee, per diem, per annum, or other).

(8) Where an employee seeks approval to provide consultative or professional services to organizations including governments which have been awarded or may apply for a Federal grant or contract, the request shall also include full details on any aspect of the professional and consultative services which could relate in any way, either directly or indirectly, to grant applications, contract proposals, program reports, and other material which are designed to become the subject of dealings between the grantee or contractor and the Government. (See § 73.735-704(a)(2))

(c) The Department Ethics Counselor will review and approve outside work requests for Executive level officers, non-career executives, deputy ethics counselors, and Schedule C employees in the Office of the Secretary.

(d) Granting Approval of Certain Activities. The approving official shall review each request submitted under paragraph (b) of this section, and appraise each request on the basis of the standards of this part and all other applicable laws, regulations or internal rules of the principal operating component or sub-unit thereof. He or she should consult with a deputy ethics counselor or the Department Ethics Counselor in all cases that raise a difficult or novel question of law or fact. The approving official shall approve or disapprove each request and communicate his or her decision in writing to the employee.

By September 10 of each year the approving official shall require a report from each person for whom outside work has been approved during the past year. The report shall show:

(a) For the 12 months just past (ending August 31):

(1) Whether the anticipated work was actually performed for the person or organization named in the request for approval;

(2) Actual amount of time spent on the activity.

(b) For the forthcoming 12 months (ending August 31):

(1) Whether it is anticipated that the outside work will continue;

(2) Whether any change is anticipated with respect to information supplied in accordance with the original request on which approval was based.

The official responsible for the administrative aspects of these regulations (§ 73.735-202) shall make provisions for the retention and filing of requests for approval of outside work (or copies of such requests), a copy of the notification of approval or disapproval, and the annual report.