(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no employee may solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan, or any other thing of monetary value from any person who:

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

(2) Conducts operations or activities that are being investigated by the Commission; or

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

(b) The prohibitions set forth under paragraph (a) of this section shall not apply to:

(1) Solicitations or acceptances based on obvious family or personal relationships (such as those between parents, children, or spouse of the employee and 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) The 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 a field trip, and of ground transportation of nominal value in the course of a field trip, where an employee may properly be in attendance.

(3) The acceptance of loans from banks or other financial institutions on customary terms to finance proper and usual activities of employees, such as home mortgage loans; and

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

(c) 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.

(d) An employee shall not accept a gift, present, decoration, or other thing from a foreign government unless authorized by Congress as provided by the Constitution and in 5 U.S.C. 7342.

(e) Neither this section nor § 200.735-106 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.

[32 FR 16210, Nov. 28, 1967, as amended at 46 FR 41036, Aug. 14, 1981]