15 C.F.R. Subpart G—Administration
Title 15 - Commerce and Foreign Trade
It is the responsibility of each employee: (a) To assure, at the outset of his employment, that each of his interests and activities is consistent with the requirements established by or pursuant to this part; (b) To submit a statement of employment and financial interests at such times and in such form as may be specified in or pursuant to this part; (c) To certify, upon entering on duty in the Department, that he has read this part and applicable regulations supplementary thereto; (d) To obtain prior written authorization of any interest or activity about the propriety of which any doubt exists in the employee's mind, as provided in §0.735–39; (e) To confine each of his interests and activities at all times within the requirements established by or pursuant to this part, including any authorizations granted pursuant to this part; and (f) To obtain a further written authorization whenever circumstances change, or the nature or extent of the interest or activity changes, in such a manner as to involve the possibility of a violation or appearance of a violation of a limitation or requirement prescribed in or pursuant to this part. The head of each operating unit, or his designee, shall: (a) Furnish or make available to each employee a copy of this part (or a comprehensive summary thereof) within 90 days after approval of this part by the Office of Personnel Management, and, upon their issuance, a copy of any regulations supplementary thereto (or a comprehensive summary thereof); (b) Furnish or make available to each new employee at the time of his entrance on duty a copy of this part as it may be amended and any supplementary regulations (or a comprehensive summary thereof); (c) Bring this part (or as it may be amended and any supplementary regulations thereto) to the attention of each employee annually, and at such other times as circumstances may warrant as may be determined by the Assistant Secretary for Administration; (d) Have available for review by employees, as appropriate, copies of laws, Executive orders, this part, supplementary regulations, and pertinent Office of Personnel Management regulations and instructions relating to ethical and other conduct of Government employees; (e) Advise each employee who is a special Government employee of his status for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 203 and 205; (f) Require each employee specified in §0.735–22 to submit a statement of employment and financial interests, as provided by or pursuant to this part; (g) Develop an appropriate form, with the approval of the counselor of the Department, on which the employee may certify that he has read this part and applicable regulations supplementary thereto, in accordance with §0.735–35(c), and on which he may, if he so desires, indicate that he has a private activity or interest about which he requests advice and guidance as provided by §0.735–38. (h) Require each employee upon entering on duty and at such other times as may be specified, to execute the certification required by §0.735–35(c); (i) Report to the program Secretarial Officer concerned and to the Assistant Secretary for Administration promptly any instance in which an employee, after notice, fails to submit the certification required under §0.735–35(c) or a statement of employment or financial interests required under this part within 14 calendar days following the prescribed time limit for doing so; and (j) Take action to impress upon each employee required to submit a statement of employment and financial interests, upon his supervisor, and upon employees with whom the employee works, their responsibility as follows: (1) The employee's supervisor is responsible (i) for excluding from the range of duties of the employee any contracts or other transactions between the Government and his outside employer, clients, or entities in which he has an interest within the purview of this part, and (ii) for overseeing the employee's activities in order to insure that the public interest is protected from improper conduct on his part and that he will not, through ignorance or inadvertence, embarrass the Government or himself. (2) The employee's supervisor and employees with whom he works are responsible for avoiding the use of the employee's services in any situation in which a violation of law, regulation, or ethical standards is likely to occur or to appear to occur. (3) The supervisor of an employee is responsible for initiating prompt and proper disciplinary or remedial action when a violation, intentional or innocent, is detected. (4) Employees shall avoid divulging to a special Government employee privileged Government information which is not necessary to the performance of his governmental responsibility or information which directly involves the financial interests of his non-Government employer. (5) An employee shall make every effort in his private work to avoid any personal contact with respect to negotiations with the Department for contracts, grants, or loans, if the subject matter is related to the subject matter of his Government employment. When this is not possible, he may participate if not otherwise prohibited by law (e.g., 18 U.S.C. 203 and 205) in the negotiations for his private employer only with the prior approval of the head of the operating unit concerned. [32 FR 15222, Nov. 2, 1967, as amended at 55 FR 53489, Dec. 31, 1990] The review of statements of employment and financial interests shall include the following basic measures, among others: (a) Statements shall be submitted to the designated officer, who will review each employee's statement of employment and financial interests to ascertain whether they are consistent with the requirements established by or pursuant to this part. (See §0.735–24(b).) (b) Where the statement raises any question of compliance with the requirements of this part, it shall be submitted to a deputy counselor for the organization unit concerned. The deputy counselor may, in his discretion, utilize the advice and services of others (including departmental facilities) to obtain further information needed to resolve the questions. (c) The designated officer shall maintain the statements of employment and financial interests in a file apart from the official personnel files and shall take every measure practicable to insure their confidentiality. Statements of employment and financial interests shall be preserved for 5 years following the separation of an employee from the Department or following termination of any other relationship under which the individual rendered service to the Department, except as may be otherwise authorized by the Assistant Secretary for Administration or as required by law. (a) The General Counsel of the Department shall: (1) Serve as the counselor for the Department of Commerce with respect to matters covered by the basic provisions cited in §0.735–2(a) and otherwise by or pursuant to this part; (2) Serve as the Department of Commerce designee to the Office of Personnel Management on matters covered by this part; and (3) Coordinate the counseling services provided under this part and assure that counseling and interpretations on questions of conflicts of interest and other matters covered by this part are available to deputy counselors designated under paragraph (b) of this section. (b) The counselor shall designate employees who shall serve as deputy counselors for employees of the Department of Commerce with respect to matters covered by or pursuant to this part and shall give authoritative advice and guidance to each employee who seeks advice and guidance on questions of conflict of interests and other matters covered by or pursuant to this part. (c) Each operating unit shall notify its employees of the availability of counseling services and of how and where these services are available. This notification shall be given within 90 days after approval of this part by the Office of Personnel Management and periodically thereafter. In the case of a new employee appointed after the foregoing notification, notification shall be made at the time of his entrance on duty. (d) In each operating unit a deputy counselor shall advise and counsel each employee concerning any adjustments necessary in his financial interests or activities, or in any contemplated interests or activities, in order to meet the requirements established by or pursuant to this part. [32 FR 15222, Nov. 2, 1967, as amended at 55 FR 53489, Dec. 31, 1990] All requests for authorizations required under this part shall be addressed to the head of the operating unit concerned. In the Office of the Secretary such requests shall be addressed to the Secretary or such person as he may designate. When granted, authorizations will be in writing, and a copy of each authorization will be filed in the employees' official personnel file. (a) In case of doubt, or upon the request of the employee concerned, cases or questions will be forwarded to the counselor or a deputy counselor. (See §0.735–38.) (b) Where an activity requested to be authorized can be conducted as official business, it shall not be authorized as a private activity, but shall be conducted as official business. (c) Where authorizations involve speaking, writing, or teaching, use of the official title of the employee for identification purposes may be authorized, provided the employee makes it clear that his statements and actions are not of an official nature. (d) If an authorization has been granted for a specific activity or interest, and the activity or interest is subsequently deemed to constitute a violation of the limitations or requirements prescribed in or pursuant to this part, the employee concerned shall be notified in writing of the cancellation of the authorization and shall modify or stop the activity or interest involved, as requested. (a) Violation of a requirement established in or pursuant to this part shall be cause for appropriate disciplinary action, which may be in addition to any penalty prescribed by law. (b) When, after consideration of the explanation of the employee provided by §0.735–20(c), the reviewing officer, in cooperation with the responsible supervisory official, decides that remedial action is required, he will take or cause to be taken immediate action to end the conflict or appearance of conflict of interest. Remedial action may include, but is not limited to: (1) Changes in assigned duties; (2) Divestment by the employee of his conflicting interest; (3) Disciplinary action (including removal from the service); or (4) Disqualification for a particular assignment. Remedial action, whether disciplinary or otherwise, shall be effected in accordance with applicable laws, Executive orders, and regulations. (c) No disciplinary or remedial action may be taken under this section against an employee of another Federal department or agency on detail to the Department of Commerce other than through and with the concurrence of the detailed employee's employing agency. (a) Inquiries relating to legal aspects of the limitations set forth in or cited in or pursuant to this part should be submitted to the appropriate deputy counselor. Inquiries relating to other aspects of this part or regulations supplementary thereto should be referred to the appropriate personnel office. (b) Within the limits of administrative discretion permitted to the Department, exceptions to the requirements of this part may be granted from time to time in unusual cases by the head of the operating unit, whenever the facts indicate that such an exception would promote the efficiency of the service. Each request for such an exception should be submitted in writing to the head of the operating unit concerned, and shall contain a full statement of the justification for the request. Reports concerning such requests, if approved, shall be forwarded to the program Secretarial Officer concerned and to the Assistant Secretary for Administration by the head of the operating unit concerned.
Title 15: Commerce and Foreign Trade
PART 0—EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT
Subpart G—Administration
§ 0.735-35 Responsibilities of employees.
§ 0.735-36 Responsibilities of operating units.
§ 0.735-37 Procedure.
§ 0.735-38 Availability for counseling.
§ 0.735-39 Authorizations.
§ 0.735-40 Disciplinary and other remedial action.
§ 0.735-41 Inquiries and exceptions.
