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"(B) whose principal occupation or employment is with (i) an agency or instrumentality of a State or local government, (ii) an accredited, degree-granting institution of higher education, as defined in section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, or (iii) a hospital or medical research organization, exempted and defined under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the appearance, communication, or representation is on behalf of such government, institution, hospital, or organization. "(e) For the purposes of subsection (c), whenever the Director of the Office of Government Ethics determines that a separate statutory agency or bureau within a department or agency exercises functions which are distinct and separate from the remaining functions of the department or agency, the Director shall by rule designate such agency or bureau as a separate department or agency; except that such designation shall not apply to former heads of designated bureaus or agencies, or former officers and employees of the department or agency whose official responsibilities included supervision of said agency or bureau. "(f) The prohibitions of subsections (a), (b), and (c) shall not apply with respect to the making of communications solely for the purpose of furnishing scientific or technological information under procedures acceptable to the department or agency concerned, or if the head of the department or agency concerned with the particular matter, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Government Ethics, makes a certification, published in the Federal Register, that the former officer or employee has outstanding qualifications in a scientific, technological, or other technical discipline, and is acting with respect to a particular matter which requires such qualifications, and that the national interest would be served by the participation of the former officer or employee. "(g) Whoever, being a partner of an officer or employee of the executive branch of the United States Government, of any independent agency of the United States, or of the District of Columbia, including a special Government employee, acts as agent or attorney for anyone other than the United States before any department, agency, court, court-martial, or any civil, military, or naval commission of the United States or the District of Columbia, or any officer or employee thereof, in connection with any judicial or other proceeding, application, request for a ruling or other determination, contract, claim, controversy, investigation, charge, accusation, arrest, or other particular matter in which the United States or the District of Columbia is a party or has a direct and substantial interest and in which such officer or employee or special Government employee participates or has participated personally and substantially as an officer or employee through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, the rendering of advice, investigation, or otherwise, or which is the subject of his official responsibility, shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both. "(h) Nothing in this section shall prevent a former officer or employee from giving testimony under oath, or from making statements required to be made under penalty of perjury. "(i) The prohibition contained in subsection (c) shall not apply to appearances or communications by a former officer or employee concerning matters of a personal and individual nature, such as personal income taxes or pension benefits; nor shall the prohibition of that subsection prevent a former officer or employee from making or providing a statement, which is based on the former officer's or employee's own special knowledge in the particular area that is the subject of the statement, provided that no compensation is thereby received, other than that regularly provided for by law or regulation for witnesses. "(j) If the head of the department or agency in which the former officer or employee served finds, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, that such former officer or employee violated subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this section, such department or agency head may prohibit that person from making, on behalf of any other person (except the United States), any informal or formal appearance before, or, with the intent to influence, any oral or written communication to, such department or agency on a pending matter of business for a period not to exceed five years, or may take other appropriate disciplinary action. Such disciplinary action shall be subject to review in an appropriate United States district court. No later than six months after the effective date of this Act, departments and agencies shall, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Government Ethics, establish procedures to carry out this subsection. "(k)(1)(A) The President may grant a waiver of a restriction imposed by this section to any officer or employee described in paragraph (2) if the President determines and certifies in writing that it is in the public interest to grant the waiver and that the services of the officer or employee are critically needed for the benefit of the Federal Government. Not more than 25 officers and employees currently employed by the Federal Government at any one time may have been granted waivers under this paragraph. "(B) A waiver granted under this paragraph to any person shall apply only with respect to activities engaged in by that person after that person's Federal Government employment is terminated and only to that person's employment at a Government-owned, contractor operated entity with which the person served as an officer or employee immediately before the person's Federal Government employment began. "(2) Waivers under paragraph (1) may be granted only to civilian officers and employees of the executive branch, other than officers and employees in the Executive Office of the President. "(3) A certification under paragraph (1) shall take effect upon its publication in the Federal Register and shall identify - "(A) the officer or employee covered by the waiver by name and by position, and "(B) the reasons for granting the waiver. A copy of the certification shall also be provided to the Director of the Office of Government Ethics. "(4) The President may not delegate the authority provided by this subsection. "(5)(A) Each person granted a waiver under this subsection shall prepare reports, in accordance with subparagraph (B), stating whether the person has engaged in activities otherwise prohibited by this section for each six-month period described in subparagraph (B), and if so, what those activities were. "(B) A report under subparagraph (A) shall cover each six-month period beginning on the date of the termination of the person's Federal Government employment (with respect to which the waiver under this subsection was granted) and ending two years after that date. Such report shall be filed with the President and the Director of the Office of Government Ethics not later than 60 days after the end of the six-month period covered by the report. All reports filed with the Director under this paragraph shall be made available for public inspection and copying. "(C) If a person fails to file any report in accordance with subparagraphs (A) and (B), the President shall revoke the waiver and shall notify the person of the revocation. The revocation shall take effect upon the person's receipt of the notification and shall remain in effect until the report is filed. "(D) Any person who is granted a waiver under this subsection shall be ineligible for appointment in the civil service unless all reports required of such person by subparagraphs (A) and (B) have been filed. "(E) As used in this subsection, the term 'civil service' has the meaning given that term in section 2101 of title 5." EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1978 AMENDMENT Section 503 of Pub. L. 95-521, which provided that the amendments made by section 501 (amending this section) shall become effective on July 1, 1979, was amended generally by Pub. L. 101-194, title VI, Sec. 601(a), Nov. 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1761, and is now set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Section 502 of Pub. L. 95-521, which provided that the amendments made by section 501 (amending this section) shall not apply to those individuals who left Government service prior to the effective date of such amendments (July 1, 1979) or, in the case of individuals who occupied positions designated pursuant to section 207(d) of title 18, United States Code, prior to the effective date of such designation; except that any such individual who returns to Government service on or after the effective date of such amendments or designation shall be thereafter covered by such amendments or designation, was amended generally by Pub. L. 101-194, title VI, Sec. 601(a), Nov. 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1761, and is now set out in the Appendix to Title 5. EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective 90 days after Oct. 23, 1962, see section 4 of Pub. L. 87-849, set out as a note under section 201 of this title. REGULATIONS Responsibility of Office of Government Ethics for promulgating regulations and interpreting this section, see section 201(c) of Ex. Ord. No. 12674, Apr. 12, 1989, 54 F.R. 15159, as amended, set out as a note under section 7301 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. -TRANS- TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Certain functions of Clerk of House of Representatives transferred to Director of Non-legislative and Financial Services by section 7 of House Resolution No. 423, One Hundred Second Congress, Apr. 9, 1992. Director of Non-legislative and Financial Services replaced by Chief Administrative Officer of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Jan. 4, 1995. -MISC2- AGENCIES WITHIN EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT For provisions relating to treatment of agencies within the Executive Office of the President as one agency under subsec. (c) of this section, see Ex. Ord. No. 12674, Sec. 202, Apr. 12, 1989, 54 F.R. 15160, as amended, set out as a note under section 7301 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. EXEMPTIONS Exemptions from former section 284 of this title deemed to be exemptions from this section, see section 2 of Pub. L. 87-849, set out as a note under section 203 of this title. -SECREF- SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS This section is referred to in sections 202, 216 of this title; title 5 sections 568, 3374, 3704, 7302; title 7 sections 2009aa-1, 2009bb-1; title 10 section 9447; title 12 section 2245; title 16 section 459b-7; title 19 section 2171; title 20 section 1018; title 22 sections 3310, 3507, 3508, 3613, 3622; title 25 section 450i; title 26 section 7802; title 28 section 594; title 30 section 663; title 35 section 3; title 38 section 5902; title 40 section 14309; title 42 sections 1396a, 2297h-3; title 48 section 1907; title 49 section 106; title 50 section 405; title 50 App. section 463. -FOOTNOTE- (!1) So in original. Probably should be "subsection". -End- -CITE- 18 USC Sec. 208 01/19/04 -EXPCITE- TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE PART I - CRIMES CHAPTER 11 - BRIBERY, GRAFT, AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST -HEAD- Sec. 208. Acts affecting a personal financial interest -STATUTE- (a) Except as permitted by subsection (b) hereof, whoever, being an officer or employee of the executive branch of the United States Government, or of any independent agency of the United States, a Federal Reserve bank director, officer, or employee, or an officer or employee of the District of Columbia, including a special Government employee, participates personally and substantially as a Government officer or employee, through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, the rendering of advice, investigation, or otherwise, in a judicial or other proceeding, application, request for a ruling or other determination, contract, claim, controversy, charge, accusation, arrest, or other particular matter in which, to his knowledge, he, his spouse, minor child, general partner, organization in which he is serving as officer, director, trustee, general partner or employee, or any person or organization with whom he is negotiating or has any arrangement concerning prospective employment, has a financial interest - Shall be subject to the penalties set forth in section 216 of this title. (b) Subsection (a) shall not apply - (1) if the officer or employee first advises the Government official responsible for appointment to his or her position of the nature and circumstances of the judicial or other proceeding, application, request for a ruling or other determination, contract, claim, controversy, charge, accusation, arrest, or other particular matter and makes full disclosure of the financial interest and receives in advance a written determination made by such official that the interest is not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services which the Government may expect from such officer or employee; (2) if, by regulation issued by the Director of the Office of Government Ethics, applicable to all or a portion of all officers and employees covered by this section, and published in the Federal Register, the financial interest has been exempted from the requirements of subsection (a) as being too remote or too inconsequential to affect the integrity of the services of the Government officers or employees to which such regulation applies; (3) in the case of a special Government employee serving on an advisory committee within the meaning of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (including an individual being considered for an appointment to such a position), the official responsible for the employee's appointment, after review of the financial disclosure report filed by the individual pursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, certifies in writing that the need for the individual's services outweighs the potential for a conflict of interest created by the financial interest involved; or (4) if the financial interest that would be affected by the particular matter involved is that resulting solely from the interest of the officer or employee, or his or her spouse or minor child, in birthrights - (A) in an Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians, (B) in an Indian allotment the title to which is held in trust by the United States or which is inalienable by the allottee without the consent of the United States, or (C) in an Indian claims fund held in trust or administered by the United States, if the particular matter does not involve the Indian allotment or claims fund or the Indian tribe, band, nation, organized group or community, or Alaska Native village corporation as a specific party or parties. (c)(1) For the purpose of paragraph (1) of subsection (b), in the case of class A and B directors of Federal Reserve banks, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall be deemed to be the Government official responsible for appointment. (2) The potential availability of an exemption under any particular paragraph of subsection (b) does not preclude an exemption being granted pursuant to another paragraph of subsection (b). (d)(1) Upon request, a copy of any determination granting an exemption under subsection (b)(1) or (b)(3) shall be made available to the public by the agency granting the exemption pursuant to the procedures set forth in section 105 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. In making such determination available, the agency may withhold from disclosure any information contained in the determination that would be exempt from disclosure under section 552 of title 5. For purposes of determinations under subsection (b)(3), the information describing each financial interest shall be no more extensive than that required of the individual in his or her financial disclosure report under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. (2) The Office of Government Ethics, after consultation with the Attorney General, shall issue uniform regulations for the issuance of waivers and exemptions under subsection (b) which shall - (A) list and describe exemptions; and (B) provide guidance with respect to the types of interests that are not so substantial as to be deemed likely to affect the integrity of the services the Government may expect from the employee. -SOURCE- (Added Pub. L. 87-849, Sec. 1(a), Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1124; amended Pub. L. 95-188, title II, Sec. 205, Nov. 16, 1977, 91 Stat. 1388; Pub. L. 101-194, title IV, Sec. 405, Nov. 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1751; Pub. L. 101-280, Sec. 5(e), May 4, 1990, 104 Stat. 159; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Secs. 330002(b), 330008(6), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2140, 2143.) -REFTEXT- REFERENCES IN TEXT The Federal Advisory Committee Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is Pub. L. 92-463, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 770, as amended, which is set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. The Ethics in Government Act of 1978, referred to in subsecs. (b)(3) and (d)(1), is Pub. L. 95-521, Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1824, as amended. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 101 of Pub. L. 95-521 in the Appendix to Title 5 and Tables. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(4)(A), is Pub. L. 92-203, Dec. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 688, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (Sec. 1601 et seq.) of Title 43, Public Lands. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1601 of Title 43 and Tables. -MISC1- PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 208, act June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 693, related to the acceptance of solicitation of a bribe by a judicial officer,

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