United States Department of Agriculture
Research, Education and Economics
ARS * CSREES * ERS * NASS
Bulletin
Title: | Acceptance of Travel Expenses from Non-Federal Sources |
Number: | 00-305 |
Date: | March 13, 2000 |
Originating Office: | Financial Management Division, Travel and Relocation Services Branch, ARS/AFM |
Distribution: | All REE employees |
Expires: | *September 30, 2001 |
This bulletin announces new Office of Ethics guidance on acceptance of travel expenses from non-Federal sources. (*The expiration date of this bulletin is extended on 5/8/01) |
On January 7, 2000, the Office of Ethics (OE) announced the implementation of
Ethics Issuance 99-2, Acceptance of Travel Expenses from Non-Federal Sources. This
bulletin is issued to implement new policy and requirements from OE in a timely manner.
REE Policy and Procedure (P&P) 341.2, Acceptance of Travel Funds from Non-Federal
Sources, dated November 22,1999, will be updated with this new guidance at a later date.
Changes:
Note: Copies will be accepted. However, every attempt should be made to submit the
original documents as they will be forwarded to OE for retention for 4 years.
Forms:
Exhibit 1, Modified - Approval and Report of Travel Funds Received from Non-
Federal Sources form.
Exhibit 2, New - Conflict of Interest Analysis form.
NOTE: The new and modified forms will be required for the reporting period October 1,
1999, through March 31, 2000, and must be submitted to ARS/AFM, Financial Management
Division, Travel and Relocation Services Branch by
April 15, 2000.
If you have questions concerning either travel policies or ethics you may contact Linda
E. Mahoney on 301-504-1307 or contact your agency, Area, or the REE Ethics Advisor, Sandra
Herring on 301-504-1442.
/s/
S. M. HELMRICH
Director
Financial Management Division
Exhibit
1
CONFLICT OF INTEREST ANALYSIS UNDER 41 C.F.R. § 304-1.5
ACCEPTANCE OF PAYMENT FROM A NON-FEDERAL SOURCE FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES requires in
all cases that a conflict of interest analysis be performed by an authorized agency
official. The authorized official is a designated Ethics Advisor or REE Ethics
Advisor(s). To ease administration of the requirement for a conflict of interest analysis,
this outline tracks the elements of the regulation. The analysis should be accomplished on
this page. Additional sheets may be attached if needed.
IMPORTANT: Payment from a non-Federal source shall not be accepted if the
authorized agency official determines that acceptance under the circumstances would cause
a reasonable person with knowledge of all the facts relevant to a particular case to
question the integrity of agency programs or operations.
In making this determination, an authorized agency official shall be guided by all
relevant considerations,
including, but not limited to:
(1) The identity of the non-Federal source (see reverse for identifying
information);
(2) The purpose of the meeting or similar function;
(3) The identity of other expected participants;
(4) The nature and sensitivity of any matter pending at the agency affecting the
interests of the non-Federal source;
(5) The significance of the employee's role in any such matter specified in (4)
above; and
(6) The monetary value and character of the travel benefits offered by the
non-Federal source.
Analysis: Acceptance of the travel WOULD cause a reasonable person with
knowledge of all the facts relevant to a particular case to question the integrity of
agency programs or operations?
Yes__________ No__________
Explain your response to the above question: _______________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
NOTE: The authorized agency official may find that, while acceptance from the
non-Federal source is permissible, it is in the interest of the agency to qualify
acceptance of the offered payment by, for example, authorizing attendance at only a
portion of the event or limiting the type or character of benefits that may be accepted.
The qualifications on acceptance, if any, are:______________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Recommendation of Ethics Advisor: Accept_____ Do Not Accept_____ Signature/Date:__________
Exhibit 2
RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS
APPROVAL AND REPORT OF TRAVEL FUNDS RECEIVED FROM NON-FEDERAL SOURCES
This form must be completed in its entirety or it will be returned. 31 U.S.C. 1353,
subsequently printed in Chapter 304, Part 1, of the Federal Travel Regulations, and
governs the acceptance of payment for travel, subsistence, and related expenses from a
non-Federal source, but not from a prohibited source, in connection with the attendance of
an employee and/or accompanying spouse when applicable, at certain meetings and similar
functions. Agencies are also required to submit semiannual reports of payments which total
more than $250 per event, and which have been accepted under this authority. The report is
based on when payment is received rather than when travel is performed. All offices must
submit their Approval and Report of Travel Funds Received From Non-Federal Sources for
each event that totaled more than $250 to: USDA, ARS, Financial Management Division
(FMD),Travel & Relocation Services Branch (TRSB), Room 3-2176A, 5601 Sunnyside Ave.,
Beltsville, Maryland 20705-5114. For the period October 1 through March 31 - submit
reports by April 15 and for the period April 1 through September 30 - submit reports by
October 15. Each Approval and Report of Travel Funds Received From Non-Federal Sources
must have a copy of the Letter of Offer, Conflict of Interest Analysis, and Letter of
Acceptance attached when submitted to FMD.
Employee 1.
Name:___________________________________________ 3. Duty Station : ____________________________________ |
Spouse(If
Applicable) 7. Name: ______________________________________ 9. Ending Date of Travel : __________-_________-__________ |
Event Information Acceptance Information |
9. Kind of
event:(check one): []
Meeting
[] Seminar []
Conference []
Speaking Engagement 10.Location of Event: ___________________________,
______________ 11.Title of Event: _________________________________ |
13 What
expenses are being paid for by the non-Federal source? []
Common Carrier []
Lodging ____________________ 14.Value (in U.S. Dollars) received from non-Federal source: |
I certify that the information provided on this form and all attached
documents are true, complete, correct, and comply with the guidelines of 41 CFR Part
304-1, Federal Travel Regulations, Acceptance of Payment From a Non-Federal Source, for
travel expenses, to the best of my knowledge.
Traveler's
Signature___________________________________________Date_______________________________
I certify that I approved acceptance of the above travel, subsistence and related expenses
from the non-Federal source in advance of the proposed travel being accomplished by the
employee and after having reviewed the conflict of interest analysis on the reverse of
this sheet.
Approving
Official's______________________________________________Date______________________________
Signature