§ 1506.202 - Acceptance and solicitation of gifts, entertainment, and favors.

(a) Apart from the exceptions listed in paragraph (b) of this section, an employee shall neither solicit nor accept any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan, or any thing of monetary value from a person who:

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

(2) Is regulated by the OFI; or

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

(b) Exceptions to the prohibitions of paragraph (a) of this section are:

(1) An employee may accept food and refreshments of nominal value on infrequent occasions in the ordinary course of a luncheon or dinner meeting when, and only when, it is impracticable to pay for the food or refreshments, and

(2) An employee may accept unsolicited promotional materials, such as pens, pencils, note pads, and calendars which are 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. However, this paragraph does not prohibit a voluntary gift of nominal value 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 in 5 U.S.C. 7342. A copy of 5 U.S.C. 7342 may be obtained from the ethics officer or his deputy. Employees who are contemplating acceptance of a gift from a foreign government should familiarize themselves with this provision of law.