§ 641.321 - Political activities.

(a) General. No project under title V of the OAA or this part may involve political activities.

(1) No enrollee or staff person may be permitted to engage in partisan or nonpartisan political activities during hours for which they are paid with SCSEP funds.

(2) No enrollee or staff person, at any time, may be permitted to engage in partisan political activities in which such enrollee or staff person represents himself or herself as a spokesperson of the SCSEP program.

(3) No enrollee may be employed or out-stationed in the office of a Member of Congress, a State or local legislator, or on any staff of a legislative committee.

(4) No enrollee may be employed or out-stationed in the immediate office of any elected chief executive officer(s) of a State or unit of general government, except that:

(i) Units of local government may serve as host-agencies for enrollees in such positions, provided that such assignments are nonpolitical; and

(ii) Where assignments are technically in such offices, such assignments actually are program activities not in any way involved in political functions.

(5) No enrollee may be assigned to perform political activities in the offices of other elected officials. However, placement of enrollees in such nonpolitical assignments within the offices of such elected officials is permissible, provided that grantees develop safeguards to ensure that enrollees placed in these assignments are not involved in political activities. These safeguards shall be described in the grant agreement and shall be subject to review and monitoring by the grantee and the Department.

(b) Hatch Act. (1) State and local employees governed by 5 U.S.C. chapter 15 shall comply with the Hatch Act provisions as interpreted and applied by the Office of the Special Counsel.

(2) Each project subject to 5 U.S.C. chapter 15 shall display a notice and shall make available to each person associated with such project a written explanation, clarifying the law with respect to allowable and unallowable political activities under 5 U.S.C. chapter 15 which are applicable to the project and each category of individuals associated with such project. This notice, which shall have the approval of the Department, shall contain the telephone number and address of the DOL Inspector General. [Section 502(b)(1)(P) of the OAA.] Enforcement of the Hatch Act shall be as provided at 5 U.S.C. chapter 15.