November 10, 2005

                                          DO-05-018

MEMORANDUM

TO:         Designated Agency Ethics Officials

FROM:       Joseph Gangloff

            Deputy Director

            Office of Agency Programs

SUBJECT:    Reporting Payments Accepted Under 31 U.S.C. § 1353

      Agency heads are required to submit to the Director, Office of Government Ethics, semiannual reports of payments for travel, subsistence and related expenses received from non-Federal sources in connection with the attendance of employees at certain meetings or similar functions (31 U.S.C. § 1353).  The next semiannual report should be submitted to the Office of Government Ethics no later than November 30, 2005, for payments received from April 1, 2005, through September 30, 2005.  Agencies must submit negative reports.  

      To the extent possible, agencies are strongly encouraged to submit their semiannual reports, by SF 326 or other format, via e-mail at 1353Travel@oge.gov.  If you submit your reports using the SF 326 that is available on the GSA forms library, please save and submit the report as a .pdf file.  (The Office of Government Ethics cannot open .xpw or .frp files.)

      The General Services Administration final rule, effective June 16, 2003, establishes a uniform reporting format that generally should be used for reporting payments received on or after that date.  The final rule also clarifies the Office of Government Ethics’ role:  It is to collect and make publicly available the information submitted in these semiannual reports.  The Office of Government Ethics’ acceptance of this information does not constitute a determination that the information is adequate or concurrence with the submitting agency’s conflict of interest analysis.  (See 68 Federal Register 12602-12610 published March 17, 2003.) 

      If you have any questions, please contact Veda Marshall at (202) 482-9260 or at vemarsha@oge.gov.