TO:       Designated Agency Ethics Officials

FROM:     Jack Covaleski
          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 (OGE), 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 OGE no later than May 31, 2004, concerning payments received from October 1, 2003, through March 31, 2004. Agencies must submit negative reports.

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. To the extent possible, agencies are strongly encouraged to submit their semiannual reports to OGE via e-mail at 1353Travel@oge.gov. The final rule also clarifies OGE’s role: OGE is to collect and make publically available the information submitted in these semiannual reports. OGE’s acceptance of this information does not constitute an OGE determination that the information is adequate or an OGE concurrence with the 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).