[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 5, Volume 2]

[Revised as of January 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 5CFR734.101]



[Page 38-40]

 

                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL

 

          CHAPTER I--OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED)

 

PART 734_POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES--Table of Contents

 

                      Subpart A_General Provisions

 

Sec. 734.101  Definitions.









                      Subpart A_General Provisions



Sec.

734.101 Definitions.

734.102 Jurisdiction.

734.103 Multicandidate political committees of Federal labor 

          organizations and Federal employee organizations.

734.104 Restriction of political activity.



                     Subpart B_Permitted Activities



734.201 Exclusion from coverage.

734.202 Permitted activities.

734.203 Participation in nonpartisan activities.

734.204 Participation in political organizations.

734.205 Participation in political campaigns.

734.206 Participation in elections.

734.207 Candidacy for public office.

734.208 Participation in fundraising.



                     Subpart C_Prohibited Activities



734.301 Exclusion from coverage.

734.302 Use of official authority; prohibition.

734.303 Fundraising.

734.304 Candidacy for public office.

734.305 Soliciting or discouraging the political participation of 

          certain persons.

734.306 Participation in political activities while on duty, in uniform, 

          in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official 

          duties, or using a Federal vehicle.

734.307 Campaigning for a spouse or family member.



          Subpart D_Employees in Certain Agencies and Positions



734.401 Coverage.

734.402 Expression of an employee's individual opinion.

734.403 Participation in elections.

734.404 Participation in political organizations.

734.405 Campaigning for a spouse or family member.

734.406 Participation in political activities while on duty, in uniform, 

          in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official 

          duties, or using a Federal vehicle; prohibition.

734.407 Use of official authority; prohibition.

734.408 Participation in political management and political campaigning; 

          prohibitions.

734.409 Participation in political organizations; prohibitions.

734.410 Participation in political fundraising; prohibitions.

734.411 Participation in political campaigning; prohibitions.

734.412 Participation in elections; prohibitions.

734.413 Employees of the Federal Election Commission; prohibitions.



  Subpart E_Special Provisions for Certain Presidential Appointees and 

 Employees Paid From the Appropriation for the Executive Office of the 

                                President



734.501 Permitted and prohibited activities.

734.502 Participation in political activity while on duty, in uniform, 

          in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official 

          duties, or using a Federal vehicle.

734.503 Allocation and reimbursement of costs associated with political 

          activities.

734.504 Contributions to political action committees through voluntary 

          payroll allotments prohibited.



    Subpart F_Employees Who Work on an Irregular or Occasional Basis



734.601 Employees who work on an irregular or occasional basis.



             Subpart G_Related Statutes and Executive Orders



734.701 General.

734.702 Related statutes and Executive orders.



    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 1103, 1104, 7325; Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 

1978, 92 Stat. 3783, 3 CFR 1978 Comp. p. 323; and E.O. 12107, 3 CFR 1978 

Comp. p. 264.



    Source: 59 FR 48769, Sept. 23, 1994, unless otherwise noted.







    For the purposes of this part:

    Accept means to come into possession of something from a person 

officially on behalf of a candidate, a campaign, a political party, or a 

partisan political group, but does not include ministerial activities 

which precede or follow this official act.

    Candidate means an individual who seeks nomination or election to 

any elective office whether or not the person is elected. An individual 

is deemed to be a candidate if the individual has received political 

contributions or made expenditures or has consented to



[[Page 39]]



another person receiving contributions or making expenditures with a 

view to bringing about the individual's nomination or election.

    Campaign means all acts done by a candidate and his or her adherents 

to obtain a majority or plurality of the votes to be cast toward a 

nomination or in an election.

    Election includes a primary, special, runoff, or general election.

    Employee means any individual (other than the President, Vice 

President, or a member of the uniformed services) employed or holding 

office in--

    (1) An Executive agency other than the General Accounting Office;

    (2) A position within the competitive service which is not in an 

Executive agency;

    (3) The Government of the District of Columbia, other than the Mayor 

or a member of the City Council or the Recorder of Deeds; or

    (4) The United States Postal Service or the Postal Rate Commission.

    Employing office shall have the meaning given by the head of each 

agency or instrumentality of the United States Government or District of 

Columbia Government covered by this part. Each agency or instrumentality 

shall provide notice identifying the appropriate employing offices 

within it through internal agency notice procedures.

    Federal employee organization means any lawful nonprofit 

organization, association, society, or club composed of Federal 

employees.

    Federal labor organization means an organization defined in 5 U.S.C. 

7103(a)(4).

    Multicandidate political committee means an organization defined in 

2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(4).

    Nonpartisan election means--

    (1) An election in which none of the candidates is to be nominated 

or elected as representing a political party any of whose candidates for 

Presidential elector received votes in the last preceding election at 

which Presidential electors were selected; or

    (2) An election involving a question or issue which is not 

specifically identified with a political party, such as a constitutional 

amendment, referendum, approval of a municipal ordinance, or any 

question or issue of a similar character.

    Occasional means occurring infrequently, at irregular intervals, and 

according to no fixed or certain scheme; acting or serving for the 

occasion or only on particular occasions.

    Office means the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

    On Duty means the time period when an employee is:

    (1) In a pay status other than paid leave, compensatory time off, 

credit hours, time off as an incentive award, or excused or authorized 

absence (including leave without pay); or

    (2) Representing any agency or instrumentality of the United States 

Government or any agency or instrumentality of the District of Columbia 

Government in an official capacity.

    Partisan when used as an adjective means related to a political 

party.

    Partisan political group means any committee, club, or other 

organization which is affiliated with a political party or candidate for 

public office in a partisan election, or organized for a partisan 

purpose, or which engages in partisan political activity.

    Partisan political office means any office for which any candidate 

is nominated or elected as representing a party any of whose candidates 

for Presidential elector received votes in the last preceding election 

at which Presidential electors were selected, but does not include any 

office or position within a political party or affiliated organization.

    Person means an individual; a State, local, or foreign government; 

or a corporation and subsidiaries it controls, company, association, 

firm, partnership, society, joint stock company, or any other 

organization or institution, including any officer, employee, or agent 

of such person or entity.

    Political Action Committee means any committee, association, or 

organization (whether or not incorporated) which accepts contributions 

or makes expenditures for the purpose of influencing, or attempting to 

influence, the nomination or election of one or more individuals to 

Federal, State, or local elective public office.

    Political activity means an activity directed toward the success or 

failure of



[[Page 40]]



a political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan 

political group.

    Political contribution means any gift, subscription, loan, advance, 

or deposit of money or anything of value, made for any political 

purpose.

    (a) A political contribution includes:

    (1) Any contract, promise, or agreement, express or implied, whether 

or not legally enforceable, to make a contribution for any political 

purpose;

    (2) Any payment by any person, other than a candidate or a political 

party or affiliated organization, of compensation for the personal 

services of another person which are rendered to any candidate or 

political party or affiliated organization without charge for any 

political purpose; and

    (3) The provision of personal services, paid or unpaid, for any 

political purpose.

    (b) A political contribution does not include the value of services 

provided without compensation by any individual who volunteers on behalf 

of any candidate, campaign, political party, or partisan political 

group.

    Political management means the direction or supervision of a 

partisan political group or campaign for partisan political office.

    Political party means a national political party, a State political 

party, or an affiliated organization.

    Political purpose means an objective of promoting or opposing a 

political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan 

political group.

    Receive means to come into possession of something from a person 

officially on behalf of a candidate, a campaign, a political party, or a 

partisan political group, but does not include ministerial activities 

which precede or follow this official act.

    Recurrent means occurring frequently, or periodically on a regular 

basis.

    Room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by an 

individual employed or holding office in the Government of the United 

States or any agency thereof includes, but is not limited to:

    (1) Any Federally owned space (including, but not limited to, 

``public buildings'' as defined in 40 U.S.C. 612(1)) or Federally leased 

space in which Federal employees perform official duties on a regular 

basis;

    (2) Public areas as defined in 40 U.S.C. 490(a)(17) and 41 CFR 101-

20.003 of buildings under the custody and control of the General 

Services Administration.

    (3) A room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties 

by an individual employed or holding office in the Government of the 

United States or any agency thereof does not include rooms in the White 

House, or in the residence of the Vice President, which are part of the 

Residence area or which are not regularly used solely in the discharge 

of official duties.

    Solicit means to request expressly of another person that he or she 

contribute something to a candidate, a campaign, a political party, or 

partisan political group.

    Subordinate refers to the relationship between two employees when 

one employee is under the supervisory authority, control or 

administrative direction of the other employee.

    Uniformed services means uniformed services as defined in 5 U.S.C. 

2101(3).



[59 FR 48769, Sept. 23, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 35099, July 5, 1996]