(a) Prior approval requirement. An employee, other than a special Government employee, shall obtain written approval before engaging—with or without compensation—in the following outside activities:
(1) Providing professional services involving the application of the same specialized skills or the same educational background as performance of the employee's official duties;
(2) Teaching, speaking, or writing that relates to the employee's official duties;
(3) Serving as an officer, director, trustee, general partner, employee, agent, attorney, consultant, contractor, or active participant for a prohibited source, except that prior approval is not required by this paragraph (a)(3) to provide such service without compensation (other than reimbursement of expenses) for a prohibited source that is a nonprofit charitable, religious, professional, social, fraternal, educational, recreational, public service, or civic organization, unless prior approval for the activity is required by paragraph (a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(4) of this section, or unless the organization receives or seeks to receive fundraising support through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) under 5 CFR part 950 and the employee's official duties involve the administration of the CFC program; or
(4)(i) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(4)(ii) of this section, providing services, other than clerical services or service as a fact witness, on behalf of any other person in connection with a particular matter:
(A) In which the United States is a party;
(B) In which the United States has a direct and substantial interest; or
(C) If the provision of services involves the preparation of materials for submission to, or representation before, a Federal court or executive branch agency.
(ii) Prior approval is not required by paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section for OPM employees acting on behalf of the labor organization that is the exclusive representative of the OPM employees in the unit it represents to provide services as an agent or attorney for, or otherwise to represent, such an OPM employee who is the subject of disciplinary, loyalty, or other personnel administration proceedings in connection with those proceedings.
(b) Submission of requests for approval. (1) Requests for approval shall be submitted in writing to the agency designee, through normal supervisory channels. Such requests shall include, at a minimum, the following:
(i) The employee's name and position title;
(ii) The name and address of the person or organization for whom the outside activity is to be performed;
(iii) A description of the proposed outside activity, including the duties and services to be performed while engaged in the activity; and
(iv) The proposed hours that the employee will engage in the outside activity, and the approximate dates of the activity.
(2) Together with his request for approval, the employee shall provide a certification that:
(i) The outside activity will not depend in any way on nonpublic information;
(ii) No official duty time or Government property, resources, or facilities not available to the general public will be used in connection with the outside activity; and
(iii) The employee has read subpart H (“Outside Activities”) of 5 CFR part 2635.
(3) Upon a significant change in the nature or scope of the outside activity or in the employee's official position, the employee shall submit a revised request for approval.
(c) Approval of requests. Approval shall be granted only upon a determination by the agency designee, in consultation with an agency ethics official when such consultation is deemed necessary by the agency designee, that the outside activity is not expected to involve conduct prohibited by statute or Federal regulation, including 5 CFR part 2635.
(d) Definitions. For purposes of this section:
(1) Active participant has the meaning set forth in 5 CFR 2635.502(b)(1)(v).
(2) Nonpublic information has the meaning set forth in 5 CFR 2635.703(b).
(3) Professional services means the provision of personal services by an employee, including the rendering of advice or consultation, which involves application of the skills of a profession as defined in 5 CFR 2636.305(b)(1).
(4) Prohibited source has the meaning set forth in 5 CFR 2635.203(d).
(5) Relates to the employee's official duties has the meaning set forth in 5 CFR 2635.807(a)(2)(i)(B) through (a)(2)(i)(E).
