An act to amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make certain changes in the authority of the Office of Government Ethics, and for other purposes.
PL 98-150 (S.461), enacted 11/11/1983

PUBLIC LAW 98-150—NOV. 11, 1983 
97 STAT. 959 
Public Law 98-150 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make certain changes in the 
authority of the Office of Government Ethics, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
AMENDMENTS TO ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT ACT OF 1978 
SECTION 1. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, 
whenever an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an 
amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the refer-
ence shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of 
the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. 
Nov. 11, 1983 
[S. 461] 
Ethics in 
Government Act 
of 1978, 
amendment. 
2 u s e 701 note. 
FIVE YEAR TERM FOR AND REMOVAL OF THE DIRECTOR 
SEC. 2. Section 401(b) is amended by adding at the end thereof the 
following: "Effective with respect to any individual appointed or 
reappointed by the President as Director on or after October 1, 1983, 
the term of service of the Director shall be five years.". 
5 use app. 
AUTHORITY OF DIRECTOR 
SEC. 3. (a) Section 402(a) is amended by striking out "under the 
general supervision o f and inserting in lieu thereof "in consulta-
tion with". 
(b) Section 402(b) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking out "and recommending to the Office of 
Personnel Management"; 
(B) by inserting "and the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment" immediately after "Attorney General"; and 
(C) by striking out "President or the Office of Personnel 
Management" and inserting in lieu thereof "President or 
the Director"; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking out "and recommending to the Office of 
Personnel Management"; 
(B) by inserting "and the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment" immediately after "Attorney General"; and 
(C) by striking out "President or the Office of Personnel 
Management" and inserting in lieu thereof "President or 
the Director"; 
(3) in paragraph (6) by striking out "Office of Personnel 
Management" and inserting in Ueu thereof "Director"; 
(4) in paragraph (12)— 
(A) by inserting "and the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment" immediately after "Attorney General"; and 
5 use app. 
97 STAT. 960 
PUBLIC LAW 98-150—NOV. 11, 1983 
(B) by striking out "Office of Personnel Management" 
and inserting in lieu thereof "Director"; and 
(5) in paragraph (15) by striking out "and recommending for 
promulgation by the Office of Personnel Management" and 
inserting in lieu thereof ", in consultation with the Office of 
Personnel Management, and promulgating". 
5 use app. 
(c) Section 404 is amended by striking out "Office of Personnel 
Management" and inserting in lieu thereof "Director". 
(dXD Any rules or regulations issued under section 402 of the 
5 use app. 
Ethics in Government Act of 1978 which are in effect immediately 
before the effective date of the amendments made by this Act shall 
remain in effect according to their terms until modified, superseded, 
set aside, or revoked on or after such effective date. 
(2) The responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Government 
Ethics under paragraphs (6) and (12), respectively, of section 402(b) 
of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, with respect to rules and 
regulations issued by the Office of Personnel Management before 
the effective date of the amendments made by this Act shall not be 
affected by this Act or any of the amendments made by this Act. 
SEPARATE BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS 
SEC. 4. Title IV is amended by adding at the end thereof the 
following new section: 
"SUBMISSION OF BUDGET 
5 use app. 
"SEC. 407. (a) In the budget submitted to the Congress pursuant to 
section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, the President shall 
include estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations the 
President decides are necessary to support the Office of Government 
Ethics in the fiscal year for which the budget is submitted and the 
four fiscal years after that year. 
"(b) In the statement of changes submitted to Congress with 
respect to the budget pursuant to section 1106(b) of title 31, United 
States Code, the President shall specify the effect of such changes on 
the information submitted pursuant to subsection (a) of this 
section.". 
REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM INSPECTORS GENERAL 
5 use app. 
SEC. 5. Section 403 is amended by inserting at the end thereof the 
following: 
"The authority of the Director under this section includes the 
authority to request assistance from the inspector general of an 
agency in conducting investigations pursuant to subsections (bX3) 
5 use app. 
and (b)(4) of section 402.". 
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS REVIEW OF FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE 
REPORTS OF HIGH LEVEL WHITE HOUSE AIDES 
5 use app. 
SEC. 6. Section 203(c) is amended by adding after "designated 
agency officials," the following: "employees described in section 
105(a)(2) (A) or (B), 106(a)(1) (A) or (B), or 107 (aXl)(A) or (bXl)(AXi), of 
title 3, United States Code,". 
PUBLIC LAW 98-150-NOV. 11, 1983 
97 STAT. 961 
LIMIT ON OUTSIDE EARNED INCOME FOR HIGH LEVEL WHITE HOUSE 
AIDES 
SEC. 7. Section 210 is amended to read as follows: 
5 use app. 
"OUTSIDE EARNED INCOME 
"SEC. 210. Except where the employee's g^ency or department 
shall have more restrictive limitations on outside earned income, all 
employees covered by this title— 
"(1) who are compensated at a pay grade in the General 
Schedule of grade GS-16 or above and who occupy nonjudicial 
5 USC 5332 note. 
full-time positions, appointments to which are required to be 
made by the President by and with the advice and consent of 
the Senate, or 
"(2) who are employees of the White House Office and are 
compensated at rates equivalent to level II of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code, 
may not have in any calendar year outside earned income attributa-
ble to such calendar year which is in excess of 15 percent of their 
salary.". 
REPORTS BY PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES 
SEC. 8. Section 201(b) is amended— 
5 use app. 
(1) by inserting "(1)" immediately after "(b)"; 
(2) by inserting after the first sentence the following: "Such 
individual shall, not later than the date of the first hearing to 
consider the nomination of such individual, make current the 
report filed pursuant to this paragraph by filing the informa-
tion required by section 202(a)(1)(A) with respect to income and 
honoraria received as of the date which occurs five days before 
the date of such hearing."; and 
(3) by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph: 
"(2) An individual whom the President or the President-elect has 
publicly announced he intends to nominate to a position may file the 
report required by paragraph (1) at any time after that public 
announcement but not later than is required under the first sen-
tence of such paragraph.". 
ETHICS AGREEMENTS 
SEC. 9. Title II is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 211 £is section 212; and 
5 use app. 
(2) by inserting after section 210 the following new section: 
"NOTICE OF ACTIONS TAKEN TO COMPLY WITH ETHICS AGREEMENTS 
"SEC. 211. (a) In any case in which an individual agrees with that 
5 use app. 
individual's designated agency official, the Office of Government 
Ethics, or a Senate confirmation committee to take any action to 
comply with this Act or any other law or regulation governing 
conflicts of interest of, or establishing standards of conduct applica-
ble with respect to, officers or employees of the Government, that 
individual shall notify in writing the designated agency official, the 
Office of Government Ethics, or the appropriate committee of the 
Senate, as the case may be, of any action taken by the individual 
pursuant to that agreement. Such notification shall be made not 
11-194 O - 85 — 32 : Q
L 3 
97 STAT. 962 
PUBLIC LAW 98-150—NOV. 11, 1983 
later than the date specified in the agreement by which action by 
the individual must be taken, or not later than three months after 
the date of the agreement, if no date for action is so specified. 
"(b) If an agreement described in subsection (a) requires that the 
individual recuse himself or herself from particular cat^ories of 
agency or other official action, the individual shall reduce to writing 
those subjects regarding which the recusal agreement will apply and 
the process by which it will be determined whether the individual 
must recuse himself or herself in a specific instance. An individual 
shall be considered to have complied with the requirements of 
subsection (a) with respect to such recusal agreement if such individ-
ual files a copy of the document setting forth the information 
described in the preceding sentence with such individual's desig-
nated agency official, the Office of Government Ethics, or the appro-
priate committee of the Senate, as the case may be, within the time 
prescribed in the last sentence of subsection (a). . 
BUND TRUST AMENDMENTS 
2 use 702, 5 
SEC. 10. (a) Sections 102(e)(7), 202(f)(7), and 302(f)(7) are each 
use app., 28 
amended to read as follows: 
app. 
«
^
Y
) Any trust may be considered to be a qualified blind trust i
f
— 
"(A) the trust instrument is amended to comply with the 
requirements of paragraph (3) or, in the case of a trust instru-
ment which does not by its terms permit amendment, the 
trustee, the reporting individual, and any other interested party 
agree in writing that the trust shall be administered in accord-
ance with the requirements of this subsection and the trustee of 
such trust meets the requirements of paragraph (3)(A); except 
that in the case of any interested party who is a dependent 
child, a parent or guardian of such child may execute the 
agreement referred to in this subparagraph; 
"(B) a copy of the trust instrument (except testamentary 
provisions) and a copy of the agreement referred to in subpara-
graph (A), and a list of the assets held by the trust at the time of 
approval by the supervising ethics office, including the category 
of value of each asset as determined under subsection (d) of this 
section, are filed with such office and made available to the 
public as provided under paragraph (5)(D) of this subsection; and 
"(C) the supervising ethics office determines that approval of 
the trust arrangement as a qualified blind trust is in the 
particular case appropriate to assure compliance with applica-
ble laws and regulations.". 
O
b
) Sections 102(e)(5)(A), 202(f)(5)(A), and 302(f)(5)(A) are each 
amended by adding at the end thereof the following new sentence: 
"This subparagraph shall not apply with respect to a trust meeting 
the requirements for being considered a qualified blind trust under 
paragraph (7) of this subsection.". 
APPUCATION OF FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS TO STAFF OF 
FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES 
5 use app. 
SEC. 11. Section 201 is amended by adding at the end thereof the 
following new subsection: 
"0X1) Any individual who performs staff functions in support of 
an advisory committee which is composed, in whole or in part, of 
special Government employees shall be subject to the provisions of 
PUBLIC LAW 98-150—NOV. 11, 1983 
97 STAT. 963 
this title as if that individual were such a special Government 
employee. 
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)— 
Definitions. 
"(A) the term 'advisory committee' means any committee, 
board, commission, council, conference, panel, task force, or 
other similar group which is established— 
"(i) by statute or reorganization plan, 
"(ii) by the President, or 
"(iii) by one or more agencies, 
in the interest of obtaining advice or recommendations for the 
President or one or more agencies or officers of the Federal 
Government; such term includes any subcommittee or other 
subgroup of an advisory committee, but does not include the 
Advisory Ck)mmission on Intergovernmental Relations and the 
Commission on Government Procurement; 
"(B) the term 'staff functions in support of an advisory com-
mittee' means such activities as the Director of the Office of 
Government Ethics by regulation prescribes which are carried 
out with respect to those functions for which the advisory 
committee was established as described in subparagraph (A) of 
this paragraph; 
"(C) the term 'special Government employee' has the meaning 
given that term by section 202 of title 18, United States Code; 
and 
"(D) the term 'agency' has the meaning given that term by 
section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code. 
"(3) The Director of the Office of Government Ethics shall pre-
scribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this 
subsection.". 
EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 12. Section 405 is amended in paragraph (2) by striking out 5 use app. 
"four" and inserting in lieu thereof "nine". 
EFFECTIVE DATE 
SEC. 13. The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on 5 use app. 
October 1,1983. 
Approved November 11, 1983. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 461 (H.R. 2717): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 98-89 accompanying H.R. 2717, Pt. 1 (eomm. on the Judici-
ary) and Pt. 2 (eomm. on Post Office and Civil Service). 
SENATE REPORT No. 98-59 (Oomm. on Governmental Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 129 (1983): 
Apr. 6, considered and passed Senate. 
Sept. 19, H.R. 2717 considered and passed House; S. 461, amended, passed in 
lieu. 
Sept. 28, Senate concurred in House amendment with an amendment. 
Sept. 30, House concurred in Senate aunendment with amendments. 
Oct. 27, Senate concurred in House amendments.