Advisory 09-01 January 13, 2009

  1. No New Pay, No New Thresholds.

    After the new year's pay adjustments, which took effect January 4, 2009, and subject to announcement by the Office of Government Ethics, the new statutory thresholds for provisions that rely on the General Schedule or the Executive Schedule for the application of certain ethics provisions (including outside earned income and employment restrictions) are:

    • 120% of the minimum rate of basic pay payable for grade 15 of the General Schedule is $117,787.
    • 15% of the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule is $26,550.
    • 86.5% of the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule is $153,105.

    Model forms reflecting the changes are available on our website at Handouts.

  2. New OGE Form 450.

    The Office of Government Ethics has posted a new OGE Form 450 dated June 2008 which replaces the January 2007 edition. OGE has informally advised that the new edition should be used immediately, but if the January 2007 edition has already been distributed, it can be accepted this year by ethics officials for the last time. The new electronically fillable PDF form, which still must be printed and signed, (unless you are using an Office of Government Ethics approved e-filing process), is available on the DoD SOCO web site (Forms Library) at: http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/defense_ethics/resource_library/OGE_450_June_2008_Edition.pdf (link inactive).

  3. File Those Training Plans.

    Remember that all DAEOs should have their Annual Training Plan on file by the end of the calendar year for the next year's training cycle. This requirement is found in 5 CFR 2638.706 and JER 11-302. A sample can be found on the SOCO web site at: http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/defense_ethics/resource_library/Sample_Training_Plan_2009.doc (link inactive).

  4. Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure Update.

    Need new ideas and cases for annual ethics training? Check out the updates for The Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure on the SOCO web site at: http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/defense_ethics/dod_oge/EEF_08_Additions.doc (link inactive).

 

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this advisory is to disseminate relevant information and sources of general guidance, policy and law on Government Ethics issues to the Department of Defense ethics community. Advisories are not intended to be and should not be cited as authoritative guidance, DoD policy, or law.