---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 6435a"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "6435a"
heading: "Standards of conduct and disclosure"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/6435a"
units:
  - "Chapter 73 — International Religious Freedom"
  - "Subchapter II — Commission on International Religious Freedom"
---

# §6435a. Standards of conduct and disclosure

- (a) **Cooperation with nongovernmental organizations, the Department of State, and Congress—** The [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) shall seek to effectively and freely cooperate with all entities engaged in the promotion of religious freedom abroad, governmental and nongovernmental, in the performance of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5)’s duties under this subchapter.
- (b) **Conflict of interest and antinepotism—**
  - (1) **Member affiliations—** Except as provided in [paragraph (3)](#b-3), in order to ensure the independence and integrity of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5), the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may not compensate any nongovernmental agency, project, or person related to or affiliated with any member of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5), whether in that member’s direct employ or not. Staff employed by the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may not serve in the employ of any nongovernmental agency, project, or person related to or affiliated with any member of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) while employed by the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5).
  - (2) **Staff compensation—** Staff of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may not receive compensation from any other source for work performed in carrying out the duties of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) while employed by the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5).
  - (3) **Exception—**
    - (A) **In general—** Subject to [subparagraph (B)](#b-3-B), [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall not apply to payments made for items such as conference fees or the purchase of periodicals or other similar expenses, if such payments would not cause the aggregate value paid to any agency, project, or person for a fiscal year to exceed $250.
    - (B) **Limitation—** Notwithstanding [subparagraph (A)](#b-3-A), the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) shall not give special preference to any agency, project, or person related to or affiliated with any member of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5).
  - (4) **Definitions—** In this subsection, the term “affiliated” means the relationship between a member of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) and—
    - (A) an individual who holds the position of officer, trustee, partner, director, or employee of an agency, project, or person of which that member, or relative of that member of,[^1] the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) is an officer, trustee, partner, director, or employee; or
    - (B) a nongovernmental agency or project of which that member, or a relative of that member, of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) is an officer, trustee, partner, director, or employee.
- (c) **Contract authority—**
  - (1) **In general—** Subject to the availability of appropriations, the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may contract with and compensate [Government](/usc/22/6402.md?p=8) agencies or persons for the conduct of activities necessary to the discharge of its functions under this subchapter. Any such person shall be hired without interruption or loss of civil service or Foreign Service status or privilege. The [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may procure temporary and intermittent services under the authority of [section 3109(b) of title 5](/usc/5/3109.md?p=b), except that the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may not expend more than $250,000 in any fiscal year to procure such services.
  - (2) **Expert study—** In the case of a study requested under [section 6474](/usc/22/6474.md)[^2] of this title, the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may, subject to the availability of appropriations, contract with experts and shall provide the funds for such a study. The [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) shall not be required to provide the funds for that part of the study conducted by the Comptroller General of the United States.
- (d) **Gifts—**
  - (1) **In general—** In order to preserve its independence, the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may not accept, use, or dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. An individual Commissioner or employee of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) may not, in his or her capacity as a Commissioner or employee, knowingly accept, use or dispose of gifts or donations of services or property, unless he or she in good faith believes such gifts or donations to have a value of less than $50 and a cumulative value during a calendar year of less than $100.
  - (2) **Exceptions—** This subsection shall not apply to the following:
    - (A) Gifts provided on the basis of a personal friendship with a Commissioner or employee, unless the Commissioner or employee has reason to believe that the gift was provided because of the Commissioner’s position and not because of the personal friendship.
    - (B) Gifts provided on the basis of a family relationship.
    - (C) The acceptance of training, invitations to attend or participate in conferences or such other events as are related to the conduct of the duties of the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5), or food or refreshment associated with such activities.
    - (D) Items of nominal value or gifts of estimated value of $10 or less.
    - (E) De minimis gifts provided by a foreign leader or state, not exceeding a value of $260. Gifts believed by Commissioners to be in excess of $260, but which would create offense or embarrassment to the United States [Government](/usc/22/6402.md?p=8) if refused, shall be accepted and turned over to the United States [Government](/usc/22/6402.md?p=8) in accordance with the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1966 and the rules and regulations governing such gifts provided to Members of Congress.
    - (F) Informational materials such as documents, books, videotapes, periodicals, or other forms of communications.
    - (G) Goods or services provided by any agency or component of the [Government](/usc/22/6402.md?p=8) of the United States, including any [commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) established under the authority of such [Government](/usc/22/6402.md?p=8).
- (e) **Annual financial report—** In addition to providing the reports required under [section 6432 of this title](/usc/22/6432.md), the [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) shall provide, each year no later than January 1, to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and to the Committees on Foreign Relations and Appropriations of the Senate, a financial report detailing and identifying its expenditures for the preceding fiscal year.
- (f) **Commission records—** The [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) shall comply with all of the records management requirements set forth in [chapter 31](/usc/44/chch31.md) of title 44 (commonly referred to as the “Federal Records Act of 1950”).
- (g) **Official email for commission business—** When conducting any [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) business on electronic accounts, [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) Members and staff shall use official [Commission](/usc/22/6402.md?p=5) electronic accounts.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. The comma probably should follow “member”.
[^2]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–292, title II, § 208, as added Pub. L. 106–55, § 1(b)(5), Aug. 17, 1999, 113 Stat. 403; amended Pub. L. 107–228, div. A, title VI, § 681(f), Sept. 30, 2002, 116 Stat. 1409; Pub. L. 112–75, § 5, Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1273; Pub. L. 116–94, div. J, title VIII, § 809, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3079.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 6474 of this title, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), was in the original a reference to section 605 of Pub. L. 105–292, which was renumbered section 606 by Pub. L. 114–281, title V, § 501(1), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1437.

The Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1966, referred to in subsec. (d)(2)(E), is Pub. L. 89–673, Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 952, which was classified principally to chapter 37 (§ 2621 et seq.) of this title. The Act was substantially repealed, except for provisions which are classified to section 2625 of this title, and with limited applicability, to section 2621 of this title, and was restated in section 7342 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by Pub. L. 90–83, § 10(b), Sept. 11, 1967, 91 Stat. 224. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

### Amendments

2019—Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 116–94 added subsecs. (f) and (g).

2011—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 112–75, § 5(1), substituted “$250,000” for “$100,000”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 112–75, § 5(2), substituted “Foreign Affairs” for “International Relations”.

2002—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 107–228 substituted “The Commission may procure temporary and intermittent services under the authority of section 3109(b) of title 5, except that the Commission may not expend more than $100,000 in any fiscal year to procure such services.” for “The Commission may not procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5 or under other contracting authority other than that allowed under this subchapter.”