---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 13143"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "13143"
heading: "Outside earned income limitation"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/13143"
units:
  - "Part IV — Ethics Requirements"
  - "Chapter 131 — Ethics in Government"
  - "Subchapter III — Limitations on Outside Earned Income and Employment"
---

# §13143. Outside earned income limitation

- (a) **Outside Earned Income Limitation.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** Except as provided by [paragraph (2)](#a-2), a [Member](/usc/5/13141.md?p=3) or an [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4) who is a noncareer [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4) and who occupies a [position](/usc/5/5531.md?p=2) classified above GS–15 of the General Schedule or, in the case of [positions](/usc/5/5531.md?p=2) not under the General Schedule, for which the rate of basic pay is equal to or greater than 120 percent of the minimum rate of basic pay payable for GS–15 of the General Schedule, may not in any calendar year have outside earned [income](/usc/5/13101.md?p=7) attributable to such calendar year which exceeds 15 percent of the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule under [section 5313 of this title](/usc/5/5313.md), as of January 1 of such calendar year.
  - (2) **Portion of year.—** In the case of any individual who during a calendar year becomes a [Member](/usc/5/13141.md?p=3) or an [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4) who is a noncareer [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4) and who occupies a [position](/usc/5/5531.md?p=2) classified above GS–15 of the General Schedule or, in the case of [positions](/usc/5/5531.md?p=2) not under the General Schedule, for which the rate of basic pay is equal to or greater than 120 percent of the minimum rate of basic pay payable for GS–15 of the General Schedule, such individual may not have outside earned [income](/usc/5/13101.md?p=7) attributable to the portion of that calendar year which occurs after such individual becomes a [Member](/usc/5/13141.md?p=3) or such an [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4) which exceeds 15 percent of the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule under [section 5313 of this title](/usc/5/5313.md), as of January 1 of such calendar year multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of days such individual is a [Member](/usc/5/13141.md?p=3) or such [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4) during such calendar year and the denominator of which is 365.
- (b) **Honoraria Prohibition.—** An individual may not receive any [honorarium](/usc/5/13141.md?p=2) while that individual is a [Member](/usc/5/13141.md?p=3), [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4).
- (c) **Treatment of Charitable Contributions.—** Any [honorarium](/usc/5/13141.md?p=2) which, except for [subsection (b)](#b), might be paid to a [Member](/usc/5/13141.md?p=3), [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4), but which is paid instead on behalf of such [Member](/usc/5/13141.md?p=3), [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4) to a [charitable organization](/usc/5/13141.md?p=1), shall be deemed not to be received by such [Member](/usc/5/13141.md?p=3), [officer or employee](/usc/5/13141.md?p=4). No such payment shall exceed $2,000 or be made to a [charitable organization](/usc/5/13141.md?p=1) from which such individual or a parent, sibling, spouse, child, or dependent [relative](/usc/5/13101.md?p=16) of such individual derives any financial benefit.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 117–286, § 3(c), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4303.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 13143 | 5 U.S.C. App. (EGA § 501) | Pub. L. 95–521, title V, § 501, as added Pub. L. 101–194, title VI, § 601(a), Nov. 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1760; amended Pub. L. 101–280, § 7(a), May 4, 1990, 104 Stat. 161; Pub. L. 102–378, § 4(b)(1), (2), Oct. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 1357. |

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

GS–15, referred to in subsec. (a), is contained in the General Schedule, which is set out under section 5332 of this title.