Gift
Gift includes any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value. It includes services as well as gifts of training, transportation, local travel, lodgings and meals, whether provided in-kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance, or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred. The term excludes the following:
(1) Modest items of food and non-alcoholic refreshments, such as soft drinks, coffee and donuts, offered other than as part of a meal;
(2) Greeting cards and items with little intrinsic value, such as plaques, certificates, and trophies, which are intended primarily for presentation;
(3) Loans from banks and other financial institutions on terms generally available to the public;
(4) Opportunities and benefits, including favorable rates and commercial discounts, available to the public or to a class consisting of all Government employees or all uniformed military personnel, whether or not restricted on the basis of geographic considerations;
(5) Rewards and prizes given to competitors in contests or events, including random drawings, open to the public unless the employee's entry into the contest or event is required as part of the employee's official duties;
(6) Pension and other benefits resulting from continued participation in an employee welfare and benefits plan maintained by a current or former employer;
(7) Anything which is paid for by the Government or secured by the Government under Government contract;
(8) Free attendance to an event provided by the sponsor of the event to:
(i) An employee who is assigned to present information on behalf of the agency at the event on any day when the employee is presenting;
(ii) An employee whose presence on any day of the event is deemed to be essential by the agency to the presenting employee's participation in the event, provided that the employee is accompanying the presenting employee; and
(iii) The spouse or one other guest of the presenting employee on any day when the employee is presenting, provided that others in attendance will generally be accompanied by a spouse or other guest, the offer of free attendance for the spouse or other guest is unsolicited, and the agency designee, orally or in writing, has authorized the presenting employee to accept;
(9) Any gift accepted by the Government under specific statutory authority, including:
(i) Travel, subsistence, and related expenses accepted by an agency under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 1353 in connection with an employee's attendance at a meeting or similar function relating to the employee's official duties which take place away from the employee's duty station, provided that the agency's acceptance is in accordance with the implementing regulations at 41 CFR chapter 304; and
(ii) Other gifts provided in-kind which have been accepted by an agency under its agency gift acceptance statute; and
(10) Anything for which market value is paid by the employee.
Source
5 CFR § 2635.203
Scoping language
For purposes of this subpart, the following definitions apply: