The following definitions apply to this part:

Decoration means an order, device, medal, badge, insignia, emblem, or award offered by or received from a foreign government.

Employee means:

(1) An employee as defined by 5 U.S.C. 2105 and an officer or employee of the United States Postal Service or of the Postal Rate Commission;

(2) An expert or consultant who is under contract under 5 U.S.C. 3109 with the United States or any agency, department, or establishment thereof, including, in the case of an organization performing services under that section, any individual involved in the performance of such services;

(3) An individual employed by or occupying an office or position in the government of a territory or possession of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia;

(4) A member of a uniformed service as specified in 10 U.S.C 101;

(5) The President and the Vice President;

(6) A Member of Congress as defined by 5 U.S.C. 2106 (except the Vice President) and any Delegate to the Congress; and

(7) The spouse of an individual described in paragraphs (1) through (6) of this definition of employee (unless this individual and his or her spouse are separated) or a dependent (within the meaning of section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 152)) of this individual, other than a spouse or dependent who is an employee under paragraphs (1) through (6) of this definition of employee.

Employing agency means:

(1) The department, agency, office, or other entity in which an employee is employed, for other legislative branch employees and for all executive branch employees;

(2) The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the House of Representatives, for Members and employees of the House of Representatives, except that those responsibilities specified in 5 U.S.C. 7342(c)(2)(A), (e)(1), and (g)(2)(B) must be carried out by the Clerk of the House;

(3) The Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate, for Senators and employees of the Senate, except that those responsibilities (other than responsibilities involving approval of the employing agency) specified in 5 U.S.C. 7342(c)(2), (d), and (g)(2)(B) must be carried out by the Secretary of the Senate; and

(4) The Administrative Offices of the United States Courts, for judges and judicial branch employees.

Foreign government means:

(1) Any unit of foreign government, including any national, State, local, and municipal government and their foreign equivalents;

(2) Any international or multinational organization whose membership is composed of any unit of a foreign government; and

(3) Any agent or representative of any such foreign government unit or organization while acting as such.

Gift means a monetary or non-monetary present (other than a decoration) offered by or received from a foreign government. A monetary gift includes anything that may commonly be used in a financial transaction, such as cash or currency, checks, money orders, bonds, shares of stock, and other securities and negotiable financial instruments.

Minimal value means a retail value in the United States at the time of acceptance that is at or below the dollar value established by GSA and published in a Federal Management Regulation (FMR) Bulletin at www.gsa.gov/personalpropertypolicy.

(1) GSA will adjust the definition of minimal value every three years, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index for the immediately preceding 3-year period.

(2) An employing agency may, by regulation, specify a lower value than this Government-wide value for its agency employees.

Spouse means any individual who is lawfully married (unless legally separated), including an individual married to a person of the same sex who was legally married in a state or other jurisdiction (including a foreign country), that recognizes such marriages, regardless of whether or not the individual's state of residency recognizes such marriages. The term spouse does not include individuals in a formal relationship recognized by a state, which is other than lawful marriage; it also does not include individuals in a marriage in a jurisdiction outside the United States that is not recognized as a lawful marriage under United States law.

[65 FR 45539, July 24, 2000, as amended at 68 FR 56496, Sept. 4, 2002; 70 FR 2318, Jan. 12, 2005; 71 FR 28778, May 18, 2006; 73 FR 7475, Feb. 8, 2008; 76 FR 30551, May 26, 2011; 79 FR 18477, Apr. 2, 2014; 80 FR 21190, Apr. 17, 2015]