§19313 National Laboratory non-Federal employee outside employment authority

Summary

The Secretary must let National Laboratory directors allow non‑Federal employees to take outside jobs, including starting companies from lab technology or doing paid consulting, and to work on outside projects at the lab under the same contracting arrangements used for outside groups, as long as conflicts of interest are handled. If a director uses this authority, the director or their chosen representative must require employees to get approval first, set and enforce conflict‑of‑interest rules (including firing for violations), and make sure the program follows the Department’s research security rules, including DOE Order 486.1. Employees may not let outside work interfere with lab duties, use lab equipment or resources for outside work unless done under proper contracts (such as Cooperative Research and Development Agreements or Strategic Partnership Projects), or use their lab job to give an unfair advantage to an outside employer. Federal ethics rules for government staff still apply.