Ethics Office Extends Legal Expense Fund Paperwork for Three Years
Published Date: 5/29/2026
Notice
Summary
The Office of Government Ethics is renewing and updating its Legal Expense Fund information collection for another three years. This affects executive branch employees who get legal help through these funds and the trustees who manage them. They’re asking for public comments by June 29, 2026, and expect the process to take about 109 hours total each year.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Legal Expense Fund Reporting Duty
If you are an executive branch employee who establishes a Legal Expense Fund (LEF), you must create the LEF as a trust with a single named employee beneficiary and a trustee, file quarterly reports and a termination report, and those trust documents, quarterly reports, and termination reports will be posted on the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) website under 5 CFR 2635.1007(g). OGE estimates an average of 133 responses and an average annual burden of 109.2 hours for this collection, with individual responses taking between 5 minutes and 20 hours.
Trustees Bear Reporting and Cost Burden
Trustees who manage Legal Expense Funds must collect donor and payee information and handle trust reporting. OGE estimates an average annual burden of 109.2 hours and an estimated annual cost burden of $37,128 using an estimated trustee/principal rate of $340 per hour.
Donor and Payee Information Will Be Public
Quarterly and termination reports must include information about public donors who give to a Legal Expense Fund and public payees who receive payments from a fund, and those reports will be posted on OGE's website. OGE estimates roughly three new LEFs filed per year, about five LEF trusts in existence annually, each with approximately 20 donors and about 2 payees.
Form 601 Clarifies Privileged Information
OGE proposes adding bolded instructions to OGE Form 601 (Executive Branch Legal Expense Fund Quarterly Report) stating "[d]o not report information protected by attorney-client privilege," and correcting minor typographical errors. This change clarifies that privileged information should not be disclosed on the form.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this federal register document and every other regulation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-04439 — Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Proposed Collection; Comment Request for a Modified OGE Form 201 Request an Individual's Ethics Documents
The Office of Government Ethics wants to update and extend the OGE Form 201, which people use to request ethics documents from the executive branch. This change affects anyone asking for these public financial reports and aims to keep the process smooth for the next three years. Comments on the update are open until April 6, 2026, with no new costs expected.
2025-23267 — Agency Information Collection Activities; Information Collection Renewal; Comment Request for Legal Expense Fund Information Collection
The Office of Government Ethics wants to keep collecting info about Legal Expense Funds that help government workers pay for legal costs tied to their jobs. They’re asking for public comments by February 17, 2026, before renewing this paperwork approval. This affects executive branch employees and legal fund trustees but won’t add new costs or big changes—just keeping things running smoothly.
2025-19442 — Updated OGE Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board
The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) just updated the team that reviews top executives’ job performance. This change affects senior leaders who want fair and fresh feedback on their work. No big money changes or deadlines here—just a new crew ready to keep things running smoothly!
2025-17233 — Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Proposed Collection; Comment Request for a Modified OGE Form 201 Request an Individual's Ethics Documents
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics wants to update and extend the form people use to request government ethics documents for three more years. This affects anyone needing access to public financial reports from executive branch officials. The updated form is heading to the Office of Management and Budget for review, keeping the process smooth and official.
2025-15116 — Agency Information Collection Activities; Information Collection Renewal; Comment Request for Qualified Trust Model Certificates and Model Trust Documents
The Office of Government Ethics wants to keep collecting info using 12 model certificates and trust documents for qualified trusts. This affects folks who manage these trusts and helps keep things clear and official. They’re asking for approval to continue, so no big changes or costs, just smooth sailing ahead!
2025-12882 — Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the U.S. Office of Government Ethics Strategic Plan(FY 2026-2030)
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics wants your ideas to help shape their big plan for 2026-2030. This plan will guide how they keep government leaders honest and fair, affecting everyone who works in or with the government. They’re asking for feedback now to make sure the plan is smart, clear, and ready to roll out soon—no extra costs expected, just better ethics ahead!
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-10766 — Request for Information Regarding Single Family Minimum Property Requirements (MPR)
HUD wants your thoughts on updating the rules for single-family homes that qualify for FHA mortgage insurance. This is a chance for homeowners, builders, and lenders to help shape fair and modern home standards. Share your ideas by June 29, 2026, so HUD can make smart changes that support affordable and safe homeownership.
Next: 2026-10773 — Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Public Service Loan Forgiveness Reconsideration Request
The Department of Education wants to keep collecting info for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Reconsideration Request without changing the form. If you work in public service and want to double-check your loan forgiveness status, this affects you! They’re asking for comments by July 28, 2026, to make sure the process stays smooth and easy, with no extra costs or delays.