Title 2, The CongressRelease 119-110

§1873 Acceptance of Travel Expenses From Non-federal Sources

Title 2 › CHAPTER 28 — ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL › SUBCHAPTER IV — APPROPRIATIONS AND EXPENDITURES › § 1873

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows the Architect of the Capitol to accept, or let an employee accept, payments from non‑Federal sources (outside groups) to cover travel, lodging, and related costs when the employee or the employee’s spouse attends a meeting tied to the employee’s job. Cash payments must be put into the office’s expense fund. Gifts or other non‑cash payments must reduce what the employee can later claim from the government. No other payments are allowed unless this rule or 5 U.S.C. 7342 says so. If an employee takes a forbidden payment, they may have to repay the same amount to the U.S. Treasury general fund and then cannot get government reimbursement for those expenses. Applies starting in fiscal year 2019 and after.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §1873

The Congress, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Permitting acceptance of expenses

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Architect of the Capitol may accept payment or authorize an employee of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol to accept payment on the Office’s behalf from non-Federal sources for travel, subsistence, and related expenses with respect to attendance of the employee (or the spouse of such employee) at any meeting or similar function relating to the employee’s official duties. Any cash payment so accepted shall be credited to the appropriation applicable to such expenses. In the case of a payment in kind so accepted, a pro rata reduction shall be made in any entitlement of the employee to payment from the Government for such expenses.

(b)Prohibiting acceptance from other sources

Except as provided in this section or section 7342 of title 5, the Office or an employee of the Office may not accept payment for expenses referred to in subsection (a). An employee who accepts any payment in violation of the preceding sentence—

(1)may be required, in addition to any penalty provided by law, to repay, for deposit in the general fund of the Treasury, an amount equal to the amount of the payment so accepted; and

(2)in the case of a repayment under paragraph (1), shall not be entitled to any payment from the Government for such expenses.

(c)Effective date

This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2019 and each succeeding fiscal year.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

2 U.S.C. § 1873

Title 2, The Congress

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110