{
  "id": "98-885",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "98-885",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 105260,
      "date": "1998-10-23",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:50:43.381941",
      "title": "\"Hatch Act\" and Other Restrictions in Federal Law on Political Activities of Government Employees",
      "summary": "Most federal officers and employees are now generally free to engage in a broad range of\npartisan\npolitical activities on their own \"free time\" or \"off-duty\" hours. The provisions of the \"Hatch Act\nAmendments of 1993\" removed most of the restrictions on voluntary, free-time activities by federal\nemployees in the executive branch of Government for or on behalf of partisan candidates or political\nparties, while providing more express prohibitions regarding on-the-job politics in federal offices.\n Employees in the executive branch of the Federal Government are, however, still restricted by\nthe\n\"Hatch Act\" provisions in several specific activities. All officers and employees in the executive\nbranch, other than the President and Vice President, are still generally restricted in the following\nways:\n  (1) They may not use their \"official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering\nwith or affecting the result of an election.\"\n  (2) They are generally restricted from soliciting, accepting or receiving political campaign\ncontributions from any person.\n  (3) They may not run for elective office in most \"partisan\" elections.\n  (4) They are prohibited from soliciting or discouraging participation in any political\nactivities by a person who has an application for a grant, contract or other funds pending\nbefore their agencies, or is the subject of an ongoing audit or investigation by their\nagencies.\n  (5) They are generally prohibited from engaging in partisan campaign activity on federal\nproperty, on official duty time, while wearing a uniform or insignia identifying them as\nfederal officials or employees, or while using a government vehicle. \n  Certain federal employees in specified executive agencies, generally those dealing with law\nenforcement or national security, are still subject to more restrictive provisions, similar to the old\nHatch Act, which broadly bar such employees from taking an active part in partisan political\nactivities even on their own, off-duty hours. The Hatch Act statute applies only to civilian officers\nand employees of the executive branch of the Federal Government. Members of the uniformed\nservices are subject to the military's own restrictions issued as a Department of Defense Directive,\nNo. 1344.10. Employees of the legislative and judicial branches of the Federal Government do not\ncome within the restrictions of the Hatch Act, although some other provisions of federal law, such\nas the criminal restrictions on campaign contributions and solicitations, generally apply to all federal\nofficers and employees. Rules and rulings governing congressional employees are discussed in\nanother C.R.S. Report, No. 96-184, \"Campaign Activities by Congressional Employees.\"\n  State or local governmental employees whose principal employment \"is in connection with an\nactivity which is financed in whole or in part\" by federal funds, come within a particular part of the\n\"Hatch Act.\" Such State and local employees are prohibited from running for office in a partisan\nelection; using their official authority to influence an election; or attempting to coerce a state or local\nemployee to make a political contribution.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/98-885",
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law"
  ]
}