§ 3.8 Approval of retention of gifts or decorations with employing agency for official use.

(a) At the request of an overseas post or an office within the employing agency, a gift or decoration deemed to have been accepted on behalf of the United States may be retained for official use. Such retention should be approved:

(1) For the Department of State, by the Chief of Protocol;

(2) For IDCA, by AID's Director of Management Operations;

(3) For AID, by the Director of Management Operations; and

(4) For USICA, by the Associate Director for Management.

(b) Items approved for official use must be accounted for and safeguarded as Federal property at all times under standard Federal property management procedures. Within 30 days after the official use of a gift has been terminated, the gift or decoration shall be deposited with the designated depository office of the employing agency to be held pending completion of disposal arrangements by the General Services Administration.

However, to qualify for such approval, the gift or decoration should be an item which can be used in the normal conduct of agency business, such as a rug or a tea service, or an art object meriting display, such as a painting or sculpture. Personal gift items, such as wristwatches, jewelry, or wearing apparel, should not be regarded as suitable for “official use”. Only under unusual circumstances will retention of a decoration for official use be authorized. Every effort should be made to place each “official use” item in a location that will afford the largest number of employees, and, if feasible, members of the public, the maximum opportunity to receive the benefit of its display, provided the security of the location is adequate.