§ 1986. — Conflicts of interests.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC1986]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 50--AGRICULTURAL CREDIT
SUBCHAPTER IV--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Sec. 1986. Conflicts of interests
(a) Acceptance of fees, commissions, gifts, or other considerations
prohibited
No officer, attorney, or other employee of the Secretary shall,
directly or indirectly, be the beneficiary of or receive any fee,
commission, gift, or other consideration for or in connection with any
transaction or business under this chapter other than such salary, fee,
or other compensation as he may receive as such officer, attorney, or
employee.
(b) Acquisition of interest in land by certain officers or employees of
Department of Agriculture prohibited; 3-year period
Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, no officer or
employee of the Department of Agriculture who acts on or reviews an
application made by any person under this chapter for a loan to purchase
land may acquire, directly or indirectly, any interest in such land for
a period of three years after the date on which such action is taken or
such review is made. This prohibition shall not apply to a former member
of a county committee upon a determination by the Secretary, prior to
the acquisition of such interest, that such former member acted in good
faith when acting on or reviewing such application.
(c) Certifications on loans to family members prohibited
No member of a county committee shall knowingly make or join in
making any certification with respect to a loan to purchase any land in
which he or any person related to him within the second degree of
consanguinity or affinity has or may acquire any interest or with
respect to any applicant related to him within the second degree of
consanguinity or affinity.
(d) Penalties
Any persons violating any provision of this section shall, upon
conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $2,000 or
imprisonment for not more than two years, or both.
(Pub. L. 87-128, title III, Sec. 336, Aug. 8, 1961, 75 Stat. 316; Pub.
L. 98-258, title VI, Sec. 606, Apr. 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 140; Pub. L. 107-
171, title V, Sec. 5501(b), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 351.)
References in Text
For definition of ``this chapter'', referred to in subsecs. (a) and
(b), see note set out under section 1921 of this title.
Amendments
2002--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107-171 struck out ``provided for in
section 1982 of this title'' after ``former member of a county
committee''.
1984--Pub. L. 98-258 designated first, second, and third sentences
of existing provisions as subsecs. (a), (c), and (d), respectively, and
added subsec. (b).
