24. FAR Subpart 3.104 implements the Federal Government's policy related to conduct and procurement activities of procurement officials. For the purposes of these procedures, purchase cardholders are considered procurement officials. This applies to the cardholder's approving officials to the extent that the approving official had personal and substantial participation in a purchase card transaction.

For purchase cardholders, whose purchases do not exceed the Simplified Acquisition Threshold or delegated with a single purchase limit of $25,000, the requirements of FAR 3.104-4(c) do not apply. Namely, if a cardholder or approving official is contacted by a person who is a bidder or offeror for a purchase transaction regarding non-Federal employment, the cardholder or approving official need not:

Promptly report the contact in writing to his/her supervisor and to the designated agency ethics official; and

Reject the possibility of non-Federal employment; or

Disqualify himself/herself from further personal and substantial participation in that purchase.

Prohibited Conduct of Procurement Officials - During the conduct any Federal agency procurement, including purchase card transaction, of property or services, no procurement official will knowingly:

(1) Solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any promise of future employment or business opportunity from, or engage, directly or indirectly, in any discussion of future employment or business opportunity with, any officer, employee, representative, agent, or consultant of a competing contractor;

(2) Ask for, demand, exact, solicit, seek, accept, receive, or agree to receive, directly or indirectly, any money, gratuity, or other thing of value from any officer, employee, representative, agent, or consultant of any competing contractor for such procurement; or

(3) Disclose any proprietary or source selection information regarding such procurement directly or indirectly to any person other than a person authorized by the head of such agency or the contracting officer to receive such information.