Fiscal Law Issues in Purchasing Clothing

It's not unusual for ethics officers to receive questions about appropriations law, such as the use of appropriated funds to buy clothing items. Mark Stone recently provided some tips on research sources in his newsletter:

1.  On the website of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), there is a January 2004, 640-page PDF document entitled "Principles of Federal Appropriations Law, Third Edition, Volume I."  On pages 495-501 of the PDF document there is a seven-page discussion of dozens of legal authorities on use of appropriated funds to purchase wearing apparel for U.S. government employees.  It is probably the most detailed treatment of the subject anywhere. GAO’s May 2009 update to the Third Edition does not contain any additional guidance on this issue.

2.  There is a 2008 Ethics Counselor's Deskbook on the website of the DoD Standards of Conduct Office (DoD/GC-SOCO). The Deskbook has a 69-page chapter entitled “Fiscal Law Overview.”  Use of appropriated funds to buy clothing is addressed on pages E-22 and E-23.

Mark's original included some Air Force-specific cites.  The complete posting is available at the Air Force Materiel Command ethics website.