Ethics Office Moves to Let Federal Employees Serve on Nonprofit Boards

The Office of Government Ethics has taken the first step toward allowing federal employees to serve on the boards of nonprofit organizations, potentially ending a 15-year ban that advocacy groups say was misguided.

In a proposed rule, OGE aims to change a regulation that prohibits federal employees from serving in their official capacity on the board of a nonprofit without a waiver from their agency. Such waivers can be difficult to obtain, discouraging employees from accepting positions on everything from scientific panels to neighborhood boards.