Proper Use of the Bank of America Smart Pay Charge Card From: "Isabelle Halley des Fontaines, Chief, Br. Admin. Mgmt. Sys., Reston, VA "Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 10:23:09 -0800 To: "USGS Employees" cc: Subject: Proper Use of Bank of America Smart Pay Charge Card In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 601 MEMORANDUM December 7, 1999 To: All U.S. Geological Survey Employees From: Robert Hosenfeld /s/ Personnel Officer Subject: Proper Use of the Bank of America Smart Pay Charge Card Supervisors, Managers, and Team Leaders: Please ensure that employees without access to e-mail receive a copy of the message. This is a reminder that the Bank of America Smart Pay Charge Card is FOR OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT USE ONLY. That means that the card must not be used for personal, family, or household purposes under any circumstances. Use of the card for other than official government business is a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 287, and can subject the employee to a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both. The Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General (OIG) requires us to report any instance of card misuse to them, regardless of the amount charged or the frequency of misuse. OIG may conduct an investigation and then refer the case to the Justice Department for prosecution. Employees will be held personally liable for any unauthorized charges, whether or not they were billed directly to the U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, employees who misuse the Smart Pay card are subject to discipline, ranging from a reprimand to removal, depending on the severity of the misuse and the employee's prior history. It is, therefore, important that you only use your card for official government business and that you safeguard it. Make sure the card is not kept with your personal credit cards and accidentally misused. Never give or loan your Smart Pay card to another individual. It is also important to remember that you need to pay your card bills by the due date. Card privileges will be suspended for any employee whose payment is over 60 days delinquent. If your card is suspended, you will not be allowed to travel until the card balance is paid and the suspension is lifted. Additional information on this subject can be obtained from your servicing personnel office.