The conflict of interest provisions applicable after one leaves government service to enter private employment are often referred to as "revolving door" laws. It restricts or regulates private "representational," lobbying, and other advocacy type activities. Section 207 of title 18 provides a series of post-employment restrictions on "representational" activities for executive branch personnel when they leave government service, including (1) a lifetime ban on "switching sides" on a matter involving specific parties on which any executive branch employee had worked personally and substantially while with the government; (2) a two-year ban on "switching sides" on a somewhat broader range of matters which were under the employee's official responsibility; (3) a one-year restriction on assisting others on certain trade or treaty negotiations; (4) a one-year "cooling off" period for certain "senior" officials barring representational communications before their former departments or agencies; (5) a two-year "cooling" period for "very senior" officials barring representational communications to and attempts to influence certain other high ranking officials in the entire executive branch of government; and (6) a one-year ban on certain officials in performing some representational or advisory activities for foreign governments or foreign political parties. "Very Senior" Officials: Two-Year "Cooling Off" Period

The restrictions of 18 U.S.C. Presidential and Vice-Presidential "Appointees" in Obama Administration

President Obama issued an executive order on January 21, 2009, which places two additional post-employment, "revolving door" restrictions on all full-time, non-career presidential or vice presidential appointees in the executive branch, including non-career SES appointees and appointees to positions in the excepted service which are of a confidential and policy-making nature (such as Schedule C appointees). §1602(3)), or any non-career SES appointee, for the remainder of the entire Obama Administration. Section 207(c)(1), whereby such former officials may not lobby or make advocacy communications to certain officials in their former agencies and departments, must now abide by such "cooling off" period for two years. These additional restrictions go beyond the prohibitions on merely "representational," lobbying, or advocacy activities on behalf of private entities before the government, and extend also to any compensated activity for or on behalf of certain private contractors for a period of time after a former procurement official had worked on certain contracts for the government. Executive Branch

In addition to the general reporting of negotiations under the STOCK Act by certain high-level officials, all federal employees in the executive branch who are seeking private employment may also incur restrictions on the performance of their current duties for the government under other provisions of federal law. The principal federal conflict of interest law, which is a criminal provision at 18 U.S.C. Members of the House of Representatives, as well as "senior" legislative branch employees, are now subject to a one-year "cooling off" or "no contact" period after they leave congressional office or employment. 2. Representing Foreign Governments

Members of Congress, and those "senior" legislative branch employees who are covered by the one-year "cooling off" periods, are also prohibited for a year after leaving office or employment from representing an official foreign entity before the United States, or aiding or advising such entity with intent to influence any decision of an agency or employee of any agency or department of the U.S. government.
Federal personnel may be subject to certain conflict of interest restrictions on private employment activities even after they leave service for the United States government. These restrictions—applicable when one enters private employment after having left federal government service—are often referred to as "revolving door" laws. For the most part, other than the narrow restrictions specific to procurement officials or bank examiners, these laws restrict only certain representational types of activities for private employers, such as lobbying or advocacy directed to, and which attempt to influence, current federal officials.
Under federal conflict of interest law, at 18 U.S.C. Section 207, federal employees in the executive branch of government are restricted in performing certain post-employment "representational" activities for private parties, including (1) a lifetime ban on "switching sides," that is, representing a private party on the same "particular matter" involving identified parties on which the former executive branch employee had worked personally and substantially for the government; (2) a two-year ban on "switching sides" on a somewhat broader range of matters which were under the employee's official responsibility; (3) a one-year restriction on assisting others on certain trade or treaty negotiations; (4) a one-year "cooling off" period for certain "senior" officials barring representational communications to and attempts to influence persons in their former departments or agencies; (5) a new two-year "cooling off" period for "very senior" officials barring representational communications to and attempts to influence certain other high-ranking officials in the entire executive branch of government; and (6) a one-year ban on certain former high-level officials performing certain representational or advisory activities for foreign governments or foreign political parties.
In the legislative branch, this law applies the one-year "cooling off" period, as well as the restrictions on representations on behalf of official foreign entities and assistance in trade negotiations, to Members of the House and to senior legislative staff. United States Senators are subject to a two-year "cooling off" period in which they may not lobby Congress after leaving the Senate.
"Procurement personnel" in federal agencies are not only limited in their post-employment representational, lobbying, or advocacy activities on behalf of private entities after leaving government service, but they are also prohibited from receiving compensation from certain private contractors for a period of time after being responsible for procurement action on certain large contracts as government officials. Procurement personnel also have additional rules on reporting "contacts" from prospective employers who are government contractors.
The provisions of an executive order issued by President Obama on January 21, 2009, impose stricter limits on certain executive branch personnel. Full time, non-career presidential and vice-presidential appointees, including non-career appointees in the Senior Executive Service, and excepted service confidential, policy-making appointees, are barred after leaving the Administration from "lobbying" any executive branch official "covered" by the Lobbying Disclosure Act (2 U.S.C. §1602(3)), or any non-career SES appointee, for the remainder of the Administration. Additionally, all appointees who are "senior" officials subject to the statutory one-year "cooling off" period on lobbying and advocacy communications to their former agencies must now abide by such "cooling off" period for two years.