Technical and overall modernization updates to the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch at 5 CFR part 2635.  Overall, the Standards of Conduct implement certain provisions of Executive Order 12674 on Principles of Ethical Conduct, as modified by Executive Order 12731, and the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 101-194), as amended. Effective February 3, 1993, this ethical conduct standards regulation generally superseded Executive Branch employee conduct and gifts rules, as well as pertinent portions of agency-specific conduct regulations issued under prior Executive Order 11222. For certain existing agency regulatory standards setting forth financial interest prohibitions and prior approval for outside employment/activities, an extended grace period was in effect until November 1, 1996, or until individual concerned agencies issued supplemental regulations (with Office of Government Ethics concurrence), whichever occurred first.