Government Personal Property

In order to conduct our work here at Los Alamos National Laboratory, we may use equipment such as computers, Lab-issued cell phones, power tools, hand tools, precious metals, and government vehicles. Government Personal Property is all equipment and materials belonging to the U.S. government but does not include real property (land or buildings), records, or special nuclear materials. In addition, The Laboratory has stewardship responsibilities for government and sponsor property. All employees must use government personal property to further The Laboratory’s mission, for official use only, handle with care, and protect from loss, theft, fraud, and misuse. You should not have an expectation of privacy when using any such resources, including Laboratory systems used for email, network, internet, and telephone communications. Incidental personal use of Laboratory property, equipment, facilities, and resources is permitted; use greater than incidental is allowed only with specific prior management approval and only for appropriate use. Any permitted personal use must be on your personal time.

Summary of Policy

By managing assets across the facility, we improve utilization and performance, reduce capital costs, reduce asset-related operating costs, extend asset life, and subsequently improve ROA (return on assets). Employees and contractors working for the Laboratory are assigned U.S. Government property to use at their workplace for official purposes only; upon assignment, they become custodians of that property. Custodians must sign an accountability statement for the U.S. Government property assigned to them; by doing so, they agree to exercise "the same degree of care that a reasonable prudent person would use to protect his or her property from loss or damage, including misuses and misappropriation." See P821, Government Personal Property, for detailed guidance.

Do the Right Thing

Protect all government property assigned to you.
Ensure that your Property Accountability Statement is accurate.
Review and accept your Barcoded Property Holdings Report at least once a year and every time barcoded government personal property is assigned or transferred to you. Notify sunflowerissues@lanl.gov if your personal property information is not correct.
If you transport property (e.g., laptop for telework purposes), make sure you have completed a Property Transport Request (PTR) Form 237-R and send a copy to your deployed property specialist, or, if you are unsure who your deployed property specialist is, send to propertyspecialists@lanl.gov.
Ensure that incidental use of government personal property:

Is not the primary use of the government personal property,
Does not add incremental cost to the government,
Does not directly or indirectly interfere with Laboratory work.
Does not interfere with the worker’s obligation to the Laboratory.
Is not otherwise prohibited as an unacceptable use.

Adhere to the appropriate use of equipment or systems as required by applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulations.
Properly report all government property that is lost, damaged, destroyed, or stolen.

Common Questions

I recently moved to a new office at a new building and brought all my assigned property with me. Is there anything I need to do?

Yes. You must notify your organization’s deployed Property Specialist prior to moving barcoded property to a new location. Email your Property Specialist and ensure that your property statement in Sunflower accurately reflects the location of your barcoded property. Not sure who your property specialist is? Go to the Property Management Homepage, and click on, “Find My Property Specialist,” from “Quick Links.”

On a recent work trip to the Nevada Operations Office, my government vehicle was broken into and my laptop was stolen. What do I do?

Immediately email loststolen@lanl.gov, notify the Security Inquiry Team, your manager, your Property Specialist, and contact local law enforcement to file a police report of the incident. You will be required to complete a Form 1877. In addition, notify Fleet Management at fleet@lanl.gov if your government vehicle is damaged.

We are having a birthday party for our coworker during our lunch break. Can we use our government vehicle to pick up the cake for the party?

No. You can only use a government vehicle for official use or Laboratory sponsored events. If you are unsure if your event is Laboratory sponsored or if your activity is in alignment with official use, please discuss with your manager or contact Fleet Management at fleet@lanl.gov for guidance. In addition, special approvals are required before a government vehicle can be taken off site to an employee’s residence. See P821-4, Fleet Management, Section 3.7, “Off-Site Use of Government Vehicles,” for more information.

Government Personal Property