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Ethics: Restrictions For Legislators Accepting Hospitality at Outside Meetings

The Center for Ethics in Government - UPDATED March, 2008

The following table outlines reporting requirements for legislators accepting gifts and hospitality at outside meetings such as the NCSL annual meeting. This includes food and beverages, entertainment, and gifts of nominal value.

AL| AK| AZ| AR| CA| CO| CT| DE| FL| GA| HI| ID| IL| IN| IA| KS| KY| LA| ME| MD| MA| MI| MN| MS| MO| MT| NE| NV| NH| NJ| NM| NY| NC| ND| OH| OK| OR| PA| RI| SC| SD| TN| TX| UT| VT| VA| WA| WV| WI| WY

STATE

STATUTE

RESTRICTIONS

Alabama

36-25-7

  • Provider must be present for food and beverages.
  • May accept promotional items of a nominal value and seasonal gifts worth less than $100/gift.

Alaska

24-60-080

  • Legislators may accept travel and hospitality primarily for the purpose of obtaining information on matters of legislative concern.

Arizona

41-1232.02

  • Exceptions to the definition of gift include expenses relating to functions to which all members are invited and items that are given to the general public at an event.
  • Legislators cannot accept a gift with a total value of more than $10. Food and beverages are excluded from this restriction.

Arkansas

21-8-801(1)

  • Legislators must report gifts with a value of $150 or more.

California

89503

  • Legislators are not subject to the $300 gift limit when attending an event related to a governmental purpose and provided by government, an educational institution, or a non-profit.
  • Expenses including transportation, lodging and subsistence are reportable.

Colorado

24-18-104

  • No restrictions.

Connecticut

Title 1, Ch 10, Part I and II

  • Gifts costing less than $100 in the aggregate or food and beverage provided at a meeting or conference of an interstate legislative association, by a person who is not a registrant or is not doing business with the state are excluded from the definition of gift.
  • Food and beverage of less than $150 per recipient per year and consumed when person paying is in attendance is excluded from definition of gift.
  • Items with a value of $10 or less are not considered gifts.

Delaware

Title 29, Ch. 58

  • Must report gifts of $250 or more.

Florida

Title 10, Ch. 112, Part III

  • Gifts provided directly or indirectly by a national organization such as NCSL are exempted from the definition of gift.

Georgia

21-5-70

  • No restrictions.

Hawaii

84-11.5(1)

  • Must report gifts of $250 or more if the source of the gift has interests that may be affected by official action and is not exempted from reporting requirements.

Idaho

59-701

  • May accept trivial benefits not to exceed $50.

Illinois

5 ILCS 425

  • National Conference of State Legislatures Act states that members may attend meetings sponsored by NCSL.
  • May accept food, refreshments, and items of nominal value.

Indiana

IC 4-2-6

  • No restrictions.

Iowa

68B-22

  • Exceptions to the gift prohibition include:
  • Gifts donated to an educational or charitable organization and then received by the official;
  • Anything of value distributed free of charge to the general public;
  • Items received from an organization to which the donee belongs as a dues paying member, if the items are given to all members of the organization without regard to individual status;
  • Gifts worth less than $3 a day;
  • Food and beverage in return for participation in a panel or meeting.

Kansas

46-237

  • May accept subsistence, hospitality and entertainment incurred while attending and participating in meetings sponsored by national, nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations established for strengthening state legislatures.

Kentucky

6.611

  • May accept informational or promotional items and food and beverages consumed at events to which all members are invited.

Louisiana

15-1115,

42-1123

  • May accept gifts of less than $100 per event or $500 per year.

Maine

1-25-1012

  • No restrictions.

Maryland

15-505

  • May accept food or beverages received at the time and geographic location of a meeting of a legislative organization.
  • May accept gifts that do not exceed $20.

Massachusetts

MGL Chpt.268A

  • May accept gifts of less than $50.

Michigan

15-342

  • May accept gifts of less than $43 in any one month period.
  • May accept meals provided for immediate consumption.

Minnesota

10A.071

Subd. 3

  • Exceptions to the prohibition on gifts include a trinket or memento of insignificant value and food or a beverage given at a reception, meal, or meeting away from the recipient's place of work by an organization before whom the recipient appears to make a speech or answer questions as part of a program.

Mississippi

25-4-101

  • No restrictions.

Missouri

105-456

  • No restrictions

Montana

N/A

  • No restrictions.

Nebraska

49-1423

  • Gift does not include a meal or other refreshment provided for immediate consumption.
  • Gifts cannot exceed $50 per month.

Nevada

281.481

  • May not accept gifts exceeding $100 per year.

New Hampshire

640:5

  • Must report gifts if value exceeds $50.

New Jersey

52:13D-14

  • No restrictions.

New Mexico

10-16B-2

  • Bona fide educational program exempted from definition of gift.

New York

Chpt 32, Article 1A, 1m

  • Exempted from the definition of gift:
  • Food and beverage at charitable or political events and officially related, widely attended events if offered by the sponsor;
  • Meals at an informational event;
  • Promotional or marketing items having no substantial resale value.

North Carolina

§ 120-86

  • Must report gifts over $200 and gifts over $100 if received from an entity doing business with or regulated by the state.

North Dakota

54.05.1-05

  • No restrictions.

Ohio

1-102.031

  • May accept gifts of less than $75 per year.
  • Food and beverages are excepted from limit when provided to the member at a meeting or convention of a national organization to which all members are invited.

Oklahoma

Title 74, Chpt. 62, App. 257:20-1-9,

257:1-1-2

  • Gift limit of $300 per year.

Oregon

244-040 (2)

  • May accept food or beverages when participating in an event that bears a relationship to the public official's office and when appearing in an official capacity.
  • $100 limit per year for gifts.

Pennsylvania

51-17.5

  • Exceptions to gift restrictions include insignificant nonpecuniary gifts, food, drink, and refreshments.

Rhode Island

36-14-5

  • No limit but must report gifts over $100.

South Carolina

2-17-80(B)

  • May accept informational and promotional items worth less than $10.
  • Receptions attended are subject to a limit of $25 per day.

South Dakota

N/A

  • No restrictions.

Tennessee

3-6-108

  • Exceptions to gift prohibition include sample merchandise, promotional items, and appreciation tokens if routinely given to customers, suppliers or potential customers in the ordinary course of business.
  • Food and beverages provided in connection with an event to which all members are invited are not subject to the prohibition.

Texas

572.051

  • May accept gifts not to exceed $50 per day.

Utah

67-16-5 (2)

  • Legislators may accept gifts with a value of $50 or less.

Vermont

2 VSA § 264 (b)

  • No restrictions.

Virginia

2.1-639.33 (5)

  • No restrictions but must disclose a gift or entertainment at a single event if the value exceeds $50.

Washington

42-52-140,

42-52-150

  • May accept gifts with an aggregate value of no more than $50 per year. Certain gifts are exempted from the limit including:
  • Promotional items of nominal value;
  • Food and beverage consumed at a hosted reception where attendance is related to official duties;
  • Events sponsored by civic and charitable organizations.

West Virginia

6B-2-5(C)(2)

  • May accept meals and beverages and gifts of nominal value ($25 or less).

Wisconsin

19.45 (3)

  • Must disclose anything of value over $50 received in connection with participation in a meeting, excluding the value of food and beverages.

Wyoming

9-13-101

  • May accept food and beverages and gifts totaling $250 or less.

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