Gifts

Many states restrict the value of gifts legislators can receive.

Honorariums

Honorariums are payments for speeches, articles or appearances.

• Gift Restriction Overview
• Giving, Receiving, and Reporting Food
• Hospitality at Outside Meetings

Eye on Ethics Brief: Gift Restrictions, Laws for Legislators April 2002

• Honorarium Restrictions

Eye on Ethics Brief: Honorariums, Laws for Legislators, August 2003

All states agree that giving and receiving gifts is prohibited if they influence official action. From that point on, states differ in the details. Gift restriction statutes generally can be grouped into three categories: zero tolerance laws, bright line test laws, and states using disclosure and instead of restrictions. The largest number of states, almost half, specifies a monetary limit on gifts to legislators. These states employ a "bright line test," and allow gifts up to a certain value.

Twenty-three states prohibit them if they are offered in connection with a legislator's official duties. That means a legislator could accept honorariums for services performed in relation to their private profession or occupation if unrelated to the legislator's legislative duties. Most states that prohibit honorariums allow reimbursement for travel, lodging and necessary expenses. Twenty-seven states allow honorariums or don't specifically address them in statute.