Except as permitted under subsection (b) of this section, a public servant may not solicit or facilitate the solicitation of a gift, whether on the public servant’s own behalf or on behalf of another person. The prohibition in subsection (a) of this section does not apply to a solicitation if:it is for the benefit of an official governmental program or activity or a City-endorsed charitable function or activity; and it either:is expressly allowed by a rule or regulation of the Ethics Board; or otherwise has been approved in advance by the Ethics Board, on the written request of the public servant and his or her agency. Ord. 04-795 Ord. 10-267 Ord. 15-373 Agency §2-2 Ethics Board §2-10 Financial interest §2-16 Gift §2-17 Lobbyist §2-20 Person §2-22 Public servant §2-23 Board Regulations R 06.26.1 and R 06.26.2 sets out criteria for obtaining approval under § 6-26(b) for “official governmental” or “City-endorsed charitable” solicitations.

Except as otherwise provided in this Part IV, a public servant may not knowingly accept any gift, directly or indirectly, from any person that the public servant knows or has reason to know: does or seeks to do business of any kind, regardless of amount:with the public servant’s agency; or with another person in connection with or in furtherance of a contract that is being negotiated or has been entered into by the other person with the public servant’s agency; engages or seeks to engage in an activity that is regulated or controlled by the public servant’s agency; is or, within the preceding 12 months, has been a lobbyist with respect to matters within the jurisdiction of the public servant; has a financial interest that might be substantially and materially affected, in a manner distinguishable from the public generally, by the performance or nonperformance of the public servant’s official duties; is an association, or any entity acting on behalf of an association, that is engaged only in representing counties or municipal corporations; or is an owner, partner, officer, director, trustee, employee, or agent of any person described in items (1) through (4) of this section. Ord. 04-795 Ord. 10-267 Ord. 15-373 Ord. 16-503 Agency §2-2 Employee §2-9 Financial interest §2-16 Gift §2-17 Lobbyist §2-20 Person §2-22 Public servant §2-23

Subject to <cite data-path="|8|§6-29">§ 6-29 {“Exemption limitations”} of this subtitle</cite>, the prohibitions in <cite data-path="|8|§6-27">§ 6-27 {“Acceptance prohibited”} of this subtitle</cite> do not apply to the unsolicited receipt of: food or beverages received and consumed by the recipient in the presence of the donor or sponsoring entity; gifts or awards that have insignificant monetary value, as defined by rule or regulation of the Board; in return for a speaking engagement or participation on a panel at a meeting, reasonable expenses, actually incurred and verifiable, for food, travel, lodging, child or dependant care, and scheduled entertainment of the public servant, but only if:the expenses are associated with the meeting; and to the extent the expenses are anticipated to exceed $500, the public servant has notified the Ethics Board before attending the meeting; tickets or free admission given to an elected official to attend a specific charitable, cultural, or political event, if given by the person sponsoring or conducting the event as a courtesy or ceremony to the office; a specific gift or class of gifts that the Ethics Board exempts on a written finding that acceptance of the gift or class of gifts would not be detrimental to the impartial conduct of City business; or gifts from a spouse, parent, child, or sibling. Ord. 04-795 Ord. 11-484 Ord. 15-372 Child §2-6 Elected official §2-8 Ethics Board §2-10 Gift §2-17 Person §2-22 Public servant §2-23 Board Regulation R 06.28.5 establishes exemptions under this § 6-28(5) (i) for certain pharmaceutical samples given to City health-care facilities, (ii) for certain free admissions to events sponsored or conducted by educational institutions, and (iii) for certain free admissions offered by or on behalf of an instrumentality or unit of State government. Board Regulation R 06.28A defines “insignificant value”, for purposes of this section, as: “(1) a gift or award with a value of not more than $20; or (2) a gift or award in a series of gifts and awards with a cumulative value of not more than $60, if given by or on behalf of the same person during the reporting period.”

The exemptions specified in <cite data-path="|8|§6-28">§ 6-28 {“Qualified exemptions”} of this subtitle</cite> do not apply to any gift if: the gift would tend to impair the recipient’s impartiality and independent judgment; or for a gift of significant value, as defined by rule or regulation of the Board:the gift would give the appearance of impairing the recipient’s impartiality and independent judgment; or the recipient believes or has reason to believe that the gift is designed to impair his or her impartiality and independent judgment. Ord. 04-795 Ord. 11-484 Gift §2-17 Board Regulation R 06.28B defines “significant value”, for purposes of § 6-29(2), as: “(1) any gift with a value of more than $20; or (2) a gift in a series of gifts with a cumulative value of more than $60, if given by or on behalf of the same person during the reporting period.”

By rule or regulation, the Ethics Board may establish further exemptions from or modifications of this Part IV, as the Board considers necessary. Ord. 04-795 Ethics Board §2-10