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<section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="5-525" title_number="5" title_name="Maryland Public Ethics Law" subtitle_number="5" subtitle_name="Conflicts of Interest">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Conflict of interest policies” means policies adopted by a governing board and approved:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>by the Office of the Attorney General; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>as to conformity with this section, by the Ethics Commission.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Educational institution” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a public senior higher education institution as defined in § 10–101 of the Education Article;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a center or an institute of the University System of Maryland that is designated in the conflict of interest policies adopted by the System’s Board of Regents; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>the University System of Maryland Administration, for which the Chancellor of the System shall be considered the president for purposes of this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Governing board” has the meaning provided in § 10–101 of the Education Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Relationship” includes any:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>interest;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>service;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>employment;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>gift; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>other benefit or relationship.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <level label="i">
        <text>“Research or development” means basic or applied research or development.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>“Research or development” includes:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the development or marketing of university–owned technology;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>the acquisition of services of an official or employee by an entity for research and development purposes; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>participation in State economic development programs.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Each educational institution engaged in research or development shall develop conflict of interest procedures based on:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>conflict of interest policies developed by its governing board; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the purposes of this title specified in § 5–102 of this title.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Before they may become effective, the procedures and policies developed under this subsection shall be approved by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the Office of the Attorney General; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>as to conformity with this section, the Ethics Commission.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The procedures adopted by an educational institution under subsection (b) of this section shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>require disclosure of any interest in, employment by, or other relationship with an entity for which an exemption under this section is claimed, on a form filed with the Ethics Commission and maintained as a public record at the educational institution;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>require a review of all disclosures by a designated official, who shall determine what:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>further information must be disclosed; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>restrictions shall be imposed by the educational institution to manage, reduce, or eliminate any actual or potential conflict of interest;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>include guidelines to ensure that interests and employment for which an exemption under this section is claimed do not:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>improperly give an advantage to entities in which the interests or employment are maintained;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>lead to misuse of institution students or employees for the benefit of entities in which the interests or employment are maintained; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>otherwise interfere with the duties and responsibilities of the exempt official or employee;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>require approval by the president of the educational institution of any interest or employment for which an exemption is claimed under this section; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>require approval by the governing board of the educational institution if an exemption is claimed by the president of the educational institution.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Policies and procedures adopted under this section may provide for periodic consultation with the Department of Commerce and with federal agencies that have imposed regulatory requirements on federally funded research, concerning the implementation of this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, a present or former official or employee at an educational institution may have a relationship, otherwise prohibited by this subtitle, with an entity engaged in research or development, or with an entity having a direct interest in the outcome of research or development, only if:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the educational institution has adopted policies and procedures in accordance with this section; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the official or employee has complied with the policies and procedures.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the provisions of this subsection are not met, the official or employee is not exempt from any relevant provisions of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>This section does not exempt an official or employee at an educational institution from the provisions of § 5–505 of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An official or employee at an educational institution may not:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>represent a party for contingent compensation in any matter before the institution’s governing board or before the Board of Public Works; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>intentionally misuse the individual’s State position for the individual’s personal gain or for the gain of another person.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>Each governing board shall report quarterly to the Governor, the Legislative Policy Committee of the General Assembly, and the Ethics Commission:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the number of approvals granted under subsection (c) of this section; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>how the conflict of interest policies and procedures adopted under this section have been implemented in the preceding year.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>This subsection applies to an official who is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a chancellor, vice chancellor, president, or vice president at a public senior higher educational institution in the State; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>an individual who holds a similar position at a public senior higher educational institution in the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An official subject to this subsection may not receive an exemption under this section unless the governing board of the educational institution finds that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>participation by, and the financial interest or employment of, the official is necessary to the success of the research or development activity; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the conflict of interest can be managed consistent with the purposes of this section and other relevant provisions of this title.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Notwithstanding subsection (g) of this section, the governing board of an educational institution promptly shall notify the Ethics Commission in writing of any exemption that is granted under this section to an official subject to this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>If the Ethics Commission disagrees with an exemption that is granted by the governing board of an educational institution to an official who is subject to this subsection, within 30 days after receipt of the notice under paragraph (3) of this subsection, the Ethics Commission shall notify the governing board of the reason for its disagreement.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>On receipt of the notice from the Ethics Commission under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the governing board of the educational institution shall reexamine the matter.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>This section may be cited as the Public–Private Partnership Act.</text>
  </level>
</section>
