Colin A. Young State House News Service| The Herald News
With the gift-giving season underway, the State Ethics Commission on Monday reminded state, county and municipal employees that accepting certain gifts could violate state ethics laws.
"In general, public employees may not accept gifts worth $50 or more that are given because of their public position or because of an official act," the commission said. But it also noted, "There are some exceptions."
Even if a gift is worth less than $50, the commission said a public employee must file a disclosure if "accepting the gift would create the reasonable impression that he or she would unduly show favor to the giver."
Public employees are allowed to accept gifts like fruit baskets, flowers or other perishable items if they are accepted on behalf of an office or agency and shared with coworkers. Gifts of alcohol are generally prohibited, the commission said.
Parents and students can act together to give a public school teacher a gift worth $150 or less, so long as it is presented as being from the class and the identities of the contributors are not revealed to the teacher. Teachers may accept gifts of under $50 from individual students or families, but teachers must first confirm that the giving family did not also contribute to the class gift.
Certain public employees are prohibited from soliciting or accepting any gift from a lobbyist and lobbyists are prohibited from offering gifts. The Ethics Commission said the rule applies to "elected state and county officials, as well as appointed state and county employees in major policymaking positions."
Public employees who have questions about state ethics laws and how they relate to gifts may contact the commission's Legal Division at 617-371-9500 for free advice.
