Sec. 11.0261. PROHIBITION AGAINST ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS, GRATUITIES, AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE; EXCEPTION

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person who is a member of the commission or an employee of the department may not accept a gift, gratuity, or other thing of value, including travel, from a person who:

(1) is employed by or participates in the management of a business entity or other organization that receives funds from the department;

(2) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, more than a 10 percent interest in a business entity or other organization that receives funds from the department;

(3) is a person a significant portion of whose business consists of furnishing goods or services to an entity or organization described by Subdivision (1) or (2); or

(4) is an agent, representative, attorney, employee, officer, owner, director, or partner of an entity, organization, or person described by Subdivision (1), (2), or (3).

(b) A department employee may accept reimbursement for travel expenses from the official nonprofit partner designated by the commission under Section 11.205 if:

(1) the employee has sufficiently documented the expense; and

(2) the expense arose out of the performance of an activity related to an employee's official duties regarding the partner.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1256, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 968, Sec. 22, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.