Article 10 - Gift Ban


 
    (5 ILCS 430/Art. 10 heading)
ARTICLE 10
GIFT BAN
(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)

    (5 ILCS 430/10‑10)
    Sec. 10‑10. Gift ban. Except as otherwise provided in this Article, no officer, member, or State employee shall intentionally solicit or accept any gift from any prohibited source or in violation of any federal or State statute, rule, or regulation. This ban applies to and includes the spouse of and immediate family living with the officer, member, or State employee. No prohibited source shall intentionally offer or make a gift that violates this Section.
(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)

    (5 ILCS 430/10‑15)
    Sec. 10‑15. Gift ban; exceptions. The restriction in Section 10‑10 does not apply to the following:
        (1) Opportunities, benefits, and services that are
     available on the same conditions as for the general public.
        (2) Anything for which the officer, member, or State
     employee pays the market value.
        (3) Any (i) contribution that is lawfully made under
     the Election Code or under this Act or (ii) activities associated with a fundraising event in support of a political organization or candidate.
        (4) Educational materials and missions. This
     exception may be further defined by rules adopted by the appropriate ethics commission or by the Auditor General for the Auditor General and employees of the Office of the Auditor General.
        (5) Travel expenses for a meeting to discuss State
     business. This exception may be further defined by rules adopted by the appropriate ethics commission or by the Auditor General for the Auditor General and employees of the Office of the Auditor General.
        (6) A gift from a relative, meaning those people
     related to the individual as father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, great aunt, great uncle, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, father‑in‑law, mother‑in‑law, son‑in‑law, daughter‑in‑law, brother‑in‑law, sister‑in‑law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, and including the father, mother, grandfather, or grandmother of the individual's spouse and the individual's fiance or fiancee.
        (7) Anything provided by an individual on the basis
     of a personal friendship unless the member, officer, or employee has reason to believe that, under the circumstances, the gift was provided because of the official position or employment of the member, officer, or employee and not because of the personal friendship.
        In determining whether a gift is provided on the
     basis of personal friendship, the member, officer, or employee shall consider the circumstances under which the gift was offered, such as:
            (i) the history of the relationship between the
         individual giving the gift and the recipient of the gift, including any previous exchange of gifts between those individuals;
            (ii) whether to the actual knowledge of the
         member, officer, or employee the individual who gave the gift personally paid for the gift or sought a tax deduction or business reimbursement for the gift; and
            (iii) whether to the actual knowledge of the
         member, officer, or employee the individual who gave the gift also at the same time gave the same or similar gifts to other members, officers, or employees.
        (8) Food or refreshments not exceeding $75 per person
     in value on a single calendar day; provided that the food or refreshments are (i) consumed on the premises from which they were purchased or prepared or (ii) catered. For the purposes of this Section, "catered" means food or refreshments that are purchased ready to eat and delivered by any means.
        (9) Food, refreshments, lodging, transportation, and
     other benefits resulting from the outside business or employment activities (or outside activities that are not connected to the duties of the officer, member, or employee as an office holder or employee) of the officer, member, or employee, or the spouse of the officer, member, or employee, if the benefits have not been offered or enhanced because of the official position or employment of the officer, member, or employee, and are customarily provided to others in similar circumstances.
        (10) Intra‑governmental and inter‑governmental gifts.
     For the purpose of this Act, "intra‑governmental gift" means any gift given to a member, officer, or employee of a State agency from another member, officer, or employee of the same State agency; and "inter‑governmental gift" means any gift given to a member, officer, or employee of a State agency, by a member, officer, or employee of another State agency, of a federal agency, or of any governmental entity.
        (11) Bequests, inheritances, and other transfers at
     death.
        (12) Any item or items from any one prohibited source
     during any calendar year having a cumulative total value of less than $100.
    Each of the exceptions listed in this Section is mutually exclusive and independent of one another.
(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)

    (5 ILCS 430/10‑30)
    Sec. 10‑30. Gift ban; disposition of gifts. A member, officer, or employee does not violate this Act if the member, officer, or employee promptly takes reasonable action to return the prohibited gift to its source or gives the gift or an amount equal to its value to an appropriate charity that is exempt from income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as now or hereafter amended, renumbered, or succeeded.
(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)

    (5 ILCS 430/10‑40)
    Sec. 10‑40. Gift ban; further restrictions. A State agency may adopt or maintain policies that are more restrictive than those set forth in this Article and may continue to follow any existing policies, statutes, or regulations that are more restrictive or are in addition to those set forth in this Article.
(Source: P.A. 93‑617, eff. 12‑9‑03.)