11A.045 Acceptance of gifts by public servants permitted under certain circumstances

(1) No public servant, his spouse, or dependent child knowingly shall accept any gifts or gratuities, including travel expenses, meals, alcoholic beverages, and honoraria, totaling a value greater than twenty-five dollars ($25) in a single calendar year from any person or business that does business with, is regulated by, is seeking grants from, is involved in litigation against, or is lobbying or attempting to influence the actions of the agency in which the public servant is employed or which he supervises, or from any group or association which has as its primary purpose the representation of those persons or businesses. Nothing contained in this subsection shall prohibit the commission from authorizing exceptions to this subsection where such exemption would not create an appearance of impropriety. This subsection shall not apply to: (a) Activities involving sponsorships, naming rights, or similar honoraria (b) granted under KRS 45A.097; or Individuals traveling on their own while involved in activities related to KRS 45A.097

(2) Nothing in KRS Chapter 11A shall prohibit or restrict the allocation of or acceptance by a public servant of a ticket for admission to a sporting event if the ticket or admission is paid for by the public servant at face value or is paid for at face value by the individual to whom the ticket is allocated

(3) Nothing in KRS 11A.001 to 11A.110 shall prohibit or restrict the acceptance by a public servant of the Cabinet for Economic Development or by any other public servant working directly with the cabinet on an economic incentive package of anything of economic value as a gift or gratuity, if the gift or gratuity: (a) Was not solicited by the public servant; (b) Was accepted by the public servant in the performance of his or her official duties and in compliance with guidelines to be established by the Kentucky Economic Development include requirements that all gifts or gratuities of a reportable value under KRS 11A.050(3)(k) be registered with the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership and with the Executive Branch Ethics Commission and that all tangible property with a value in excess of twenty-five dollars ($25), other than food and beverages consumed on the premises, shall be turned over to the Cabinet for Economic Development within thirty (30) days of receipt. In filing reports of gifts or gratuities with the Executive Branch Ethics Commission, the Cabinet for Economic Development may delete information identifying the donors if believes identification of the donors would damage economic development; and Partnership which shall the cabinet (c) Was not accepted under circumstances which would create a violation of KRS Chapter 521

Effective:June 29, 2017 History: Amended 2017 Ky. Acts ch. 175, sec. 4, effective June 29, 2017. -- Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 475, sec. 3, effective July 14, 2000; and ch. 542, sec. 6, effective July 14, 2000. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 431, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1998. -- Created 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 450, sec. 36, effective July 15, 1994