Ethics and Lobbying Laws
In 2007, the State of North Carolina passed comprehensive ethics and lobbying laws in response to several high profile matters involving legislators. This legal topic outlines aspects of the laws. These laws, in addition to previously established laws, cover various employees under different situations and those with varying authority. Therefore, if you are a covered person under one law, you may not be under another law. Accordingly, you should review, in particular, the gift summary memorandum for permissible conduct.
Ethics
Covered persons under the NC State Ethics Act include the members of the NCSU Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, and the Vice Chancellors. These individuals are required to file annual Statements of Economic Interests (SEIs), except for the Student Body President, and to attend ethics education sessions. They are held to high ethical standards and conduct such as a prohibition against receiving private gain for serving in their public positions, prohibitions on receiving certain gifts and avoiding conflicts of interest.
Gift Summaries
There are prohibitions on accepting/receiving gifts as a covered person under the State Ethics Act, as well as other NC laws relating to contracts, award of contracts and bribery. If you are a university employee who is charged with preparing plans, specifications or estimates for university contracts, have delegated signatory authority to sign contracts, oversee performance of a contract, or inspect/supervise construction, you must be familiar with the prohibitions. In addition, if you are an employee in student admissions, student financial aid or loans, you are prohibited from accepting gifts from lenders or consolidators of student loans.
NC Ethics Commission – Holiday Gift Reminders
A gift summary memorandum is available for your information.
Lobbying
The NC Lobbying Act established certain standards and conduct for lobbyists, lobbyist principals and solicitors. In addition, the university is required to report lobbying expenses to the NC State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement.
Federal lobbying laws require annual reporting and disclosure to the Office of Federal Afairs pursuant to the UNC System’s Policy 300.1.7.
For guidance and further interpretation, please contact the NCSU ethics liaison, Allison Newhart, Vice Chancellor and General Counsel, at 515-0234 or anewhar@ncsu.edu. In addition, the website for the State Ethics Commission has numerous resources, opinions, education schedules, laws and regulations.