30-103 - Prohibited conduct.
§ 30-103. Prohibited conduct.
No legislator shall:
1. Solicit or accept money or other thing of value for services performedwithin the scope of his official duties, except the compensation, expenses orother remuneration paid to him by the General Assembly. This prohibitionshall not apply to the acceptance of special benefits which may be authorizedby law;
2. Offer or accept any money or other thing of value for or in considerationof obtaining employment, appointment, or promotion of any person with anygovernmental or advisory agency;
3. Offer or accept any money or other thing of value for or in considerationof the use of his public position to obtain a contract for any person orbusiness with any governmental or advisory agency;
4. Use for his own economic benefit or that of another party confidentialinformation which he has acquired by reason of his public position and whichis not available to the public;
5. Accept any money, loan, gift, favor, service, or business or professionalopportunity that reasonably tends to influence him in the performance of hisofficial duties. This subdivision shall not apply to any politicalcontribution actually used for political campaign or constituent servicepurposes and reported as required by Chapter 9.3 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.) ofTitle 24.2;
6. Accept any business or professional opportunity when he knows that thereis a reasonable likelihood that the opportunity is being afforded him toinfluence him in the performance of his official duties;
7. During the one year after the termination of his service as a legislator,represent a client or act in a representative capacity on behalf of anyperson or group, for compensation, on any matter before the General Assemblyor any agency of the legislative branch of government. The prohibitions ofthis subdivision shall apply only to persons engaged in activities that wouldrequire registration as a lobbyist under § 2.2-422. Any person subject to theprovisions of this subdivision may apply to the Attorney General, as providedin § 30-122, for an advisory opinion as to the application of the restrictionimposed by this subdivision on any post-public employment position oropportunity;
8. Accept any honoraria for any appearance, speech, or article in which thelegislator provides expertise or opinions related to the performance of hisofficial duties. The term "honoraria" shall not include any payment for orreimbursement to such person for his actual travel, lodging, or subsistenceexpenses incurred in connection with such appearance, speech, or article orin the alternative a payment of money or anything of value not in excess ofthe per diem deduction allowable under § 162 of the Internal Revenue Code, asamended from time to time;
9. Accept appointment to serve on a body or board of any corporation, companyor other legal entity, vested with the management of the corporation, companyor entity, and on which two other members of the General Assembly alreadyserve, which is operated for profit and regulated by the State CorporationCommission as (i) a financial institution, (ii) a mortgage lender or broker,(iii) any business under Chapter 5 (§ 13.1-501 et seq.) of Title 13.1, (iv)any business under Title 38.2, or (v) any business under Title 56;
10. Accept a gift from a person who has interests that may be substantiallyaffected by the performance of the legislator's official duties undercircumstances where the timing and nature of the gift would cause areasonable person to question the legislator's impartiality in the matteraffecting the donor. Violations of this subdivision shall not be subject tocriminal law penalties; or
11. Accept gifts from sources on a basis so frequent as to raise anappearance of the use of his public office for private gain. Violations ofthis subdivision shall not be subject to criminal law penalties.
(1987, Sp. Sess., c. 1, § 2.1-639.33; 1994, cc. 633, 727, 776, 815, 851;2001, c. 844; 2006, cc. 787, 892.)