This bill seeks to amend West Virginia Code §61-5A-6 to strengthen the prohibitions against public servants accepting gifts or gratuities. The proposed changes clarify that public servants are not allowed to solicit, accept, or agree to accept any gifts or gratuities from individuals known to be involved in matters under their regulatory or judicial authority, regardless of the timing of the gift or whether it was anticipated. Specifically, new language has been added to state that these prohibitions apply under all circumstances, including instances where gratuities are presented after official actions have been taken or interactions have concluded.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing exceptions to the prohibitions on accepting gifts. The previous subsection (b) has been deleted, and a new subsection (c) has been inserted, which outlines specific exceptions to the prohibitions. These exceptions include gifts conferred due to personal relationships, trivial gifts that do not pose a substantial risk of affecting impartiality, and campaign contributions made in compliance with existing campaign finance laws. Overall, the bill aims to enhance ethical standards for public servants by ensuring that they cannot accept gifts or gratuities that could influence their official duties.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 61-5A-6