2005 Minnesota Statutes

     10A.071 Certain gifts by lobbyists and principals 
  prohibited. 

    Subdivision 1.    Definitions.  (a) The definitions in 
 this subdivision apply to this section. 

    (b) "Gift" means money, real or personal property, a 
 service, a loan, a forbearance or forgiveness of indebtedness, 
 or a promise of future employment, that is given and received 
 without the giver receiving consideration of equal or greater 
 value in return. 

    (c) "Official" means a public official, an employee of the 
 legislature, or a local official of a metropolitan governmental 
 unit. 

    Subd. 2.    Prohibition.  A lobbyist or principal may 
 not give a gift or request another to give a gift to an 
 official. An official may not accept a gift from a lobbyist or 
 principal. 

    Subd. 3.    Exceptions.  (a) The prohibitions in this 
 section do not apply if the gift is: 

    (1) a contribution as defined in section 10A.01, 
 subdivision 11; 

    (2) services to assist an official in the performance of 
 official duties, including but not limited to providing advice, 
 consultation, information, and communication in connection with 
 legislation, and services to constituents; 

    (3) services of insignificant monetary value; 

    (4) a plaque or similar memento recognizing individual 
 services in a field of specialty or to a charitable cause; 

    (5) a trinket or memento costing $5 or less; 

    (6) informational material of unexceptional value; or 

    (7) food or a beverage given at a reception, meal, or 
 meeting away from the recipient's place of work by an 
 organization before whom the recipient appears to make a speech 
 or answer questions as part of a program. 

    (b) The prohibitions in this section do not apply if the 
 gift is given: 

    (1) because of the recipient's membership in a group, a 
 majority of whose members are not officials, and an equivalent 
 gift is given to the other members of the group; or 

    (2) by a lobbyist or principal who is a member of the 
 family of the recipient, unless the gift is given on behalf of 
 someone who is not a member of that family. 

    HIST: 1994 c 377 s 5; 1999 c 220 s 50; 2005 c 156 art 6 s 4