| Advisory opinion regarding whether the Director of Research for the Feist Weiller Cancer Center at LSU Health Center in Shreveport, John Powell, may accept an honorarium as a member of the Global Conference Planning Committee for the Association of Clinical Research Professionals. |
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Mr. Powell states that he is a 25 year unclassified worker at LSU Health in Shreveport, LA. He is a nurse who works as the Director of Research for the Feist Weiller Cancer Center. His responsibilities include operations of the Clinical Trials Office and supervision of 13 unclassified employees. He does not have any final purchasing authority. He has been asked by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) to serve on a committee which pays travel expenses to two committee meetings a year. He has also been asked to be a trainer for the same organization. ACRP is a Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is classified as "other than a private foundation" by the Internal Revenue Service. The Association of Clinical Research Professionals is the primary resource for clinical research professionals in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, and those in hospital, academic medical centers and physician office settings. ACRP was founded in 1976 to address the distinct educational and networking needs of research nurses and others who supported the work of clinical investigations.The organization provides certifications and continuing education for nurses.
As a Global Conference Planning Committee member Mr. Powell will not receive any honorarium. However, he will be required to attend a two -day committee meeting every August in which ACRP will pay all expenses. He will also be required to attend the Annual Global Conference each April. For this meeting ACRP will provide complimentary conference registration, one night hotel (conference is four days), one evening meal, and transportation cost to the meeting. Mr. Powell plans to take annual leave days for transportation and meeting days.
As a Trainer for ACRP Mr. Powell will deliver various workshops and educational sessions throughout the year. He has been asked by ACRP to provide two 16 hour workshops that are designed and owned by ACRP. ACRP will pay for all expenses associated with the workshops and $1,200.00 a day honorarium for teaching. This is the standard honorarium offered all trainers for eight hour a day workshops. He plans to take annual leave days for transportation and meeting days. Mr Powell has also submitted an abstract to ACRP to present an eight hour workshop at the Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX. The abstract was accepted. All workshops at the conference receive complimentary conference registration and a $1,200.00 honorarium which will be evenly split with the co- presenter.
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Section 1111C(2)(d) of the Code prohibits a public servant from accepting anything of economic value from a person who has or is seeking to have a business or financial relationship with the public servant' agency. Section 1102(16) of the Code defines a person as an individual or legal entity other than a governmental entity. Section 1111C(1)(a) of the Code prohibits a public servant from receiving any thing of economic value from an outside source for the performance of services which are devoted substantially to the responsibilities, programs, or operations of the agency of the public servant and in which the public servant has participated.
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Adopt the proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Aneatra Boykin |
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