| Advisory opinion request as to whether Annette H. Sharp may be reimbursed for travel expenses by the federal government for attending meetings convened by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
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Annette H. Sharp inquired as to whether she may be reimbursed for travel expenses by the federal government for attending meetings convened by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ms. Sharp is currently employed as an Executive Management Officer within the Office of Management and Finance of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. In January 2016, she was appointed to a Task Force subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will be required to attend meetings in Washington, D.C. and other areas in the United States.
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La. R.S. 42:1111A(1) prohibits a public servant from receiving any thing of economic value, other than compensation and benefits from the governmental entity to which he is duly entitled, for the performance of the duties and responsibilities of his office and position.
La. R.S. 42:1123(41) provides an exception which allows the acceptance by a public servant of complimentary admission to, lodging reasonably related to, and reasonable transportation to and from an educational or professional development seminar or conference held in any state of the US or Canada, provided that (1) the public servant is requested or invited to attend by the sponsoring nonprofit organization, (2) the sponsor is not a person seeking to have legislation passed, (3) the seminar or conference is related to the public service of the servant and (4) the public servants agency head approves the acceptance, provided an affidavit is filed with the Board of Ethics within sixty days after such acceptance.
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Adopt the proposed advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Jennifer Land |
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