| Advisory Opinion request as to whether the Code of Governmental Ethics prohibits New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS) from reimbursing an employee for the use of her service dog. |
|
|
NOEMS seeks a dog trained as an ADA compliant service animal that will be used for mental health and/or comfort outreach for the NOEMS staff, other safety department employees and eventually all City of New Orleans employees. The dog would have a trained handler and be treated similar to a police dog. A NOEMS employee recently purchased a qualified dog that has undergone ADA service dog and handler training and has offered to employ the dog for mental health and/or comfort outreach for staff, other safety department employees and eventually all City of New Orleans employees. NOEMS would like to employ the use of the employee's service dog. NOEMS proposes reimbursing the expenses of the employee in up keeping the dog in exchange for the dog's services. NOMES would only reimburse expenses that occur in the future. The purchase price of the dog or any cost associated with training will not be included.
|
|
La. R.S. 42:1123(30) provides that a public servant, a legal entity in which he has a controlling interest, or a member of his immediate family may donate services, movable property, or funds to his agency.
La. R.S. 42:1113A states no public servant, or a member of such a public servant's immediate family, or a legal entity in which he has a controlling interest shall bid on or enter into any contract, subcontract or other transaction that is under the supervision or jurisdiction of the agency of such public servant.
La. R.S. 42:1114 provides that each public servant and each member of his immediate family who derives anything of economic value, directly, through any transaction involving the agency of such public servant or who derives any thing of economic value of which he may be reasonably expected to know through a person which (1) is regulated by the agency of such public servant, or (2) has bid on or entered into or is in any way financially interested in any contract, subcontract, or any transaction under the supervision or jurisdiction of the agency of such public servant shall disclose certain information as set forth in Section 1114.
|
|
|
Adopt proposed advisory opinion.
|
|
| Assigned Attorney: |
Suzanne Mooney |
|
|