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HomeMy WebLinkAbout22-548 HoaglandPHONE: 717-783-1610 TOLL FREE: 1-800-932-0936 To the Requester: Kathleen S. Hoagland Dear Ms. Hoagland: STATE ETHICS COMMISSION FINANCE BUILDING 613 NORTH STREET, ROOM 309 HARRISBURG, PA 17120-0400 ADVICE OF COUNSEL November 4, 2022 FACSIMILE: 717-787-0806 WEBSITE: www.ethics.ya.�4ov 22-548 This responds to your letter dated October 20, 2022, by which you requested an advisory from the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission ("Commission"), seeking guidance as to the issues presented below: Issues: (1) Whether the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act ("Ethics Act"), 65 Pa.C.S. § 1101 et SeMc ., would impose restrictions upon you following termination of your employment as a Drug and Alcohol Program Representative Supervisor with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs ("Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs"). Brief Answer: YES. During the first year following termination of your Commonwealth employment, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict you from engaging in any activity that would involve "representation" of a "person" including but not limited to yourself or a new employer before your "former governmental body," the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. (2) Whether Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would prohibit you, as a Licensed Professional Counselor, from providing trainings for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs as an independent contractor. Brief Answer: YES. Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would prohibit you from providing trainings for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs as an independent contractor as such activity would constitute prohibited representation of a person yourself before the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Hoagland, 22-548 November 4, 2022 Page 2 Facts: You request an advisory from the Commission based upon submitted facts that may be fairly summarized as follows. You are a former employee of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. At the time that your employment ended on October 19, 2022, you were employed in the position of Drug and Alcohol Program Representative Supervisor. You have submitted a copy of a position description for the aforesaid position, which document is incorporated herein by reference. A copy of the job classification specifications for the position of Drug and Alcohol Program Representative Supervisor (job code 38028) has been obtained and is also incorporated herein by reference. You are a Licensed Professional Counselor. You are interested in providing trainings for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs as an independent contractor. The information that you would be providing in trainings would mostly be related to an initiative called the American Society of Addiction Medicine Alignment. ("ASAM Alignment"). The ASAM Alignment requires licensed Substance Use Disorder Treatment Providers that receive public funding to provide services in alignment with the American Society of Addiction Medicine Criteria in accordance with Act 70 of 2021. You seek guidance as to whether the Ethics Act would impose prohibitions or restrictions upon you during the first year following termination of your Commonwealth employment. In particular, you ask whether you would be permitted to provide trainings for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs as an independent contractor. Discussion: It is initially noted that pursuant to Sections 1107(10) and 1107(11) of the Ethics Act, 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1107(10), (11), advisories are issued to the requester based upon the facts that the requester has submitted. In issuing the advisory based upon the facts that the requester has submitted, the Commission does not engage in an independent investigation of the facts, nor does it speculate as to facts that have not been submitted. It is the burden of the requester to truthfully disclose all of the material facts relevant to the inquiry. 65 Pa.C.S. §§ 1107(10), (11). An advisory only affords a defense to the extent the requester has truthfully disclosed all of the material facts. During your employment as a Drug and Alcohol Program Representative Supervisor with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, you were considered a "public employee" subject to the Ethics Act and the Regulations of the State Ethics Commission. See, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102; 51 Pa. Code § 11.1. This conclusion is based upon the position description and the job classification specifications, which when reviewed on an objective basis, indicate clearly that the power existed to take or recommend official action of a non -ministerial nature with respect to one or more of the following: contracting; procurement; administering or monitoring grants or subsidies; planning or zoning; inspecting; licensing; regulating; auditing; or other activity(ies) where the economic impact is greater than de minimis on the interests of another person. Hoagland, 22-548 November 4, 2022 Page 3 Consequently, upon termination of your employment with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, you became a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. While Section 1103(g) does not prohibit a former public official/public employee from accepting a position of employment, it does restrict the former public official/public employee with regard to "representing" a "person" before "the governmental body with which he has been associated": § 1103. Restricted activities (g) Former official or employee. --No former public official or public employee shall represent a person, with promised or actual compensation, on any matter before the governmental body with which he has been associated for one year after he leaves that body. 65 Pa.C.S. § 1103(g) (Emphasis added). The terms "represent," "person," and "governmental body with which a public official or public employee is or has been associated" are specifically defined in the Ethics Act as follows: § 1102. Definitions "Represent." To act on behalf of any other person in any activity which includes, but is not limited to, the following: personal appearances, negotiations, lobbying and submitting bid or contract proposals which are signed by or contain the name of a former public official or public employee. "Person." A business, governmental body, individual, corporation, union, association, firm, partnership, committee, club or other organization or group of persons. "Governmental body with which a public official or public employee is or has been associated." The governmental body within State government or a political subdivision by which the public official or employee is or has been employed or to which the public official or employee is or has been appointed or elected and subdivisions and offices within that governmental body. 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102. The term "person" is very broadly defined. It includes, inter alia, corporations and other businesses. It also includes the former public official/public employee himself, Confidential Opinion, 93-005, as well as a new governmental employer. Ledebur, Opinion 95-007. Hoagland, 22-548 November 4, 2022 Page 4 The term "represent" is also broadly defined to prohibit acting on behalf of any person in a� activity. Examples of prohibited representation include: (1) personal appearances before the former governmental body or bodies; (2) attempts to influence; (3) submission of bid or contract proposals which are signed by or contain the name of the former public official/public employee; (4) participating in any matters before the former governmental body as to acting on behalf of a person; and (5) lobbying. Popovich, Opinion 89-005. During the one-year period of applicability of Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act, Section 1103(g) generally would prohibit a former public official/public employee from contracting with the former governmental body (see, Shaub, Order 1242; Confidential Opinion, 97-008; Confidential Opinion, 93-005) or providing consulting services constituting representation before the former governmental body (see, Claycomb, Opinion 14-004; Schrempf Opinion 13-004). Listing one's name as the person who will provide technical assistance on a proposal, document, or bid, if submitted to or reviewed by the former governmental body, constitutes an attempt to influence the former governmental body. Section 1103(g) also generally prohibits the inclusion of the name of a former public official/public employee on invoices submitted by his new employer to the former governmental body, even if the invoices pertain to a contract that existed prior to termination of service with such governmental body. Shay, Opinion 91-012. However, if such a pre-existing contract does not involve the unit where a former public employee worked, the name of the former public employee may appear on routine invoices if required by the regulations of the agency to which the billing is being submitted. Abrams/Webster, Opinion 95-011. A former public official/public employee may assist in the preparation of any documents presented to his former governmental body. However, the former public official/public employee may not be identified on documents submitted to the former governmental body. The former public official/public employee may also counsel any person regarding that person's appearance before his former governmental body. Once again, however, the activity in this respect should not be revealed to the former governmental body. The Ethics Act would not prohibit or preclude making general informational inquiries to the former governmental body to secure information which is available to the general public, but this mustnotbe done in an effortto indirectly influence the former governmental body or to otherwise make known to that body the representation of, or work for, the new employer. Section 1103(g) only restricts the former public official/public employee with regard to representation before his former governmental body. The former public official/public employee is not restricted as to representation before other agencies or entities. However, the "governmental body with which a public official/public employee is or has been associated" is not limited to the particular subdivision of the agency or other governmental body where the public official/public employee had influence or control but extends to the entire body. See, Legislative Journal of House, 1989 Session, No. 15 at 290, 291; Sirolli, Opinion 90-006; Sharp, Opinion 90-009-R. The governmental body with which you are deemed to have been associated upon termination of your employment with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs is the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs in its entirety. Therefore, for the first year following Hoagland, 22-548 November 4, 2022 Page 5 termination of your employment with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict "representation" of a "person" including but not limited to yourself or a new employer before the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. You are advised that during the first year following termination of your employment with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would prohibit you from providing trainings for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs as an independent contractor as such activity would constitute prohibited representation of a person yourself before your former governmental body, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. See, Shaub, supra; Claycomb, supra; Schrempf, supra; Confidential Opinion, 97-008; Confidential Opinion, 93-005. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act; the applicability of any other statute, code, ordinance, regulation or other code of conduct other than the Ethics Act has not been considered. Conclusion: During your employment as a Drug and Alcohol Program Representative Supervisor with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, you were considered a "public employee" subject to the Ethics Act and the Regulations of the State Ethics Commission. Upon termination of your employment with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, you became a "former public employee" subject to Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act. Your former governmental body is the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs in its entirety. For the first year following termination of your employment with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would apply and restrict "representation" of a "person" including but not limited to yourself or a new employer before the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. The restrictions as to representation outlined above must be followed. During the first year following termination of your employment with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Section 1103(g) of the Ethics Act would prohibit you from providing trainings for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs as an independent contractor as such activity would constitute prohibited representation of a person yourself before your former governmental body, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Lastly, the propriety of the proposed conduct has only been addressed under the Ethics Act. Pursuant to Section 1107(11) of the Ethics Act, an Advice is a complete defense in any enforcement proceeding initiated by the Commission, and evidence of good faith conduct in any other civil or criminal proceeding, provided the requester has disclosed truthfully all the material facts and committed the acts complained of in reliance on the Advice given. This letter is a public record and will be made available as such. Hoagland, 22-548 November 4, 2022 Page 6 Finally, if you disagree with this Advice or if you have any reason to challenge same, you may appeal the Advice to the full Commission. A personal appearance before the Commission will be scheduled and a formal Opinion will be issued by the Commission. Any such appeal must be in writing and must be actually received at the Commission within thirty (30) days of the date of this Advice pursuant to 51 Pa. Code § 13.2(h). The appeal may be received at the Commission by hand delivery, United States mail, delivery service, or by FAX transmission (717-787-0806). Failure to file such an appeal at the Commission within thirty (30) days may result in the dismissal of the appeal. Respectfully, Bridget K. Guilfoyle Chief Counsel