2982

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 796

it (1) EXCEPT FOR A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
IT,, IT is unlawful for any official or employee of the State
of Maryland, or any department, commission, agency, or
branch thereof, whose duties as such official or employee
include matters SUBSTANTIALLY relating to or affecting the
subject matter of any contract binding or purporting to
bind the State of Maryland, by or through any department,
commission, agency, or branch thereof, to become or be,
while such official or employee, an employee of the party
or parties contracting as aforesaid with the State of
Maryland, by or through the particular State department,
commission, agency, or branch thereof in which the person
is employed.

(2) For the purpose of this section, the word
"contract" means any contract binding or purporting to bind
the State of Maryland, or any department, commission,
agency, or branch thereof, to pay a sum of money in excess
of $1,000 for the purpose for which the contract is made.]

3-106. Solicitation or acceptance of gifts.

(a)  An official or employee may not solicit any gift.
No official or employee may knowingly accept any gift,
directly or indirectly, from any person whom the official or
employee knows or has reason to know:

(1)  Is doing or seeking to do business of any
kind with his agency;

(2)  Is engaged in activities which are regulated
or controlled by his agency;

(3)  Has financial interests which may be
substantially and materially affected, in a manner
distinguishable from the public generally, by the
performance or nonperformance of his official duty; or

(4)  Is a registrant with respect to matters
within his jurisdiction.

(b)  Unless a gift of any of the following would tend
to impair the impartiality and the independence of judgment
of the official or employee receiving it or, if of
significant value, would give the appearance of doing so,
or, if of significant value, the recipient official or
employee believes, or has reason to believe, that it is
designed to do so, subsection (a) does not apply to:

(1)  Meals and beverages;

(2)  Ceremonial gifts or awards which have
insignificant monetary value;

(3)  Unsolicited gifts of nominal value or
trivial items of informational value;