State employees are strictly prohibited from accepting, soliciting or actively seeking a gift for personal benefit or the benefit of another, from any other employee, student, or any vendor, community member, or company doing business with CPTC.
Under limited circumstances some state employees may accept a gift with a value up to $50 unless:
1. the gift could reasonably be expected to influence the performance or nonperformance of the employee’s official duties; or
2. the aggregate total from any one source during a calendar year exceeds $50.
In short, no gifts that might appear to have “strings attached” can be accepted.
Employees who regulate a contract or who are able to make vendor selection for the purchase or goods or services are more limited in what “gifts” they may receive. These limits are established to eliminate any potential influence or appearance of influence by a vendor contracting with the state. These employees are referred to as “Section 4” employees (RCW 42.54.150 section 4) and need to be careful about what they accept from vendors beyond unsolicited items of nominal value (e.g., logo pens or notepads) or in conjunction with their official duties.
