Section 428.175  Conflict of Interest

a)         No member of a Department advisory group shall solicit or accept gratuities, favors or anything of monetary value in exchange for serving on a body advisory to the Department.  Nor shall such members receive preferential treatment in regard to Department services. Nominal tokens of appreciation (such as meals, floral arrangements, plaques, certificates and or similar items) presented in conjunction with meetings shall not be considered a violation of this provision.  The value of the token(s) accepted at a single event shall not exceed $50.

b)         No member of a Department advisory group shall participate in the selection, award or administration of a grant or contract in which the member, a member of his or her immediate family or business partner or associate has a financial interest or which might present a conflict of interest as defined by Section 428.20.

c)         Any advisory group member having a financial interest in a matter under consideration shall make a full disclosure of that interest and shall abstain from discussion, advising or voting on the matter that gave rise to the conflict.

d)         Failure of an advisory group member to disclose a conflict of interest may result in removal from the Council, committee or task force and/or review of the process or decision in which the member participated.

e)         The chairperson or other presiding officer shall refer the following situations to the Department Office of Internal Audits for a review or opinion:

1)         A Council, committee or task force member has an association with a grant or contract in a manner that could be considered a conflict of interest in accordance with this Part; or

2)         A Council, committee, or task force member appears to have solicited or accepted gratuities, favors or something of value other than the token(s) authorized by this Section in exchange for serving on a body advisory to the Department.

(Source:  Added at 21 Ill. Reg. 15474, effective December 15, 1997)