2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 2. Government Structure and Administration › Chapter 2. Standards of Conduct › Part 1. Code of Ethics › 2-2-121. Rules of conduct for public officers and public employees

2-2-121. Rules of conduct for public officers and public employees.
(1) Proof of commission of any act enumerated in subsection (2) is proof that the actor has breached a public duty.
(2) A public officer or a public employee may not:
(a) subject to subsection (6), use public time, facilities, equipment, state letterhead, supplies, personnel, or funds for the officer's or employee's private business purposes;
(b) engage in a substantial financial transaction for the officer's or employee's private business purposes with a person whom the officer or employee inspects or supervises in the course of official duties;
(c) assist any person for a fee or other compensation in obtaining a contract, claim, license, or other economic benefit from the officer's or employee's agency;
(d) assist any person for a contingent fee in obtaining a contract, claim, license, or other economic benefit from any agency;
(e) perform an official act directly and substantially affecting to its economic benefit a business or other undertaking in which the officer or employee either has a substantial financial interest or is engaged as counsel, consultant, representative, or agent; or
(f) solicit or accept employment, or engage in negotiations or meetings to consider employment, with a person whom the officer or employee regulates in the course of official duties without first giving written notification to the officer's or employee's supervisor and department director.
(3) (a) A candidate, as defined in 13-1-101(8)(a), may not use or permit the use of state funds for any advertisement or public service announcement in a newspaper, on radio, or on television that contains the candidate's name, picture, or voice except in the case of a state or national emergency and then only if the announcement is reasonably necessary to the candidate's official functions.
(b) A state officer may not use or permit the use of public time, facilities, equipment, state letterhead, supplies, personnel, or funds to produce, print, or broadcast any advertisement or public service announcement in a newspaper, on radio, or on television that contains the state officer's name, picture, or voice except in the case of a state or national emergency if the announcement is reasonably necessary to the state officer's official functions or in the case of an announcement directly related to a program or activity under the jurisdiction of the office or position to which the state officer was elected or appointed.
(4) A public officer or public employee may not participate in a proceeding when an organization, other than an organization or association of local government officials, of which the public officer or public employee is an officer or director is:
(a) involved in a proceeding before the employing agency that is within the scope of the public officer's or public employee's job duties; or
(b) attempting to influence a local, state, or federal proceeding in which the public officer or public employee represents the state or local government.
(5) A public officer or public employee may not engage in any activity, including lobbying, as defined in 5-7-102, on behalf of an organization, other than an organization or association of local government officials, of which the public officer or public employee is a member while performing the public officer's or public employee's job duties. The provisions of this subsection do not prohibit a public officer or public employee from performing charitable fundraising activities if approved by the public officer's or public employee's supervisor or authorized by law.
(6) A listing by a public officer or a public employee in the electronic directory provided for in 30-17-101 of any product created outside of work in a public agency is not in violation of subsection (2)(a) of this section. The public officer or public employee may not make arrangements for the listing in the electronic directory during work hours.
(7) A department head or a member of a quasi-judicial or rulemaking board may perform an official act notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2)(e) if participation is necessary to the administration of a statute and if the person complies with the disclosure procedures under 2-2-131.
(8) Subsection (2)(d) does not apply to a member of a board, commission, council, or committee unless the member is also a full-time public employee.
(9) Subsections (2)(b) and (2)(e) do not prevent a member of the governing body of a local government from performing an official act when the member's participation is necessary to obtain a quorum or to otherwise enable the body to act. The member shall disclose the interest creating the appearance of impropriety prior to performing the official act.
History: En. 59-1706 by Sec. 6, Ch. 569, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 59-1706; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 59, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 562, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 42, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 122, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 58, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 145, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 173, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 437, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 386, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 14, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 259, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 156, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 559, L. 2023.