2.5.1 Political Aid and Legislative Influence
A. Purpose
To establish guidelines for exercise of political aid and legislative influence.
B. Persons Affected
All University of Texas at Tyler (the "University") employees.
C. Definitions
N/A
D. Policy
The University may not use any money under its control to finance or otherwise support the candidacy of a person for an office in the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of state government or of the government of the United States.
Officers and employees of the University may not use official authority or influence or permit the use of a program administered by the University to affect the result of an election or nomination of a candidate or to achieve any other political purpose. Employees may not coerce, attempt to coerce, command, restrict, attempt to restrict, or prevent payments, loans, or contributions of any thing of value to a person or political organization for a political purpose.
The use of state-owned or state-leased vehicles in connection with any political activity or campaign is expressly prohibited.
Legislation
The use of appropriated money for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of any legislative measure is strictly prohibited. However, this does not prohibit a state officer or employee from using state resources to provide public information or to provide information responsive to a request.
Employees are permitted to testify on their own behalves on their own time in support of or in opposition to specific legislation, as long as no state resources are used and as long as the employee makes it clear that he/she is speaking on his/her own behalf and not on behalf of the University.
Employment of Lobbyists
Appropriated funds may not be used to employ, as a regular full-time or part-time or contract employee, a person who is required by Chapter 305 of the Texas Government Code to register as a lobbyist. Appropriated funds may not be used to pay membership fees in organizations that pay all or part of the salary of a person required by the Texas Government Code to register as a lobbyist, except that this prohibition does not apply to the payment of membership fees under Chapter 81 of the Texas Government Code.
E. References
Sections 556.004, 556.005, and 556.006 of the Texas Government Code.
Adopted HSC policy 3482783: 09/2021