5:12-59 Employment restrictions on commissioners, commission employees and division employees.

59. Employment Restrictions on Commissioners, Commission Employees and Division Employees.

a. The "New Jersey Conflicts of Interest Law," P.L.1971, c.182 (C.52:13D-12 et seq.) shall apply to members of the commission, to all employees of the commission, to the director and to all employees of the division, except as herein specifically provided.

b. The commission shall promulgate and maintain a Code of Ethics that is modeled upon the Code of Judicial Conduct of the American Bar Association, as amended and adopted by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

c. The division shall promulgate and maintain a Code of Ethics governing its specific needs.

d. The Codes of Ethics promulgated and maintained by the commission and the division shall not be in conflict with the laws of this State, except, however, that said Codes of Ethics may be more restrictive than any law of this State.

e. The Codes of Ethics promulgated and maintained by the commission and the division, and any amendments or restatements thereof, shall be submitted to the State Ethics Commission for approval. The Codes of Ethics shall include, but not be limited to provisions that:

(1) No commission member or employee or division director, employee or agent shall be permitted to gamble in any establishment licensed by the commission except in the course of his duties.

(2) No commission member or employee or division director, employee or agent shall solicit or accept employment from any person licensed by or registered with the commission or from any applicant for a period of four years after termination of service with the commission or division, except as otherwise provided in section 60 of this act.

(3) No commission member or employee or division director, employee or agent shall act in his official capacity in any matter wherein he or his spouse, domestic partner or partner in a civil union, child, parent or sibling has a direct or indirect personal financial interest that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment.

(4) No commission member or employee or division director, employee or agent shall act in his official capacity in a matter concerning an applicant for licensure or a licensee who is the employer of a spouse, domestic partner or partner in a civil union, child, parent or sibling of said commission or division employee or agent when the fact of the employment of such spouse, domestic partner or partner in a civil union, child, parent or sibling might reasonably be expected to impair the objectivity and independence of judgment of said commission employee or division employee or agent.

(5) No spouse, domestic partner or partner in a civil union, child, parent or sibling of a commission member or the division director shall be employed in any capacity by an applicant for a casino license or a casino licensee nor by any holding, intermediary or subsidiary company thereof.

(6) No commission member shall meet with any person, except for any other member of the commission or employee of the commission, or discuss any issues involving any pending or proposed application or any matter whatsoever which may reasonably be expected to come before the commission, or any member thereof, for determination unless the meeting or discussion takes place on the business premises of the commission, provided, however, that commission members may meet to consider matters requiring the physical inspection of equipment or premises at the location of the equipment or premises. All meetings or discussions subject to this paragraph shall be noted in a log maintained for this purpose and available for inspection pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.).

f. No commission member or employee or division director, employee or agent shall have any interest, direct or indirect, in any applicant or in any person licensed by or registered with the commission during his term of office or employment.

g. Each commission member and employee of the commission, the division director and each employee and agent of the division shall devote his entire time and attention to his duties and shall not pursue any other business or occupation or other gainful employment; provided, however, that secretarial and clerical personnel may engage in such other gainful employment as shall not interfere with their duties to the commission or division, unless otherwise directed; and provided further, however, that other employees of the commission and division and agents of the division may engage in such other gainful employment as shall not interfere or be in conflict with their duties to the commission or division, upon approval by the commission or the director of the division, as the case may be.

h. No member of the commission, employee of the commission, or director, employee or agent of the division shall:

(1) Use his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election or a nomination for office;

(2) Directly or indirectly coerce, attempt to coerce, command or advise any person to pay, lend or contribute anything of value to a party, committee, organization, agency or person for political purposes; or

(3) Take any active part in political campaigns or the management thereof; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit a person from voting as he chooses or from expressing his personal opinions on political subjects and candidates.

i. For the purpose of applying the provisions of the "New Jersey Conflicts of Interest Law," any consultant or other person under contract for services to the commission and the division shall be deemed to be a special State employee, except that the restrictions of section 4 of P.L.1981, c.142 (C.52:13D-17.2) shall not apply to such person. Such person and any corporation, firm or partnership in which he has an interest or by which he is employed shall not represent any person or party other than the commission or the division before the commission.

L.1977, c.110, s.59; amended 1978, c.7, s.13; 1979, c.282, s.12; 1980, c.69, s.2; 1983, c.406; 1987, c.354, s.3; 1989, c.150; 1995, c.18, s.12; 2005, c.382, s.6; 2011, c.19, s.30.