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This policy applies to:

• All university faculty and staff
• All university departments and units
• Contractors or representatives acting on behalf of the university

This policy applies to advocacy:

• On behalf of the university
• Using university time or resources
• Related to funding requests for university programs or buildings, or
• In support of Congressionally Directed Spending and/or Community Project Funding requests

This policy does not apply to faculty and staff engaging in constitutionally protected activities, such as participating in advocacy, lobbying or campaign-related activities, on their own time. Consistent with Northern Illinois University Law (110 ILCS 685/30-160), “all faculty and staff members of the university are free to communicate their views on any matter of private or public concern to any member of the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of government, state or federal, without notice to or prior approval of the university, so long as they do not represent that they are speaking for or on behalf of the university.”

Faculty and staff who wish to engage in advocacy on behalf of the university, using university time or resources (including email), related to funding requests for university programs or buildings, or in support of congressional appropriations, legislation, or regulatory rule making, or any other pending business before the State of Illinois or the federal government must notify and obtain advance approval from Government Relations. The purpose of this advanced approval is not to restrict or discourage advocacy efforts. Rather, advance approval is helpful to ensure that advocacy is coordinated across the university and consistent with Section VII of the Regulations of the Board of Trustees. Any position that is taken on any legislation proposed or pending requires prior authorization from the Board of Trustees or the president. The president has delegated authority to Government Relations to authorize such positions.

Consistent with the state Ethics Act and the university’s Ethics and Accountability in the Workplace Policy, this policy does not permit employees to engage in prohibited political activity, which is defined as activities during work time that are in support of or in connection with any campaign for elective office or any political organization, such as organizing a political rally, assisting at the polls on behalf of a political organization, or circulating any petition on behalf of a candidate for elective office.

Rather, this policy applies to the support or opposition of any executive, legislative, or administration action, or other activities that are in furtherance of a person’s official university responsibilities. As cited by the Illinois Lobbying Registration Act, those terms as defined as follows:

• Executive action means the proposal, drafting, development, consideration, amendment, adoption, approval, promulgation, issuance, modification, rejection or postponement by a State, municipal, county, or township government entity of a rule, regulation, order, decision, determination, contractual arrangement, purchasing agreement or other quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial action or proceeding.
• Legislative action means the development, drafting, introduction, consideration, modification, adoption, rejection, review, enactment, or passage or defeat of any bill, amendment, resolution, ordinance, report, nomination, administrative rule or other matter by either house of the General Assembly or a committee thereof, by a legislator, by the legislative body of a municipality, county, or township, or by an alderman, trustee, or township board member. Legislative action also means the action of the governor, mayor, or village or township board president, or county executive in approving or vetoing any bill, ordinance, or resolution or portion thereof, and the action of such officials or any agency under their jurisdiction in the development of a legislative proposal.
• Administrative action means the execution or rejection of any rule, regulation, legislative rule, standard, fee, rate, contractual arrangement, purchasing agreement or other delegated legislative or quasi-legislative action to be taken or withheld by any executive agency, department, board or commission of the state, municipal, county, or township.

The Ethics and Compliance Office should be consulted should an employee wish to engage in political activity during work time.

Faculty and staff are sometimes contacted by government officials or their staff seeking expertise on topics. Notify Government Relations if you are contacted by a member or staff of the Illinois General Assembly or the U.S. Congress, or a local, state or federal department or agency, regarding university-related matters. This includes requests for information or invitations to testify before a committee or share your professional expertise regarding university-related matters. Government Relations can assist in drafting expert testimony and provide advice and guidance on hearings if requested.

Expert information and/or testimony should include a disclaimer that it does not represent the official position of the university, unless specifically authorized by the Board of Trustees, president, or Government Relations.

Faculty and staff are free to communicate directly with program managers and other agency staff about federally sponsored research, program and award management, and other routine administrative matters without coordinating with Government Relations.

Communications related to agency budgets, or the formulation, administration or execution of regulations, legislation, or other policy positions are considered lobbying activities and must be coordinated in advance with the Office of Federal Relations.

Faculty and staff must consult with Government Relations before inviting government officials or staff to campus, or to participate in any university-related, off-campus activities, or events when the government official is acting in their official or campaign capacity.

Government officials include the following individuals:

• The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer and state comptroller and their chiefs of staff.
• Cabinet members of any elected constitutional officer, including directors, assistant directors and chief legal counsel or general counsel.
• Members of Congress or the General Assembly.
• Members of any board, commission, authority, or task force of the State authorized or created by State law or by executive order of the governor that has authority to make binding recommendations or determinations.

Government Relations interacts regularly with government officials and staff, and can help facilitate and prepare for a successful visit by providing logistical support and information about the official and relevant state or federal issues, among other things. Government Relations is well versed in state and federal ethics rules that must be applied to all state and federal officials.

Similarly, faculty and staff should notify Government Relations before inviting candidates for federal, state or local office, in their capacity as a candidate for elective office, to university-related events. Once notified, Government Relations can coordinate with appropriate university offices to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and rules.

In order to avoid any appearance that the university is endorsing or otherwise supporting a candidate for office or engaging in prohibited political activity as defined by the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, 5 ILCS 430, (“State Ethics Act”), university employees in their official capacity should avoid organizing, or taking part in, public engagements with federal, state or local candidates for elected office during the 30 days that precede an election, including primary elections. Consistent with the definition in the State Ethics Act, the term “candidate” here includes current officeholders.

Similarly, while acting on behalf of the university, employees should avoid organizing, or taking part in, public engagements with senior non-elected federal or state officials during the 30 days prior to an election involving the president or governor, respectively. Please contact Government Relations if you have questions about who should be considered a “senior official”.

Questions about the applicability and interpretation of the State Ethics Act or similar compliance-related issues may be directed to the university's Ethics and Compliance Office.

The 麻豆精品 Advocacy Network shares institutionally approved updates and calls to action on state and federal issues. Participation through the Advocacy Network is voluntary. Employees are not required to participate in Advocacy Network calls to action. Participants may respond to outreach and engage directly with policymakers through these coordinated campaigns on their own behalf, with the limited use of university email, technology, and devices. If an employee chooses to respond to the calls to action on behalf of the university, those efforts should be undertaken as part of the coordinated advocacy effort established by Government Relations and as stated within this policy.

麻豆精品 Advocacy Day in Springfield, Illinois provides opportunities for in-person engagement with state lawmakers. Participants are supported with guidance and resources to share their experiences and perspectives in a structured setting. Participation in Advocacy Day does not require additional pre-approval. Consistent with the Illinois State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, any advocacy-related activities conducted as part of Advocacy Day participation must occur in consultation with their supervisor and/or unless otherwise authorized as part of their official university duties.

As further discussed in the Advocacy and Prohibited Political Activity section, university- coordinated advocacy concerns the support or opposition of any executive, legislative, or administration action that affects the mission and operations of the university. Government Relations works closely with the university’s ethics officer to ensure activities do not conflict with state or federal ethics laws.

Many faculty and staff are members of professional societies, academic, and trade associations that take positions and advocate on federal, state and local issues. While you are free to engage in personal advocacy, please let Government Relations know if you plan to take part in advocacy efforts, such as meetings with legislators or are requesting the university’s official support on a petition or to be a signatory on correspondence. Only the president and Office of Government Relations are authorized individuals to sign onto letters or petitions on behalf of the university.

In order to comply with federal laws, faculty and staff must coordinate all federal lobbying activities on behalf of the university with the Office of Federal Relations. Pursuant to , any university employee who engages in federal lobbying, as defined by , on behalf of the university needs to timely complete a lobbying disclosure form each time a lobbying contact is made with a federal official or congressional staff. The Office of Federal Relations must be contacted to complete the form.

Accurate and timely submissions are critical to ensuring the university’s compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.

If faculty or staff members serve in an elected capacity, or in a policymaking position in federal, state or local government, Government Relations will not ask them to support or cosponsor legislation, or to initiate new policy proposals during their university time. However, Government Relations frequently shares information with all legislators and other officials and will continue to share information with that faculty or staff member, in their role as a public official, consistent with other public officials. Government Relations will keep in mind and be sensitive to the fact that there may be certain bills, policy or regulatory decisions that may potentially impact a member of the faculty or staff member who is also a public official, and that they may choose to abstain from voting or taking a position on this matter.

• Freedom of Expression Policy
• Ethics and Accountability in the Workplace
• Use of Email Policy