SEC. 3.226. REFERRALS.
§ 3.226
City employees cannot accept money or gifts for referring members of the public to private services, and cannot condition any governmental action on a person's choice to hire or work with a specific private entity—though the Ethics Commission may grant waivers when necessary for proper program administration.
City workers are not allowed to take money or gifts for sending people to private businesses or professionals. They also can't tell someone "I'll only help you with your city matter if you hire this particular company." The Ethics Commission can make exceptions to the second rule if it's needed to make sure a city program works properly.
- Controversial:This rule governs potential conflicts of interest and pay-to-play schemes, topics on which San Francisco residents and officials have varying views about enforcement and appropriate waivers.
AI-generated · claude-haiku-4-5 · informational only, not legal advice.
Official text
No officer or employee of the City and County shall: (a) receive any money, gift or other thing of economic value from a person or entity other than the City and County for referring a member of the public to a person or entity for any advice, service or product related to the processes of the City and County; or (b) condition any governmental action on a member of the public hiring, employing, or contracting with any specific person or entity. The Ethics Commission may waive the restriction in Subsection (b) if the Commission determines that granting a waiver is necessary for the proper administration of a governmental program or action.
(Added by Proposition E, 11/4/2003)