(1)
- (a) An officer, employee, or member of a governing body of a county or a police interlocal entity, whether elected or appointed, may not directly or indirectly coerce, command, or advise a merit system officer to pay, lend, or contribute part of the merit system officer's salary or compensation or anything else of value to a party, committee, organization, agency, or person for political purpose.
- (b) A county or police interlocal entity officer, employee, or member of a governing body, whether elected or appointed, may not make or attempt to make a merit system officer's personnel status dependent upon the merit system officer's support or lack of support for a political party, committee, organization, agency, or person engaged in a political activity.
- (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to political speeches or use of mass communications media for political purposes by an individual where a merit system officer is present, unless the purpose and intent of the speaker is to violate this section with direct respect to those merit system officers.
(3)
- (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), a merit system officer may not engage in a political activity or solicit political contributions from merit system officers during the hours of employment, or use employer resources at any time for political purposes.
- (b) Subsection (3)(a) does not preclude a voluntary contribution by a merit system officer to the party or candidate of the merit system officer's choice.
Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 14, 2025 Special Session 1