Skip to content

Public Health Conflicts Bill

This bill limits the ability of individuals employed by public health agencies to then be employed by certain pharmaceutical companies.

The Bill

TITLE: An act to limit conflicts of interest in public health.

PURPOSE: Limits the ability of individuals employed by public health agencies to then be employed by certain pharmaceutical companies.

JUSTIFICATION: Limits the potential conflicts and influence, actual and perceived, among public health officials and their decision-making processes, in order to increase assurance public health decisions are being made in the public interest and to increase public confidence in public health agencies.

TEXT

Limiting conflicts of interest in public health.

A. No entity that manufactures, distributes or sells medical devices, drugs or biological products, and such activities constitute more than one million dollars or ten percent of its annual revenue, may pay any remuneration to any person who after the effective date of this legislation was an employee, agent or independent contractor of the department of health and human services or any of its agencies.

B. Any person that becomes aware of a violation of this section may commence a private action against any entity for violation of this provision and such person commencing the action shall be entitled to statutory damages in the amount of ten thousand dollars for each day that remuneration has been paid in violation of this section without being recouped from the person receiving any funds in violation of this section.