Former or Retired State Employees
Contracting with Former Employees of Regulatory Agencies
A former state officer or employee of a state regulatory agency may not provide services for compensation on a particular matter in which the employee participated while with the state agency. However, this “revolving door” provision does not prohibit the former state employee from working for employers they were familiar with in the course of their state employment.
Exception
The prohibition does not prevent a former state officer or employee of a regulatory agency from being an independent contractor of that agency.
Example
A state employee at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is assigned to monitor the approval of applications for a TCEQ program. A year later that same employee is no longer employed with TCEQ and is an independent contractor for that same TCEQ program. The exception would apply in this case and the contractor would not be in violation.
See also: Consulting Services, Professional Services, Contracting with Former or Retired State Employees.
Sources [+]
Texas Government Code, Sections 572.054(b)–(h) and 572.002(8), (12). See Opinion of Texas Ethics Commission NOS. 364, 353, 285, 232, 229, 212,167.