Section 3-14-1-17 - Use of government employer's property for soliciting contribution, advocating election or defeat of a candidate, or advocate approval or defeat of a public question(a) As used in this section, "government employee" refers to any of the following: (1) An employee of the state.(2) An employee of a political subdivision.(3) A special state appointee (as defined in IC 4-2-6-1).(4) An employee of a charter school (as defined in IC 20-24-1-4).(b) As used in this section, "government employer" refers to the state or a political subdivision.(c) As used in this section, "property" refers only to the following:(1) Equipment, goods, and materials, including mail and messaging systems.(d) A government employee may not knowingly or intentionally use the property of the employee's government employer to do any of the following:(1) Solicit a contribution.(2) Advocate the election or defeat of a candidate.(3) Advocate the approval or defeat of a public question.(e) A government employee may not knowingly or intentionally distribute campaign materials advocating:(1) the election or defeat of a candidate; or(2) the approval or defeat of a public question; on the government employer's real property during regular working hours.
(f) This section does not prohibit the following:(1) Activities permitted under IC 6-1.1-20.(2) A government employee from carrying out administrative duties under the direction of an elected official who is the government employee's supervisor.(g) A government employee who knowingly or intentionally performs several actions described in subsection (d) or (e) in a connected series that are closely related in time, place, and circumstance may be charged with only one (1) violation of this section for that connected series of actions.(h) A government employee who violates this section commits a Class A misdemeanor. However, the offense is a Level 6 felony if the person has a prior unrelated conviction under this section.Amended by P.L. 216-2015, SEC. 34, eff. 7/1/2015.Amended by P.L. 169-2015, SEC. 157, eff. 7/1/2015.Amended by P.L. 168-2014, SEC. 2, eff. 7/1/2014.Added by P.L. 258-2013, SEC. 85, eff. 7/1/2013.Amended by P.L. 219-2013, SEC. 72, eff. 7/1/2013.