PCPID Meeting: August 9, 2012

Content

• Meeting Notice
• Minutes: Swearing-in Ceremony
• Minutes: Full Committee Meeting
• Action Items
• PCPID Conference Call Agenda

Meeting Notice

Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Community Living
President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities; Committee
Meeting via Conference Call

Agency: Administration for Community Living (ACL), HHS

Action: Notice

Dates: Thursday, August 09, 2012, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. e.s.t., via audio conferencing

This meeting will be open to the public.

Details for public access to the Committee Conference Call are cited below:

Toll Free Dial-In Number: (888) 989-0724
Pass Code: 1939592

Individuals whose full participation in the meeting will require special accommodations (e.g., sign language interpreting services, assistive listening devices, materials in alternative format such as large print or Braille) should notify PCPID Policy Analyst, Madjid (MJ) Karimi, via email at MJ.Karimie@acf.hhs.gov, or via telephone at (202) 619–0634.

Special accommodations needed must be received no later than Friday, August 03, 2012.

PCPID will attempt to meet requests for accommodations made after that date, but cannot guarantee ability to grant requests received after this deadline.

Agenda: Discussion plans for developing the PCPID 2012 Report to the President.

Additional Information:
For further information, please contact:

Laverdia Taylor Roach
Senior Advisor, President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
The Aerospace Center, Second Floor West
370 L’Enfant Promenade SW
Washington, DC 20447

Telephone: (202) 619-0634
Fax: (202) 205-9519
Email: Laverdia.Roach@acf.hhs.gov

Minutes: Swearing-in Ceremony

August 09, 2012
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., EST

Participants

PCPID Re-Appointees

Special Guest (Ethics Trainer)

Katherine A. Hess, HHS Ethics Counsel

AIDD-PCPID Staff

Sharon Lewis, AIDD Commissioner
Laverdia Taylor Roach, Senior Advisor
Madjid “MJ” Karimi, Program Analyst
Sheila Whittaker, Program Assistant

Swearing-In Ceremony

Sharon Lewis, Officient

Commissioner Lewis welcomed the re-appointees to the Committee and thanked them for their patience during the vetting process. She then proceeded to lead the re-appointees in repeating the Oath of Office.

Following the swearing-in process, Commissioner Lewis shared with the members that they are scheduled to receive their ethics training by Ms. Katherine A. Hess, Ethics Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She noted that after completing the ethics training, the Committee will reconvene at 1:00 p.m.

Ethics Training

Katherine A. Hess, Ethics Counsel

Ms. Hess began by defining a Special Government Employee (SGE) and noting that SGEs have relaxed ethics rules compared to fulltime Federal employees. SGEs are expected to work fewer than 130 days in a period of 365 consecutive days. Ms. Hess asked the members if this was an issue for any of them. The members responded “no.”

Ms. Hess encouraged members to always refer to the comprehensive Departmental ethics rules and regulations shared with them prior to the training. She indicated that the central ethics rule that the Committee members should concern themselves with is that they are prohibited from participating in a matter that would have a direct and predictable effect on their own financial interests. Ms. Hess pointed out that these rules are codified in a criminal statute and that violation of the rules could come with fines and possibly prison terms, and that a spouse, minor child, employer, general business partner or affiliated organization may also have interests which can be imputed to the members. She advised Committee members to contact Administration for Community Living (ACL) ethics officials (Mr. Edwin Walker, Designated Ethics Counselor, and Ms. Erin Long, Ethics Coordinator) anytime they believe that they may have conflicts of interest. Ms. Hess continued by asking the Committee members if there have been instances in which they performed certain duties that might be considered specific particular matters. Peter Bell responded that he has some involvements in reviewing grant proposals that are funded through the organization by which he is employed. Ms. Hess suggested that in such instances, Mr. Bell should talk to the HHS-Administration for Community Living Ethics Counselors to avoid any possible criminal conflicts of interest.

Ms. Hess further noted that the term "political activity" means doing something in active support of or opposition to a political party, a candidate for partisan political office (e.g., President, senator, representative, state or local legislature or office), or a partisan political group. She added that the Hatch Act limits certain political activities of Federal employees both on and off duty. Ms. Hess finalized her presentation by admonishing Committee members that violations of the Hatch Act may result in disciplinary action, up to and including removal