Facilitate Administration IEC

Sections 1 and 2 of the bill require the independent ethics commission (commission), created in article XXIX of the state constitution (article XXIX), to employ or retain independent legal counsel for the purpose of providing representation to the commission on all legal matters.

Section 3 of the bill clarifies that an advisory opinion issued by the board of ethics for the general assembly is not binding upon the commission in any proceeding brought before the commission and may or may not constitute a defense to any complaint before the commission.

Section 4 of the bill repeals existing statutory provisions pertaining to the acceptance of travel reimbursement from joint governmental agencies as well as the provisions creating the board of ethics for the executive branch.

Section 5 decreases the general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriations act for the 2016-17 state fiscal year to the judicial department for use by the independent ethics commission for the purchase of legal services by $171,090. The bill makes certain adjustments in the annual general appropriations act for the 2016-17 state fiscal year to the department of law. For the 2016-17 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $130,368 to the judicial department for use by the independent ethics commission. To implement the bill, the commission may use the appropriation for program costs.

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)