Requires the joint commission on public ethics to develop and maintain an ethics training course for members and staff of the legislature; requires all members of the legislature to successfully complete the ethics training course on an annual basis.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5159--A
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 12, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE, STECK, SKOUFIS, McDONALD, MILLER, JAFFEE,
COLTON, KEARNS, BUCHWALD, ARROYO, MONTESANO, HAWLEY, RAIA, FINCH,
CURRAN, DUPREY, ZEBROWSKI, HOOPER, GALEF, WRIGHT, PICHARDO, SCHIMEL --
Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GARBARINO, LAWRENCE, SIMON -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations -- recommit-
ted to the Committee on Governmental Operations in accordance with
Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the joint
commission on public ethics to develop and maintain an ethics training
course for members and staff of the legislature; and to amend the
legislative law, in relation to requiring all members of the legisla-
ture to successfully complete the ethics training course on an annual
basis
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (m) and subparagraph (iv) of paragraph (n) of
2 subdivision 9 of section 94 of the executive law, paragraph (m) as
3 amended and subparagraph (iv) of paragraph (n) as added by section 6 of
4 part A of chapter 399 of the laws of 2011 are amended and a new para-
5 graph (o) is added to read as follows:
6 (m) Determine a question common to a class or defined category of
7 persons or items of information required to be disclosed, where determi-
8 nation of the question will prevent undue repetition of requests for
9 exemption or deletion or prevent undue complication in complying with
10 the requirements of such section; [and]
11 (iv) if thereafter sufficient cause exists, the commission shall take
12 additional actions, as appropriate and consistent with law[.]; and
13 (o) The commission shall develop and maintain an ethics training
14 course for members and staff of the legislature. Such course shall be
15 designed to help legislators and staff in understanding and complying
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08838-03-6
A. 5159--A 2
1 with current ethical and campaign finance requirements under state law,
2 legislative rules and federal law. The course which shall be available
3 to members and staff of the legislature and to the general public on the
4 internet, shall include training materials and exercises to be completed
5 as part of the course and shall include provisions for verifying when a
6 legislator has successfully completed key training exercises.
7 § 2. Article 5 of the legislative law is amended by adding a new
8 section 81 to read as follows:
9 § 81. Ethics training course. 1. Each member of the legislature shall:
10 a. annually complete the ethics training course developed by the joint
11 commission on public ethics pursuant to paragraph (o) of subdivision
12 nine of section ninety-four of the executive law;
13 b. successfully complete the key training exercises of the course; and
14 c. verify the completion on his or her annual legislative financial
15 disclosure form.
16 2. Newly elected legislators shall complete the ethics training course
17 within seven days of being sworn into office.
18 3. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall be a
19 class A misdemeanor and shall be punishable by a fine of five thousand
20 dollars.
21 § 3. If any part or provision of this act is adjudged by a court of
22 competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, such
23 judgment shall not affect or impair any other part or provision of this
24 act, but shall be confined in its operation to such part or provision.
25 § 4. This act shall take effect January 1, 2017.
