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State Ethics Commissions: Jurisdiction

Updated November 2011

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State ethics commissions are responsible for enforcing ethics laws, although their jurisdictions vary among the states. Jurisdictions can include legislators, executive branch officials, candidates, local officials, lobbyists and vendors.  The commissions may have jurisdiction over officials and employees in more than one branch of government.  This chart describes the various jurisdictions of ethics commissions.

Note: 'X' indicates that the commission has the specified authority

 

AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DE | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY | Totals 

 

State Commission

Legislators

Executive
Branch

Candidates

Local Officials (Other than campaign issues)

Lobbyists

Vendors

Alabama Ethics Commission

X

X

X

X

 X

 

Alaska Legislative Ethics Committee X          

Alaska Public Offices Commission

X

(Commission can investigate, but matters are adjudicated by the ethics committee.)

X

X

 

 X

X

 

 

Arizona

No ethics commission          

Arkansas Ethics Commission

X

X

X

 

X

X

 

California Fair Political Practices Commission

X

X

 

X

 X

X

 

 

 

Colorado Independent Ethics Commission

X

X

 

X

(home rule counties and cities with ethics codes excluded)

(along with the Secretary of State)

X

Connecticut Ethics Commission

X

X

 

 

X

 

Delaware State Public Integrity Commission

X

(Financial disclosure only, not code of conduct.)

X

 

 X

 X

X

 

 

Florida Commission on Ethics

X

X

 X

X

X

(Full authority over executive lobbyists. Authority over legislative lobbyists regarding gifts only. They register with legislature.)

 

Georgia State Ethics Commission

X

 

X

 X

 X

 X

X

Hawaii State Ethics Commission

X

X

X

 

X

 

Idaho

No ethics commission          

Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission

X

 

 

 

 

 

Illinois Executive Ethics Commission

 

X

 

 

 

 

Office of the Indiana Inspector General and Indiana Ethics Commission

 X

X

     

X

Indiana Lobby Registration Commission

 X    X  

X

 

Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board

(Legislators file financial disclosure statements with the board, but it has no other authority over them.)

X

X

 

 

X

(Executive branch lobbyists only)

 

Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission

X

X

X

 

 

X

(Has authority, but registration and forms are filed with the Secretary of State)

 

Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission

X

 

X

 

X

(Legislative lobbyists)

 

Kentucky Executive Ethics Commission

 

 X

 X

 

X

(Executive branch lobbyists)

 

Louisiana Board of Ethics

X

X

X

 X

 X

 X

Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices

X

(Commission can investigate, but matters are adjudicated by the ethics committees)

 

X

 

X

 

 

Maryland State Ethics Commission

X

(Financial disclosure only. Ethics Committee handles conflicts of interest)

X

 

 

X

 

(No authority, but the commission must annually compile a list of all entities doing business with the state)

Massachusetts State Ethics Commission

X

X

 

 X

 X

 X

Michigan State Board of Ethics

 

X

(Only state employees and appointed officials. Board has no authority over elected officials.)

 

 

 

 

Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board

X

X

X

 

 

X

 

Mississippi Ethics Commission

X

X

 

X

 

 

Missouri Ethics Commission

X

X

X

X

X

 

Montana Commissioner of Political Practices

X

(Unless the complaint involves a legislative act)

X

X

 X

X

 

Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission

X

X

 

X

X

 

X

 

Nevada Commission on Ethics

X

X

 

 X

 

 

New Hampshire

No ethics commission          

New Jersey Commission of Investigation

X

X

 

 

 

X

New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission

X

X

X

 X

X

 X

New Jersey State Ethics Commission

 

X

 

 

   

New Mexico

No ethics commission          

New York State Commission on Public Integrity

 

X

 

 

 

 X

 

New York State Legislative Ethics Commission

X

 

 

 

 

 

North Carolina State Ethics Commission

(legislators "invited" to participate)

X

 

 

 

 

North Dakota

No ethics commission

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio Ethics Commission

 

X

 

 X

 

 X

Oklahoma Ethics Commission

X

X

X

 

 

 

Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission

X

X

X

X

X

 

 

Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission

X

X

X

X

 X

 

Rhode Island Ethics Commission

X

X

X

X

 

 

South Carolina Ethics Commission

 

X

X

 

X

 

South Dakota

No ethics commission

 

 

 

 

 

Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance

X

X

X

 

X

 

Texas Ethics Commission

X

X

X

X

X

 X

Utah Independent Legislative Ethics Commission

 X

 

 

 

 

 

Vermont

No ethics commission

 

 

 

 

 

Virginia

No ethics commission

 

 

 

 

 

Washington State Legislative Ethics Board

X

 

 

 

 

 

Washington State Executive Ethics Board

 

 X

 

 

 

 

Washington Public Disclosure Commission

X

(Legislators file financial disclosures here, but the Legislative Ethics Board enforces the ethics codes.)

X

X

X

X

 

Washington Executive Ethics Board  

X

       

West Virginia Ethics Commission

X

X

 

X

X

 

Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

X

X

X

 

X

 

Wyoming

No ethics commission   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Totals

39 commissions in 35 states

46 commissions in 40 states

29 commissions in 28 states

 23 commissions in 23 states

31 commissions in 30 states

10 commissions in 9 states

 

 

 

 

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