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State Ethics Commissions: Powers & Duties

Updated November 2011

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The powers and duties of state ethics commissions include a variety of responsibilities. This chart shows selected statutory powers and duties of ethics commissions that include the authority to develop forms and manuals, examine reports and monitor compliance, subpoena witnesses, issue advisory opinions, conduct ethics training and issue annual reports.  Some commissions do not have statutory requirements to perform certain duties and may include them in their rules and regulations.

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

Develop Forms

 Develop Manuals

Examine Reports, Monitor Compliance

Subpoena Witnesses

Issue Advisory Opinions

Orders Enforceable in Court

Conduct Ethics Training

Issue

Annual Report

Alabama Ethics Commission

X

X

(uniform reporting guidelines)

 X

 X

X

 

X

X
Alaska Legislative Ethics Committee X X X X X X X  

Alaska Public Offices Commission

X

 

 X

X

(all reports)

X

X

X

 

 X

 X

(biennial report)

Arizona

No ethics commission

             

Arkansas Ethics Commission

X

 

 

X

(educational materials)

X

X

X
 

 

 X

 

California Fair Political Practices Commission

X

X

 

X

X

 

X

 X

X

X

Colorado Independent Ethics Commission

X

X

 X

X

X

 

X

X

Connecticut Ethics Commission

X

 

X

(plain-language summary of ethics laws)

 

X

 

 

X

 

Delaware State Public Integrity Commission

X

 

X

X

X

X

 X

X

X

Florida Commission on Ethics

 X

(may publish materials to help public officials comply)

 

X

X
 

 X

X

Georgia State Ethics Commission

X

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Hawaii State Ethics Commission

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

Idaho

No ethics commission              

Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission

X

 

 

X

 

 

X

 

Illinois Office of the Legislative Inspector General

 

 X

X

 

X

 

 X

 

Illinois Executive Ethics Commission

 

 

 

 

X

 X

 

X

 

Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General

 
 

X

 

 

 

X

 

Office of the Indiana Inspector General and Indiana State Ethics Commission

 
 
 
 
 

X

X

 X

X

 

Indiana Lobby Registration Commission

 X

 X

 X

 X

X

 X

 X

X

Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board

X

 

X

(accounting manual, educational materials)

 X

X

X

 

 X

 

Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission

X

 X  X X X  X  X X
Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission

X

X

(handbook for lobbyists, ethics training manual)

X

X

X

 X

X

X

Kentucky Executive Ethics Commission

X

 X

(handbook for lobbyists)

X

X

X

 X

X

X

Louisiana Board of Ethics

 X

 X

 X

X

X

 X

X

 

Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices

 
 

X

X

 
 

 

 

Maryland State Ethics Commission

X

X

 

X

(each statement)

X

X

X

 

X

(lobbyists included)

X

Massachusetts State Ethics Commission

X

X

 

X

(inspect all statements)

X

X

X

 

X

Michigan State Board of Ethics

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board

X

 X

X

(The executive director must inspect and the board can audit)

X

 

X

 X

 

X

Mississippi Ethics Commission

X

 

X

(manuals on accounting and reporting)

 

X

 

X

 

 

Missouri Ethics Commission

 
 

X

(executive director must review)

X

 

X

 

 

Montana Commissioner of Political Practices

X

X

(accounting manual)

X

(must examine within 20 days of receipt)

X

X

 X

 X

 

Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission

 X

 X

X

(Must make sure everyone has filed and also conduct "random field audits" of campaign statements, and in those cases must also audit opponent.)

X

 

X

 X

 X

X

Nevada Commission on Ethics

X

X

(include hypothetical advisory opinions)

 X

X

X

 X

 X

X

New Hampshire

No ethics commission              

New Jersey Commission of Investigation

 
 

 

X

 

 

X

 
New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission

X

 

X

(include law and bookkeeping requirements)

X

X

X

X

 

X

New Jersey State Ethics Commission

 X

 X

 X

X

 X

 X

 X

 

New Mexico

No ethics commission

             

New York State Commission on Public Integrity

 
 

X

X

X

 

X

X

New York State Legislative Ethics Commission X X X X X   X X

North Carolina State Ethics Commission

 X

 

(Must publish newletter on ethics)

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

North Dakota

No ethics commission              

Ohio Ethics Commission

 X

 X

 X

 

X

 X

X

X

Oklahoma Ethics Commission

 X

 X

 X

X

 X

 

 X

 X

Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission

X

X

(manual on uniform reporting methods, plain-language manual of ethics laws)

 

X

 X

 

X

(lobbyists included)

 

Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission

X

X

(educational materials)

X

(must inspect reports)

X

X

 X

X

X

Rhode Island Ethics Commission

X

 

 

X

(must review reports)

X

X

 X

 X

X

South Carolina Ethics Commission

X

X

(accounting manual, ethics brochure)

X

(must ascertain whether the filer has complied with the law)

X

 

X

 

 

South Dakota

No ethics commission              

Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance

X

(should be as simple as possible)

X

X

(must review all filed statements)

X

X

X

 X

X

Texas Ethics Commission

X

X

(uniform accounting methods)

X

(must conduct random audits)

X

X

 X

X

(lobbyists included)

X

Utah

       X        X

Vermont

No ethics commission              

Virginia

No ethics commission              

Washington State Legislative Ethics Board

 X

 X

 

X

 X

 

 X

 X

Washington Executive Ethics Board

 X

 
 

X

 X

 X

 X

 X

Washington Public Disclosure Commission

X

X

(bookkeeping manual)

X

(must conduct a sufficient number of audits and field investigations)

X

X

 

 

X

West Virginia Ethics Commission

X

X

 X

X

X

 X

X

 

Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

X

 

 

X

 

 

X

 
Wyoming No ethics commission              

Totals

 

 

42 commissions in 37 states

37 commissions
in 33 states

38 commissions
in 34 states

48
commissions in 38 states

40 commissions in 33 states

30 commissions in 20 states

42 commissions in 35 states

29 in 26 states

 

 

 

 

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