Ethics Commissions: Ethics Training
State Ethics Commissions
Ethics Training: 50-State Charts
|
Updated August 2011
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This data is based on a survey of state ethics commissions conducted by the Center for Ethics in Government.
One key role of state ethics commissions is that of an advisory body, providing counsel and educating individuals under their jurisdiction. According to one executive director, ethics commissions are responsible for “keeping honest people out of trouble” by ensuring that they know the laws and rules. Many ethics violations occur when people are unaware or ignorant of the law as it pertains to their position.
At least 41 state ethics commissions offer ethics training. While some are required by law to offer ethics training, others do so by tradition. Mandatory attendance laws vary by commission. At least 27 commissions require specific public officials, employees, or lobbyists to participate in ethics training (Chart 3). Depending on the commission, training may include ethics laws, ethics rules, value-based ethics, campaign finance and disclosure regulations, lobbyist requirements, or a combination (Chart 1).
Commissions offer ethics training to specific groups of individuals; who they train often depends on the commission's jurisdiction. The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission, for example, trains primarily legislators and lobbyists, while the state's Executive Branch Ethics Commission is responsible for training public officials and employees in the executive branch. Additionally, numerous commissions offer training to various groups, including, but not limited to, officials and employees in the executive and legislative branches, lobbyists, and local government officials.
Ethics training may take the form of in-person seminars or online courses. Chart 2 below indicates for whom ethics commissions offer training and whether or not training is available online. Some commissions provide training resources on their websites, although they may or may not offer online-specific ethics training.
Note: On the following charts 'X' indicates that the commission has the specified authority.
Ethics Training
Ethics training is key for understanding and complying with state ethics laws. At least 44 state ethics commissions offer some form of ethics training on laws and rules. At least three commissions – Michigan State Board of Ethics, New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission and Washington Public Disclosure Commission – do not offer ethics training.
Commissions generally design training to explain ethics laws and rules - what a person can and cannot do. A few commissions have expanded their training to include a discussion of ethics as a commitment to one's ethical values and standards, which is more than just adherence to laws. These commission include: Alaska Legislative Ethics Commission, Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission, New Jersey State Ethics Commission, Ohio Ethics Commission, Oklahoma Ethics Commission and West Virginia Ethics Commission.
Chart 1: Ethics Training
|
State Ethics Commission |
Does the Commission Offer Ethics Training? |
Training Consists Of:
Ethics Laws Ethics Rules Value-Based Comments
Ethics
|
|
Alabama Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Alaska Legislative Ethics Committee
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Alaska Public Offices Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
Reporting requirements for lobbyists and lobbyist employers; conducts training for groups; campaign, public officials, legislative, and candidate disclosure; and for independent expenditure reporting
|
|
Arizona
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arkansas Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
Training only on campaign finance and disclosure, lobbyist registration and reporting, statement of financial interest and gifts.
|
|
California Fair Political Practices Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Colorado Independent Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
|
X
|
|
Although training is primarily ethics rules based, the IEC training does talk about conflict of interest and appearance of impropriety as well.
|
|
Connecticut Office of State Ethics
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
Code of ethics for all state employees.
|
|
Delaware State Public Integrity Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Florida Commission on Ethics
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Georgia State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Hawaii State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
Lobbying laws
|
|
Idaho
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
Illinois Office of the Legislative Inspector General
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Illinois Executive Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Indiana Lobby Registration Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Office of the Indiana Inspector General and Indiana State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Louisiana Board of Ethics
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
Lobbying law for lobbyists
|
|
Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Maryland State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Massachusetts State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Michigan State Board of Ethics
|
No
|
|
|
|
|
|
Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
|
Yes*
|
|
|
|
*The board provides only campaign finance and lobbyist disclosure training.
|
|
Mississippi Ethics Commission |
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Missouri Ethics Commission |
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices
|
Yes*
|
X
|
|
|
*The commissions participates in an ethics training course provided primarily by another state agency. It provides training related to campaign disclosure for candidates.
|
|
Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Nevada Commission on Ethics |
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
New Hampshire |
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission
|
No
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Jersey State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
New Mexico
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
New York State Commission on Public Integrity
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
New York State Legislative Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
North Carolina State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
North Dakota
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Oklahoma Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Oregon Government Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Rhode Island Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
South Carolina Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
Campaign finance and lobbying laws and regulations
|
|
South Dakota
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Texas Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Utah Independent Ethics Commission
|
Information pending
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vermont
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
Virginia
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
Washington State Legislative Ethics Board
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Washington Public Disclosure Board
|
No
|
|
|
|
|
|
Washington Executive Ethics Board
|
Yes
|
X |
X
|
|
|
|
West Virginia Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
|
Yes
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Wyoming
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
Totals
|
44-yes
|
43
|
30
|
6
|
|
To Whom Does the Commission Offer Training? Is Training Available Online?
Depending on their jurisdiction, commissions offer ethics training to different groups of individuals. While some commissions have authority over one specific branch of government or category of individuals, others oversee compliance with ethics laws for a variety of public officials, employees, and lobbyists, ranging from the state executive and legislative branches of government to local officials. Commissions with wider jurisdiction typically offer ethics training to a wider audience.
Ethics training may take the form of in-person seminars or online modules. A growing trend among ethics commissions is the offering of online ethics training. Currently, around one-third of commissions that offer ethics training offer an online option. The chart below indicates for whom ethics commissions offer training and whether training is available online.
At least 33 commissions provide training resources on their websites, for example, training materials and PowerPoint presentations.
Chart 2: To Whom Does the Commission Offer Training? Is Training Available Online?
* Indicates that the ethics training is offered online for the specified group. This may be in addition to in-person training.
** Indicates that the commission provides ethics training resources on its website.
|
State Ethics Commission |
Commission Offers TRaining For:
Executive Branch Executive Branch Legislators Legislative Lobbyists Local
Employees Employees Government
|
|
Alabama Ethics Commission**
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X* |
X*
|
|
Alaska Legislative Ethics Committee**
|
|
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
|
|
Alaska Public Offices Commission**
|
|
|
|
|
X*
|
|
|
Arizona
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arkansas Ethics Commission
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
California Fair Political Practices Commission**
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
Colorado Independent Ethics Commission
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Connecticut Office of State Ethics**
|
|
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
|
|
Delaware State Public Integrity Commission
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Florida Commission on Ethics
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
Georgia State Ethics Commission**
|
X*
|
X
|
X*
|
X
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
Hawaii State Ethics Commission
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Idaho
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Illinois Office of the Legislative Inspector General
|
|
|
X*
|
|
|
|
|
Illinois Executive Ethics Commission**
|
X* |
X*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Indiana Lobby Registration Commission
|
|
|
X
|
X
|
X |
|
|
Office of the Indiana Inspector General and Indiana State Ethics Commission**
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board**
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission**
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission**
|
|
|
X
|
|
X |
|
|
Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission**
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
Louisiana Board of Ethics**
|
X*
|
X
|
X*
|
X
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Maryland State Ethics Commission**
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
X*
|
X*
|
X
|
|
Massachusetts State Ethics Commission**
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
X*
|
|
Michigan State Board of Ethics
|
No training offered
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
|
|
|
|
|
X
Only campaign finance and lobbyist disclosure
|
|
|
Mississippi Ethics Commission** |
|
|
X
|
|
|
X
|
|
Missouri Ethics Commission** |
X*
|
|
X*
|
|
X*
|
X
|
|
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices**
|
X
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Nevada Commission on Ethics**
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
New Hampshire |
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission**
|
No training offered
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Jersey State Ethics Commission**
|
X*
|
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
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
North Dakota
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio Ethics Commission**
|
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
Oklahoma Ethics Commission
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
|
Oregon Government Ethics Commission**
|
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission**
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Rhode Island Ethics Commission**
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
South Carolina Ethics Commission**
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
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*
|
|
|
|
Utah Independent Ethics Commission
|
Information pending |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vermont
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Virginia
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Washington State Legislative Ethics Board**
|
|
|
X*
|
X*
|
X* |
|
|
Washington Public Disclosure Board
|
No training offered
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Washington Executive Ethics Board**
|
X*
|
X*
|
|
|
|
|
|
West Virginia Ethics Commission**
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board**
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Wyoming
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Totals
|
33
*16 offer online
|
30
*13 offer online
|
32
*12 offer online
|
25
*9 offer online
|
25
*9 offer online
|
19
*6 offer online
|
Legal Mandates: Is the Commission Required to Offer Ethics Training? Is Attendance Mandatory for Public Officials?
Of the 44 state ethics commissions that offer ethics training, 30 are required by statute and/or rule to provide training; others do by tradition. Not all states that are required to offer ethics training mandate attendance.
Chart 3: Legal Mandates / Training and Attendance Required by Law
|
Commission
|
Does the Commission Offer Ethics Training? |
Commission Required to Offer Training? |
Is Attendance Mandatory? For Whom?
|
|
Alabama Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Alaska Legislative Ethics Committee
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Ethics training is mandatory for all legislators and employees working for the legislature (except some hourly employees). Training is required within 10 days of the first day of the first regular session. If a person takes office or begins employment after the 10 day, training must be completed within 30 days.
|
|
Alaska Public Offices Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Ethics training is mandatory for all registered lobbyists and for all lobbyist employers.
|
|
Arizona
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
Arkansas Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
California Fair Political Practices Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Colorado Independent Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Connecticut Office of State Ethics
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Delaware State Public Integrity Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Florida Commission on Ethics
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Georgia State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Hawaii State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Ethics training is mandatory for all state officers and employees, legislators, elected members of the board of education, trustees of the office of Hawaiian affairs, the governor, the lieutenant governor, executive department heads and deputies.
|
|
Idaho
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
Illinois Office of the Legislative Inspector General
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Attendance is mandatory for all legislators and legislative employees.
|
|
Illinois Executive Ethics Commission
|
Yes |
Yes |
Attendance is mandatory for all elected officials, appointees and employees of the executive branch.
|
|
Indiana Lobby Registration Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Office of the Indiana Inspector General and Indiana State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Attendance is mandatory for legislators; it is voluntary for lobbyists and their employers.
|
|
Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Pursuant to Executive Order, all major management personnel must receive ethics training at least once.
|
|
Louisiana Board of Ethics
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Attendance is mandatory for those whose term of office began 1/1/08 for statewide, legislators and public service commissioners and 1/1/10 for all elected officials. After 1/1/12, it will be mandatory for all public employees and elected officials at the state and local level.
|
|
Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Maryland State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
State employee who are identified as financial disclosure filers must have the training within six months. Lobbyists who are registered with the Commission for two consecutive legislative sessions must also take the training.
|
|
Massachusetts State Ethics Commission
|
Yes*
|
Yes
|
Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2009, the Ethics Reform Law, was signed into law on July 1, 2009. It imposes mandatory education on the requirements of the conflict of interest law on all public employees at the state, county and municipal level. Every year, all public agencies must distribute the summary of the conflict law to all employees, and every other year, all public employees must complete online training available on the commission's website.
|
|
Michigan State Board of Ethics
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
|
Yes (campaign finance and lobbyist disclosure)
|
No
|
|
|
Mississippi Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Missouri Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Nevada Commission on Ethics
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
New Hampshire
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission
|
The commission does not conduct training.
|
Yes
|
Attendance is mandatory for employees and commissioners.
|
|
New Jersey State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes |
Attendance is mandatory for all executive branch officers and employees. |
|
New Mexico**
|
No ethics commission
|
|
Per statute 10-16-11, legislators are required to attend a minimum of two hours of ethics continuing education and training biennially. |
|
New York State Commission on Public Integrity
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
New York State Legislative Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No response
|
No response
|
|
North Carolina State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
North Dakota
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
Ohio Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
Attendance is not mandatory. However, under executive order of the governor, training is required for state administrative officials and employees who are required to file financial disclosure.
|
|
Oklahoma Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Oregon Government Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No response
|
|
Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Rhode Island Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
South Carolina Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
South Dakota
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Texas Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Utah Independent Ethics Commission
|
Information pending
|
No response
|
No response
|
|
Vermont
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
Virginia
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
Washington State Legislative Ethics Board
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Pursuant to House and Senate policies, all new employees must attend ethics training and periodically all employees must take refresher. Also pursuant to House and Senate policies, all new legislators attend ethics training as part of their orientation. Board may order training in conjunction with discipline handed out.
|
|
Washington Public Disclosure Board
|
No |
No training offered
|
|
|
Washington State Executive Ethics Board
|
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
West Virginia Ethics Commission
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Attendance is mandatory for members of the legislature, elected members of the Board of Public Works and those positions in the executive branch of state government which the governor designates by executive order.
|
|
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
Wyoming
|
No ethics commission
|
|
|
|
Totals
|
44 Yes, 3 No
|
30 Yes, 16 No
|
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* Commission also offers seminars, though is not statutorily required to do so.
**Statute grants training oversight to the legislature.
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