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Legislator Gift Restrictions

Many states place looser limits on gifts from friends and family than gifts from lobbyists or others with an interest in influencing a legislator.
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Nepotism Restrictions

Nepotism is generally defined as the bestowal of patronage by public officers in appointing others to positions by reason of blood or marital relationship. Several states restrict nepotism by expressly prohibiting public officials from hiring relatives.
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NCSL Ethics Resources

NCSL provides many resources on governmental ethics issues, including 50-state surveys on state laws, a legislation database and informative articles.

Lobbyist Registration Requirements

In every legislature in the United States, professional lobbyists must register before lobbying. The requirements vary by state.
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Revolving Door Prohibitions

This table provides information on laws that restrict former state legislators from lobbying, otherwise known as revolving door laws.
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State Ethics Commissions

Ethics commissions are used by many states to oversee state laws on ethical practices in government. How they are structured and what roles they play varies widely between states.
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Ethics Commissions: Obliging Government to Control Itself

One of the many ways state governments are obliged to control themselves is through ethics commissions. How these commissions are structured, the jurisdiction they have, how they operate and what they cover varies greatly by state.

State Legislatures News

Conflict of Interest Definitions

This table lists state statutes and rules defining conflict of interest for legislators, government employees, and members of executive branches.
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2023 Ethics Enactments

Across the U.S., 392 ethics bills were introduced in 2023, including at least one in all 50 states. Of these, 72 measures were enacted across 31 states. This page includes highlights of these enactments, including summaries of laws relating to such topics as conflicts of interest, misconduct, financial disclosure and violations and penalties as they apply to legislators, commissions, the executive branch, the judiciary, lobbyists and others.