Pane_1_Col_12_Title

Ethics

Pane_1_Col_6_A

The NCSL Blog

In this time of forced stay at home orders and concern over the coronavirus and it’s spread, we have been given the gift of time. And we can use that time to entertain ourselves or do something a bit more profound: reflect on our values…what makes our lives significant?

Pane_1_Col_6_B

Alternative Text

Legislative Ethics Staff Directory

Whether assigned to an ethics committee, a point of contact when ethics issues arise, or a resource on ethics for legislators, each of these legislative staff members serves a vital role in building confidence in representative government.

ETHICS

Ethics

All Documents

Pane_2_Col_4_A

ethics chalkboard

Ethics in the News

Check out what's going on in the world of ethics.

Pane_2_Col_4_B

ncsl legisbrief

Limiting Political Activity for Nonpartisan Staff

Legislatures have an interest in ensuring that nonpartisan staff refrain from political activities that may diminish their effectiveness, but staff also have the constitutional right to express themselves politically.

Pane_2_Col_4_C

ethics moral compass

Contact the Ethics Center

Contact our staff for information about state ethics and lobbying laws and for information on our ethics training services.

Pane_4_Col_4_A

ncsl database

Ethics and Lobbying Legislation

The Ethics and Lobbying Legislation Database keeps you current on relevant state legislation. Search for bills by state, year, status, sponsor, keyword, bill number or topic and narrow searches down to nearly 20 ethics subtopics.

Pane_4_Col_4_8

Overview

The Center for Ethics in Government was organized in 1999 to address the most critical, fundamental and far-reaching problem facing state legislatures: the loss of public trust and confidence in representative democracy. The mission of the center, which is nonpartisan, nonprofit and funded by NCSL's Foundation for State Legislatures, is to be a leader in restoring confidence in representative government by promoting ethical behavior for state legislators, staff, lobbyists and advocates.

The Center's online research is divided into subtopics that include conflicts of interest, financial disclosures, lobbyist regulation, oversight and gifts. We also have resources on staff ethics, an ethics and lobbying legislation database and a regularly updated breakdown of ethics in the news. Contact information for the Center's staff is available here.