State Ethics Oversight Agencies

12/17/2019

Oversight

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Nicholas Birdsong

Legislative ethics oversight takes many forms. Some states utilize committees within the legislature, one or more commissions with different areas of jurisdiction, neither, both, or a unique blend of committees and commissions. A state may have anywhere from zero to around a half-dozen different groups ensuring that legislators honor the public's trust.

To help sort through the dizzying array of ethics regimes, the following table provides a list of all ethics oversight entities in each state. Additional useful information about the varying duties and powers of ethics committees and commissions may be found in NCSL's other surveys on ethics oversight. Only oversight entities with jurisdiction over a state legislature, including advisory authority, are intended to be included in this table.

This table is intended to provide general information and does not necessarily address all aspects of this topic. Because the facts of each situation may vary, this information may need to be supplemented by consulting legal advisors. All content is up to date through 12/17/2019.

The box allows you to conduct a full text search or use the dropdown menu option to select a state.

Ethics Committees and Commissions
State	Oversight Agencies
Alabama	Commission: Alabama Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Committee on Constitution, Ethics, and Elections; Senate Ethics and Conduct Committee. House Committee: Ethics Subcommittee of the Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Alaska	Commission: Alaska Public Offices Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: Alaska Select Committee on Legislative Ethics.
Arizona	Commission: None found. Senate Committee: Senate Ethics Committee. House Committee: House Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Arkansas	Commission: Arkansas Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
California	Commission: California Fair Political Practices Commission. Senate Committee: Senate Legislative Ethics Committee. House Committee: Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Colorado	Commission: Colorado Independent Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: Board of Ethics for the General Assembly.
Connecticut	Commission: Connecticut Office of State Ethics. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
Delaware	Commission: Delaware State Public Integrity Commission. Senate Committee: Senate Rules & Ethics Committee. House Committee: House Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
District of Columbia	Commission: District of Columbia Board of Ethics and Government Accountability. Senate Committee: N/A. House Committee: N/A. Joint Committee: N/A.
Florida	Commission: Florida Commission on Ethics. Senate Committee: Senate Committee on Rules. House Committee: Public Integrity and Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Georgia	Commission: Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. Senate Committee: Committee on Ethics. House Committee: Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Guam	Commission: Guam Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Committee on Ethics and Standards. House Committee: N/A (unicameral legislature of senators). Joint Committee: N/A.
Hawaii	Commission: Hawaii State Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Committee on Ethics. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
Idaho	Commission: None found. Senate Committee: Committee on Ethics. House Committee: Committee on Ethics. Joint Committee: None found.
Illinois	Commission: Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: Special Investigating Committee; Select Committee on Discipline. Joint Committee: None found.
Indiana	Commission: Indiana State Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Senate Committee on Ethics. House Committee: Statutory Committee on Ethics. Joint Committee: None found.
Iowa	Commission: Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board. Senate Committee: Ethics Committee. House Committee: Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Kansas	Commission: Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Ethics, Elections and Local Government. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
Kentucky	Commission: Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
Louisiana	Commission: Louisiana Board of Ethics. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
Maine	Commission: Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices. Senate Committee: Committee on Conduct and Ethics. House Committee: Committee on Ethics. Joint Committee: Joint Select Committee on Joint Rules.
Maryland	Commission: Maryland State Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics.
Massachusetts	Commission: Massachusetts State Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Committee on Ethics and Rules. House Committee: Committee on Ethics. Joint Committee: None found.
Michigan	Commission: State Board of Ethics (advisory only, jurisdiction does not include legislators). Senate Committee: Committee on Government Operations. House Committee: Elections and Ethics. Joint Committee: None found.
Minnesota	Commission: Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Senate Committee: Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct (subcommittee of the Committee on Rules and Administration). House Committee: Committee on Ethics. Joint Committee: None found.
Mississippi	Commission: Mississippi Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Rules Committee. House Committee: Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Missouri	Commission: Missouri Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Committee on Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics. House Committee: Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Montana	Commission: Montana Commissioner of Political Practices. Senate Committee: Ethics Committee. House Committee: Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Nebraska	Commission: Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Senate Committee: N/A (unicameral). House Committee: N/A (unicameral). Joint Committee: None found.
Nevada	Commission: Nevada Commission on Ethics. Senate Committee: Committee on Ethics. House Committee: Select Committee on Ethics. Joint Committee: None found.
New Hampshire	Commission: None found. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: Legislative Ethics Committee.
New Jersey	Commission: New Jersey Legislative Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: Ethical Standards Committee.
New Mexico	Commission: None currently, although a legislatively referred constitutional amendment was passed in November 2018 that required the establishment of an ethics commission. Enabling legislation is set to go into effect on 1/1/2020. Current as of 12/17/2019. Senate Committee: Senate Ethics Committee. House Committee: House Rules and Order of Business Committee; Interim Legislative Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
New York	Commission: Legislative Ethics Commission; Joint Commission on Public Ethics. Senate Committee: Ethics and Internal Governance Committee. House Committee: Standing Committee on Ethics and Guidance. Joint Committee: None found.
North Carolina	Commission: North Carolina State Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: Legislative Ethics Committee.
North Dakota	Commission: An initiated constitutional amendment was passed in November 2018 that required the establishment of an ethics commission within 3 years. Enabling legislation is set to go into effect on 1/5/2021. Current as of 12/17/2019. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
Ohio	Commission: Ohio Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: Joint Legislative Ethics Committee.
Oklahoma	Commission: Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
Oregon	Commission: Oregon Government Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
Pennsylvania	Commission: Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Committee on Ethics and Official Conduct. House Committee: Committee on Ethics. Joint Committee: None found.
Puerto Rico	Commission: Oficina de Ética Gubernamental de Puerto Rico (Office of Governmental Ethics of Puerto Rico). Senate Committee: Comisión de Asuntos Internos (Committee on Internal Affairs); Comisión de Ética (Ethics Commission). House Committee: Comisión de Asuntos Internos (Committee on Internal Affairs); Comisión de Ética (Ethics Commission). Joint Committee: None found.
Rhode Island	Commission: Rhode Island Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Committee on Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.
South Carolina	Commission: South Carolina Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Ethics Committee. House Committee: Legislative Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
South Dakota	Commission: None found. Senate Committee: Committee on Discipline and Expulsion. House Committee: House Select Committee on Discipline and Expulsion. Joint Committee: None found.
Tennessee	Commission: Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance. Senate Committee: Committee on Ethics. House Committee: Ethics Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Texas	Commission: Texas Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: General Investigating and Ethics. Joint Committee: None found.
Utah	Commission: Utah Independent Legislative Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Investigating Committee. House Committee: House Management Committee. Joint Committee: None found.
Vermont	Commission: Vermont State Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: Ethics Panel. House Committee: Ethics Panel. Joint Committee: None found.
Virginia	Commission: Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council. Senate Committee: Ethics Advisory Panel; Senate Privileges and Elections Committee. House Committee: Ethics Advisory Panel; Standards of Conduct Subcommittee (subcommittee of the Rules Committee). Joint Committee: None found.
Virgin Islands	Commission: None found. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: N/A (unicameral). Joint Committee: N/A (unicameral).
Washington	Commission: Washington State Legislative Ethics Board. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found (Ethics Board functions as a hybrid committee-commission).
West Virginia	Commission: West Virginia Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: Joint Commission on Special Investigations.
Wisconsin	Commission: Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: Assembly Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct. Joint Committee: None found.
Wyoming	Commission: None found. Senate Committee: None found. House Committee: None found. Joint Committee: None found.