EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0251*
SENATE BILL 251
G2 5lr0043
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 230
By: Chair, Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee (By Request –
Departmental – State Ethics Commission)
Requested: September 18, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: January 24, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Public Ethics Law – Training and Financial Disclosure Requirements 2
– Revisions 3
FOR the purpose of altering the format of certain training courses provided by the State 4
Ethics Commission for certain State employees and regulated lobbyists; altering the 5
scope of disclosure for the employment of an individual or a member of the 6
individual’s immediate family reported in a financial disclosure statement; and 7
generally relating to public ethics training and financial disclosure requirements. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – General Provisions 10
Section 5–205(d) and (e), 5–505(c)(2)(i), and 5–607(i) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 14
Article – General Provisions 15
Section 5–505(c)(1) and 5–607(a) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20 2 SENATE BILL 251
Article – General Provisions 1
5–205. 2
(d) (1) The Ethics Commission shall provide a training course [of at least 2 3
hours] THROUGH ONLINE TRAIN ING OR LIVE PRESENTA TION on the CONFLICT OF 4
INTEREST, FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE , RELEVANT A DMINISTRATIVE , AND OTHER 5
APPLICABLE requirements of the Maryland Public Ethics Law for an individual who: 6
(i) fills a vacancy in a position that has been identified as a public 7
official position under § 5–103 of this title; 8
(ii) serves in a position identified as a public official position under § 9
5–103 of this title; or 10
(iii) on or after January 19, 2023, is a State official that is subject to 11
the jurisdiction of the Ethics Commission under § 5–104(a) of this title. 12
(2) The individual shall complete the training course within 6 months of: 13
(i) filling a vacancy; or 14
(ii) a position being identified as a public official position. 15
(3) The training requirement under this subsection does not apply to an 16
individual who: 17
(i) except for a member of a board of license commissioners or a 18
liquor control board, is a public official only as a member of a commission, task force, or 19
similar entity; or 20
(ii) has completed a training course provided by the Ethics 21
Commission while serving in another public official position. 22
(e) (1) (i) The Ethics Commission shall provide a training course for 23
regulated lobbyists and prospective regulated lobbyists at least twice each year THROUGH 24
ONLINE TRAINING OR L IVE PRESENTATION on the provisions of the Maryland Public 25
Ethics Law, including provisions related to discrimination and harassment, relevant to 26
regulated lobbyists. 27
(ii) One training course shall be held each January. 28
(2) When a person initially registers as a regulated lobbyist, the Ethics 29
Commission shall provide the person with information on the provisions of the Maryland 30
Public Ethics Law relevant to regulated lobbyists. 31 SENATE BILL 251 3
5–505. 1
(c) (1) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, an official or employee 2
may accept a gift listed in paragraph (2) of this subsection unless: 3
(i) the gift would tend to impair the impartiality and independent 4
judgment of the official or employee; or 5
(ii) as to a gift of significant value: 6
1. the gift would give the appearance of impairing the 7
impartiality and independent judgment of the official or employee; or 8
2. the official or employee believes or has reason to believe 9
that the gift is designed to impair the impartiality and independent judgment of the official 10
or employee. 11
(2) Subject to paragraph (1) of this subsection, subsection (b) of this section 12
does not apply to: 13
(i) 1. except for officials of the Legislative Branch, meals or 14
beverages received and consumed by the official or employee in the presence of the donor 15
or sponsoring entity; 16
2. for officials of the Legislative Branch, food or beverages 17
received and consumed by the official in the presence of the donor or sponsoring entity as 18
part of a meal or reception to which all members of a legislative unit were invited; 19
3. for a member of the General Assembly, food or beverages 20
received from a donor or sponsoring entity, other than an individual regulated lobbyist 21
described in [§ 5–701(a)(1)] § 5–702(A)(1) of this title, during a period when the General 22
Assembly is not in session, at a location that is within a county that contains the member’s 23
district, provided that the donor or sponsoring entity is located within a county that 24
contains the member’s district; or 25
4. for a member of the General Assembly, food or beverages 26
received at the time and geographic location of a meeting of a legislative organization for 27
which the member’s presiding officer has approved the member’s attendance at State 28
expense; 29
5–607. 30
(a) A statement that is required under § 5–601(a) of this subtitle shall contain 31
schedules disclosing the information and interests specified in this section, if known, for 32
the individual making the statement for the applicable period. 33
4 SENATE BILL 251
(i) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the statement 1
shall include a schedule listing the name and address of each: 2
(i) [place] SOURCE of the [salaried] COMPENSATED employment, 3
including secondary employment, of the individual or a member of the individual’s 4
immediate family at any time during the applicable period; 5
(ii) business entity of which the individual or a member of the 6
individual’s immediate family was a sole or partial owner, and from which the individual 7
or family member received earned income, at any time during the applicable period; and 8
(iii) for a statement filed on or after January 1, 2019, if the 9
individual’s spouse is a regulated lobbyist, entity that has engaged the spouse for lobbying 10
purposes. 11
(2) The statement may not include a listing of a minor child’s employment 12
or business entities of which the child is sole or partial owner, unless the place of 13
employment or the business entity: 14
(i) is subject to the regulation or authority of the agency that 15
employs the individual; or 16
(ii) has contracts in excess of $10,000 with the agency that employs 17
the individual. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 19
October 1, 2025. 20
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.