BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.1
2025 Page1of6
H.1
IntroducedbyRepresentativesLaLondeofSouthBurlington,Cinaof
Burlington,OdeofBurlington,andSibiliaofDover
ReferredtoCommitteeon
Date:
Subject:Executive;governmentalethics;StateEthicsCommission;procedure
foracceptingandreferringethicscomplaints
Statementofpurposeofbillasintroduced:Thisbillproposestoexemptthe
HouseandSenateEthicsPanelsfromtherequirementtoconsultwiththe
ExecutiveDirectoroftheStateEthicsCommissiononanycomplaintreferred
tothePanelsbytheCommission.
AnactrelatingtoacceptingandreferringcomplaintsbytheStateEthics
Commission
ItisherebyenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyoftheStateofVermont:
Sec.1.REPEAL
2024ActsandResolvesNo.171,Sec.9(3V.S.A.§1223)isrepealed.
Sec.2.3V.S.A.§1223isamendedtoread:
§1223.PROCEDUREFORHANDLINGACCEPTINGANDREFERRING
COMPLAINTS
***
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.1
2025 Page2of6
(b)PreliminaryreviewbyExecutiveDirector.TheExecutiveDirector
shallconductapreliminaryreviewofcomplaintsmadetotheCommissionin
ordertotakeactionassetforthinthissubsection,whichshallincludereferring
complaintstoallrelevantentities,includingtheCommissionitself.
***
(5)MunicipalCodeofEthics.Ifthecomplaintallegesaviolationofthe
MunicipalCodeofEthics,theExecutiveDirectorshallreferthecomplaintto
thedesignatedethicsliaisonoftheappropriatemunicipality.
(5)(6)Closures.TheExecutiveDirectorshallcloseanycomplaintthat
heorshetheExecutiveDirectordoesnotreferassetforthinsubdivisions(1)–
(4)(5)ofthissubsection.
(c)Consultationonunethicalconduct.IftheExecutiveDirectorrefersa
complaintundersubsection(b)ofthissection,theExecutiveDirectorshall
signifyanylikelyunethicalconductdescribedinthecomplaint.Anyentity
receivingareferredcomplaint,exceptthoseinsubdivisions(b)(5)and
(b)(4)(A)–(B)ofthissection,shallconsultwiththeCommissionregardingthe
applicationoftheStateCodeofEthicstofactspresentedinthecomplaint.
Theconsultationshallbeinwritingandoccurwithin60daysafteranentity
receivesareferredcomplaintandpriortotheentitymakingadeterminationon
thecomplaint,meaningeitherclosingacomplaintwithoutfurther
investigationorissuingfindingsfollowinganinvestigation.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21 BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.1
2025 Page3of6
(d)Confidentiality.Complaintsandrelateddocumentsinthecustodyof
theCommissionshallbeexemptfrompublicinspectionandcopyingunderthe
PublicRecordsActandkeptconfidential,exceptasprovidedforinsection
1231ofthistitle.
Sec.3.EFFECTIVEDATES
Thisactshalltakeeffectonpassage,exceptthatSec.2(amending3V.S.A.
§ 1223)shalltakeeffectonSeptember1,2025.
Sec.1.3V.S.A.§ 1223isamendedtoread:
§1223.PROCEDUREFORACCEPTINGANDREFERRING
COMPLAINTS
(a)Acceptingcomplaints.
(1)OnbehalfoftheCommission,theExecutiveDirectorshallaccept
complaintsfromanysourceregardinggovernmentalethicsinanyofthethree
branchesofStategovernmentoroftheState’scampaignfinancelawsetforth
in17V.S.A.chapter61.
(2)Complaintsshallbeinwritingandshallincludetheidentityofthe
complainant.
(b)PreliminaryreviewbyExecutiveDirector.TheExecutiveDirectorshall
conductapreliminaryreviewofcomplaintsmadetotheCommissioninorder
totakeactionassetforthinthissubsectionandsection1223aofthistitle,
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.1
2025 Page4of6
whichshallincludereferringcomplaintstoallrelevantentities,includingthe
Commissionitself.
***
(4)LegislativeandJudicialBranches;attorneys.
(A)IfthecomplaintisinregardtoconductcommittedbyaState
Senator,theExecutiveDirectorshallreferthecomplainttotheSenateEthics
PanelandshallrequestareportbackfromthePanelregardingthefinal
dispositionofthecomplaint.
(B)IfthecomplaintisinregardtoconductcommittedbyaState
Representative,theExecutiveDirectorshallreferthecomplainttotheHouse
EthicsPanelandshallrequestareportbackfromthePanelregardingthefinal
dispositionofthecomplaint.
(C)Ifthecomplaintisinregardtoconductcommittedbyajudicial
officer,theExecutiveDirectorshallreferthecomplainttotheJudicialConduct
BoardandshallrequestareportbackfromtheBoardregardingthefinal
dispositionofthecomplaint.
(D)Ifthecomplaintisinregardtoanattorneyemployedbythe
State,theExecutiveDirectorshallreferthecomplainttotheProfessional
ResponsibilityBoardandshallrequestareportbackfromtheBoardregarding
thefinaldispositionofthecomplaint. BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.1
2025 Page5of6
(E)Ifanyofthecomplaintsdescribedinsubdivisions(A)–(D)ofthis
subdivision(4)alsoallegethatacrimehasbeencommitted,theExecutive
DirectorshallalsoreferthecomplainttotheAttorneyGeneralandtheState’s
Attorneyofjurisdiction.
(5)MunicipalCodeofEthics.Ifthecomplaintallegesaviolationofthe
MunicipalCodeofEthics,theExecutiveDirectorshallreferthecomplaintto
thedesignatedethicsliaisonoftheappropriatemunicipality.
***
(c)Consultationonunethicalconduct.
(1)IftheExecutiveDirectorrefersacomplaintundersubsection(b)of
thissection,theExecutiveDirectorshallsignifyanylikelyunethicalconduct
describedinthecomplaint.Anyentityreceivingareferredcomplaint,except
thoseinsubdivision(b)(5)ofthissection,shallconsultwiththeCommission
regardingtheapplicationoftheStateCodeofEthicstofactspresentedinthe
complaint.
(A)Forcomplaintsreferredundersubdivision(b)(4)ofthissection,
theExecutiveDirectorshallspecifytheapplicationoftheStateCodeofEthics
tofactspresentedinthecomplaintandincludearecommendedaction.
(B)Forallothercomplaintsreferredundersubsection(b)ofthis
section,exceptthoseinsubdivisions(b)(4)and(5)ofthissection,anentity
receivingacomplaintshallconsultwiththeCommissionregardingthe BILLASPASSEDBYTHEHOUSE H.1
2025 Page6of6
applicationoftheStateCodeofEthicstofactspresentedinthecomplaint.
Theconsultationshallbeinwritingandoccurwithin60daysafteranthe
entityreceivesathereferredcomplaintandpriortotheentitymakinga
determinationonthecomplaint,meaningeitherclosingacomplaintwithout
furtherinvestigationorissuingfindingsfollowinganinvestigation.
(2)AnyadvicetheCommissionprovidesduringtheconsultationprocess
shallbeconfidentialandnonbindingontheentity.
Sec.2.EFFECTIVEDATE
ThisactshalltakeeffectSeptember1,2025andshallsupersedethose
provisionsof2024ActsandResolvesNo.171,Sec.9thatamended3V.S.A.
§ 1223andthatconflictwiththelanguageinthisact.