StateofVermont
HouseofRepresentatives
Montpelier,Vermont
HouseResolution
H.R.6
OfferedbyRepresentativesLaLondeofSouthBurlington,Cinaof
Burlington,Morgan,M.ofMilton,OdeofBurlington,andTaylorofMilton
HouseresolutionamendingHouseRulesrelatingtotheHouseEthicsPanel
ResolvedbytheHouseofRepresentatives:
ThatthislegislativebodyamendsRule90(b)oftheRulesandOrdersofthe
HouseofRepresentativesasfollows:
(b)Ethics.
(1)Standardsofethicalconduct.TheHouseofRepresentatives,
withoutqualification,isopposedtoandprohibitsviolationsoftheVermont
ConstitutionandHouseRulesstandardsofethicalconduct.Thispolicycovers
theconductofRepresentativesandpersonsemployedintheSpeaker’sOffice
andHouseClerk’sOffice.
(A)Amembershallrespectandcomplywiththelaw,theseRules,
andanyotherstandardofconductapplicabletothememberinthe
performanceofthemember’sdutiesinamannerthatpromotespublic
confidenceintheintegrityoftheHouse.
(B)Amembershallcomplywith17V.S.A.§ 2414(legislative
candidatedisclosureform).
(C)Onorbeforethe10thdayofthebeginningofthebiennium,each
membershallsubmittotheClerkadisclosureformpreparedbytheClerk.
Theformshallbesignedbythemember,bepubliclyavailableontheofficial
webpagesoftheHouseofRepresentativesandoftheClerkoftheHouse,and
maybeupdated.Theformshallsetforth,tothebestofthemember’sability,
thefollowinginformationapplicableasofthedateofsubmission:
(i)anyboards,commissions,orsimilarentitiesthatareregulated
bylaworthatreceivefundingfromtheStateonwhichthememberserves;the
member’spositionontheboard,commission,orsimilarentity;and,exceptin
thecaseoflegislativeappointments,whetherthememberreceivesanyformof
remunerationforthatposition;and
(ii)themember’semployer.
(2)HouseEthicsPanel.TheHouseRulesCommitteeshall,atthe
beginningofthebiennium,appointanEthicsPanelcomposedoffivemembers
oftheHousewhoshallserveuntilsuccessorsareappointed.
(A)(i)ThePanelshallelectachair,adoptprocedurestoconductits
businesstoimplementtheprovisionsofthisethicsrule,andprovidecopiesof theadoptedprocedurestoallmembersoftheHouseandpersonsemployedin
theSpeaker’sOfficeandHouseClerk’sOffice.
(ii)ThePanelmaymeetremotelyduringadjournmenttoconsider
complaintsassetforthintheProcedureofthePanelProcedureforHandling
EthicsComplaints.However,ifthePanelconductsahearingatwhich
argumentsarepresented,evidenceispresented,orwitnessesarequestioned,at
leastaquorumofthemembersofthePanelshallbephysicallypresentatthe
hearing.ThePanel,atthediscretionofthePanelChair,mayallowmembers,
witnesses,orothernecessaryparticipantstoparticipateusingcontemporaneous
videooraudioconferencetransmissionfromoneormoredifferentremote
locations.
(B)ThePanelshalladviseindividualmembersandprovidetraining
toallmembersonHousememberstandardsofethicalconduct,including
compliancewithHouseRule75.
(C)ThePanelshallreceiveandinvestigatecomplaintsofalleged
violationsofHousememberstandardsofethicalconductmadeagainst
membersoftheHouse,andmayinvestigatesuchallegedviolationsonitsown
initiative.
(i)ThePanel,byavoteofatleastfourofitsmembers,may
subpoenatheattendanceandtestimonyofwitnessesandtheproductionof
documentsandotheritemsasitdeemsnecessarytoconductaninvestigation.
(ii)InthecaseofaPanelmember’srecusalorotherabsence
duringthePanel’sreviewofacomplaint,theHouseRulesCommitteemay
appointanadhocmembertothePanelforthatmatter,uponrequestofthe
ChairofthePanel.
(D)IfacomplaintbeforethePanelorthependencyofan
investigationbythePanelisgenerallyknowntothepublic,through
independentsources,andthesubjectmatterofthecomplaintisofbroadpublic
interestorspeculation,andpublicconfidenceinthePanel’sadministrationof
theseRulesortheProcedureofthePanelmaybethreatenedbecauseoflackof
informationconcerningthestatusoftheinvestigation,thePanelmayissuea
briefstatementasitmaydeemappropriatetoconfirmtheexistenceofthe
investigation,toclarifytheproceduralaspectsoftheinvestigation,andto
explainthattherespondentisentitledtodueprocess.
(E)ThePanelmayrecommendtotheHouseanydisciplinaryaction
againstamemberforanethicalviolation.
(F)ThePanelshallissueaclosurereportregardingthefinal
dispositionofeachcomplaintsubmittedtothePanel.Theclosurereportshall
notidentifythecomplainant,respondent,oranyotherpersonbyname,but
shallcontainasummaryofthecomplaintallegations,thefinaldispositionof
thecomplaint,andthebasistherefor.ThePanelshallmaintainitsclosure
reportsinaregistryonitswebpage.
(G)ExceptasprovidedintheseRulesandintheProcedureofthe
Panel:
(i)MembersofthePanelandPanelstaffshallkeepconfidential
anyinformationreceivedandanyrecordsproducedoracquiredinaccordance
withtheseRulesortheProcedureofthePanel,providedthatthePanelmay
discloseinformationandrecordsreceivedundertheseRulesandtheProcedure
ofthePanelasfollows:
(I)toacourtofcompetentjurisdictionpursuanttoacourt
order;
(II)toaStateorfederallawenforcementagencyinthecourse
oftheagency’sinvestigation,providedthattheagencyagreestomaintainthe
confidentialityoftheinformationorrecordsprovided; (III)tothemembersorstaffoftheDiscriminationPrevention
PanelorthemembersorstaffoftheSexualHarassmentPreventionPanelto
informaninvestigationundertheseRulesbyeitherPanel,providedthatthe
membersagreetomaintaintheconfidentialityoftheinformationorrecords
provided.
(ii)Allrecordsproducedoracquiredinaccordancewiththese
RulesandintheProcedureofthePanelarenotsubjecttothePublicRecords
Act.
(E)(H)Annually,onorbeforeDecember31,thePanelshallreportto
theHousethenumberofcomplaintsfiled,ageneraldescriptionofthetopicof
eachcomplaint,thedispositionofthosecomplaints,andthenumberof
memberrequestsforethicaladvice.
(3)Retaliationprohibited.TheseRulesprohibitretaliationagainsta
personwhocomplains,reports,orcooperatesinaninvestigationofanethics
violation.