Requires all officers and employees in the executive and legislative branches to complete mandatory ethics training on an annual basis; repealer

2 Co-sponsors

• Robert Ortt
• Susan Serino

Title of bill

An act to amend the public officers law, the legislative law and the executive law, in relation to mandatory ethics training for certain officers and employees of the state; and to repeal subdivision 10 of section 94 of the executive law relating thereto

Purpose

The purpose of this bill is to increase and align ethics training requirements for all state officers, employees, legislators and legislative staff; to ensure that ethics training requirements are completed on annual basis, to ensure the timely training of new employees and to require that all ethics training is interactive and mandated by law, not executive order.

Summary of specific provisions

Section one adds a new article to the executive law establishing a mandatory ethics training requirement for all newly hired employees and requiring that seasoned employees be trained on an annual basis. This section also enumerates the specific sections of law that all employees must be trained on. The annual training must be, at minimum, two hours in duration.

Section two requires the legislative ethics commission to administer the ethics training program for legislative employees.

Section three requires JCOPE to develop and administer the training program for all non-legislative employees subject to this act.

Section four repeals subdivision 10 of section 94 of the executive law, as the training requirement in that section is superseded by the training mandated in this act.

Section five provides the effective date.

Justification

The people of the state of New York deserve a government that they can trust. We have no higher duty than the protection of our citizens and ensuring the legitimacy of our government. In order to restore faith, we must ensure that all state officers, legislators, and employees thereof are trained on the various laws which govern their conduct. Too often, persons who are in positions of public trust, fail to put the tax payers of this state first. Part of the solution to this problem, is to ensure adequate and proper training. Under current law legislative employees receive annual training, but the topics for which they are trained on varies. The training of all legislators and legislative employees must be aligned. Further, many executive branch employees are not subject to any ethics training requirements. Many of those who do receive training, are only required via Executive Order, which can be repealed by the Governor at any time, without the advice and consent of the legislature. Further, the timely training of new employees will ensure that everyone involved in state government has a clear understanding of their ethical responsibilities from the onset.

Prior legislative history

New Bill.

Fiscal implications

None to the State. EFFECTIVE DATE : This act shall take effect 120 days after becoming law.