Vermont HR 6: House resolution ammending the rules and orders of the House of Representatives related to the introduction of bills

Bill Text

State of Vermont
House of Representatives
Montpelier, Vermont
House Resolution
H.R. 6
Offered by Representatives LaLonde of South Burlington, Cina of
Burlington, Morgan, M. of Milton, Ode of Burlington, and Taylor of Milton
House resolution amending House Rules relating to the House Ethics Panel
Resolved by the House of Representatives:
That this legislative body amends Rule 90(b) of the Rules and Orders of the
House of Representatives as follows:
(b) Ethics.
(1) Standards of ethical conduct. The House of Representatives,
without qualification, is opposed to and prohibits violations of the Vermont
Constitution and House Rules standards of ethical conduct. This policy covers
the conduct of Representatives and persons employed in the Speaker’s Office
and House Clerk’s Office.
(A) A member shall respect and comply with the law, these Rules,
and any other standard of conduct applicable to the member in the
performance of the member’s duties in a manner that promotes public
confidence in the integrity of the House.
(B) A member shall comply with 17 V.S.A. § 2414 (legislative
candidate disclosure form).
(C) On or before the 10th day of the beginning of the biennium, each
member shall submit to the Clerk a disclosure form prepared by the Clerk.
The form shall be signed by the member, be publicly available on the official
webpages of the House of Representatives and of the Clerk of the House, and
may be updated. The form shall set forth, to the best of the member’s ability,
the following information applicable as of the date of submission:
(i) any boards, commissions, or similar entities that are regulated
by law or that receive funding from the State on which the member serves; the
member’s position on the board, commission, or similar entity; and, except in
the case of legislative appointments, whether the member receives any form of
remuneration for that position; and
(ii) the member’s employer.
(2) House Ethics Panel. The House Rules Committee shall, at the
beginning of the biennium, appoint an Ethics Panel composed of five members
of the House who shall serve until successors are appointed.

(A)(i) The Panel shall elect a chair, adopt procedures to conduct its
business to implement the provisions of this ethics rule, and provide copies of
the adopted procedures to all members of the House and persons employed in
the Speaker’s Office and House Clerk’s Office.
(ii) The Panel may meet remotely during adjournment to consider
complaints as set forth in the Procedure of the Panel Procedure for Handling
Ethics Complaints. However, if the Panel conducts a hearing at which
arguments are presented, evidence is presented, or witnesses are questioned, at
least a quorum of the members of the Panel shall be physically present at the
hearing. The Panel, at the discretion of the Panel Chair, may allow members,
witnesses, or other necessary participants to participate using contemporaneous
video or audio conference transmission from one or more different remote
locations.
(B) The Panel shall advise individual members and provide training
to all members on House member standards of ethical conduct, including
compliance with House Rule 75.
(C) The Panel shall receive and investigate complaints of alleged
violations of House member standards of ethical conduct made against
members of the House, and may investigate such alleged violations on its own
initiative.
(i) The Panel, by a vote of at least four of its members, may
subpoena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of
documents and other items as it deems necessary to conduct an investigation.
(ii) In the case of a Panel member’s recusal or other absence
during the Panel’s review of a complaint, the House Rules Committee may
appoint an ad hoc member to the Panel for that matter, upon request of the
Chair of the Panel.
(D) If a complaint before the Panel or the pendency of an
investigation by the Panel is generally known to the public, through
independent sources, and the subject matter of the complaint is of broad public
interest or speculation, and public confidence in the Panel’s administration of
these Rules or the Procedure of the Panel may be threatened because of lack of
information concerning the status of the investigation, the Panel may issue a
brief statement as it may deem appropriate to confirm the existence of the
investigation, to clarify the procedural aspects of the investigation, and to
explain that the respondent is entitled to due process.
(E) The Panel may recommend to the House any disciplinary action
against a member for an ethical violation.
(F) The Panel shall issue a closure report regarding the final
disposition of each complaint submitted to the Panel. The closure report shall
not identify the complainant, respondent, or any other person by name, but
shall contain a summary of the complaint allegations, the final disposition of
the complaint, and the basis therefor. The Panel shall maintain its closure
reports in a registry on i