RESOLVE ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE ON INTEGRITY IN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Resolved,That there shall be established, pursuant to section 2A of chapter 4 of the General Laws, a special legislative commission known as the Task Force on Integrity in State and Local Government. The task force shall be comprised of the following 13 members: the chair of the house committee on ethics; the chair of the senate committee on ethics; the chairs of the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight; the attorney general or her designee; a member of the house of representatives appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; a member of the senate appointed by the minority leader of the senate; the chief legal counsel to the governor; the chief legal counsel to the senate; the chief legal counsel to the house of representatives; and 3 members with expertise on issues relating to ethics or public integrity to be appointed as follows: 1 member to be appointed by the governor, 1 member to be appointed by the president of the senate and 1 member to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. The chairs of the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight and chairs of the house and senate committees on ethics shall serve as co-chairs of the task force.
The task force shall conduct an investigation and study of the existing legal and regulatory framework governing the conduct of state, county and municipal elected officials and appointed public employees, including a review of: (i) the Conflict of Interest Law, chapter 268A of the General Laws; (ii) the Financial Disclosure Law, chapter 268B of the General Laws; and (iii) the regulations of the state ethics commission, 930 CMR 1.00 et seq., and associated processes.
The task force shall confer with representatives of the various state offices responsible for overseeing the state ethics laws, as well as with academics, practitioners and others with expertise in these areas.
The task force shall file a report with the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives regarding the results of its investigation and study on or before March 15, 2017. The report shall include: (i) an assessment of the current legal and regulatory structures, education and training, and advisories and processes of the State Ethics Commission; (ii) recommendations for amendments to any current law, rule or regulation; and (iii) recommendations for legislation, if any, which shall be filed with the clerk of the house of representatives.
Approved, November 22, 2016.