Utah Code 63A-14-203. Independent Executive Branch Ethics Commission — Meetings — Annual summary report — Staff — Legal counsel — Supplemental appropriations
Current as of: 2024 | Check for updates
|
Other versions
(1) The commission shall meet for the purpose of reviewing an ethics complaint when:
Terms Used In Utah Code 63A-14-203
- Allegation: something that someone says happened.
- Commission: means the Independent Executive Branch Ethics Commission, created in Section 63A-14-202. See Utah Code 63A-14-102
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Person: means :(24)(a) an individual;(24)(b) an association;(24)(c) an institution;(24)(d) a corporation;(24)(e) a company;(24)(f) a trust;(24)(g) a limited liability company;(24)(h) a partnership;(24)(i) a political subdivision;(24)(j) a government office, department, division, bureau, or other body of government; and(24)(k) any other organization or entity. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
- Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
(1)(a) except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter, called to meet at the discretion of the chair; or(1)(b) called to meet by a majority vote of the commission.
(2)
(2)(a) A majority of the commission is a quorum.
(2)(b) A majority vote of a quorum present constitutes the action of the commission.
(3)
(3)(a) The commission shall prepare an annual summary data report that contains:
(3)(a)(i) a general description of the activities of the commission during the past year;
(3)(a)(ii) the number of ethics complaints filed with the commission;
(3)(a)(iii) the number of ethics complaints reviewed by the commission;
(3)(a)(iv) a summary description of ethics complaints that formed the basis for a commission finding that an allegation in a complaint has merit; and
(3)(a)(v) an accounting of the commission’s budget and expenditures.
(3)(b) The commission shall submit the summary data report to the governor before December 1 each year.
(3)(c) The summary data report is a public record.
(4) The commission:
(4)(a) shall employ a director to provide administrative support to the commission and to assist the commission in fulfilling the commission’s duties;
(4)(b) may employ additional staff, to work under the direction of the director;
(4)(c) shall contract with private legal counsel to provide legal services to the commission, as needed; and
(4)(d) may, in consultation with the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, request supplemental appropriations to pay the costs of legal fees and other staffing needs that exceed the commission’s budget due to the number or complexity of the ethics complaints filed with or considered by the commission in a fiscal year.
(5)
(5)(a) Except as provided in Subsection (5)(b), staff for the commission may not perform services for any other person in state government.
(5)(b) A person employed as staff for the commission may be the same person employed as staff for the Independent Legislative Ethics Commission, if the staff ensures that proper protections are in place to preserve the confidentiality to both bodies and to avoid a conflict of interest.
(6) Except as expressly otherwise provided in this chapter, all meetings held under this chapter are closed to the public.