Article 3. Joint Legislative Ethics Committee of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 2. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 3.

The Joint Legislative Ethics Committee is hereby created. The committee shall consist of three Members of the Senate and three Members of the Assembly who shall be selected in the manner provided for in the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly. Of the three members appointed from each house, at least one from each house shall be a member of the political party having the largest number of members in that house and at least one from each house shall be a member of the political party having the second largest number of members in that house. The committee shall elect its own chairman. Vacancies occurring in the membership of the committee shall be filled in the manner provided for in the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly. A vacancy shall be deemed to exist as to any member of the committee whose term is expiring whenever such member is not reelected at the general election.

The committee is authorized to make rules governing its own proceedings. The provisions of Rule 36 of the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly relating to investigating committees shall apply to the committee. Prior to the issuance of any subpoena by the committee with respect to any matter before the committee, it shall by a resolution adopted by a vote of two members of the committee from each house of the Legislature define the nature and scope of its investigation in the matter before it.

Funds for the support of the committee shall be provided from the Contingent Funds of the Assembly and the Senate in the same manner that such funds are made available to other joint committees of the Legislature.

(a) The committee shall have power, pursuant to the provisions of this article, to investigate and make findings and recommendations concerning alleged violations by Members of the Legislature of the provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920).
  (b) The committee may, on its own action, initiate an investigation of a Member of the Legislature. The action may be taken only if the requirements of Section 8954 are satisfied.

(a) Any person may file a statement alleging a violation of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920) with the committee.
  (b) To constitute a valid complaint, the statement shall satisfy all of the following requirements:
  (1) It shall be in writing.
  (2) It shall state the name of the Member of the Legislature alleged to have committed a violation.
  (3) It shall set forth allegations which, if true, would constitute a violation of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920). These allegations shall be stated with sufficient clarity and detail to enable the committee to make a determination pursuant to Section 8945.
  (4) It shall be signed by the complainant under penalty of perjury.
  (5) It shall include a statement that the facts are true of the complainant's own knowledge or that the complainant believes them to be true.
  (c) As used in this article, the term "complaint" means a valid complaint as specified in subdivision (b).
  (d) If a complaint is filed with the committee, the committee shall promptly send a copy of the complaint to the Member of the Legislature alleged to have committed the violation complained of, who shall thereafter be designated as the respondent, and the committee may send a copy of the complaint to the house in which the respondent serves, the Attorney General, the Fair Political Practices Commission, and the district attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred.
  (e) No complaint may be filed with the committee after the expiration of 12 months from the date upon which the alleged violation occurred.

(a) If the committee determines that the complaint does not allege facts, directly or upon information and belief, sufficient to constitute a violation of any of the provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920), it shall dismiss the complaint and notify the complainant and respondent thereof. If the committee has sent a copy of the complaint to any other person or entity specified in subdivision (d) of Section 8944, the committee shall also notify that person or entity of its determination under this subdivision.
  (b) If the committee determines that the complaint does allege facts, directly or upon information and belief, sufficient to constitute a violation of any of the provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920), the committee shall promptly investigate the alleged violation and, if after the preliminary investigation, the committee finds that probable cause exists for believing the allegations of the complaint, it shall fix a time for a hearing in the matter, which shall be not more than 30 days after the finding. If, after the preliminary investigation, the committee finds that probable cause does not exist for believing the allegations of the complaint, the committee shall dismiss the complaint. In either event the committee shall notify the complainant and respondent of its determination.
  (c) If a result of an investigation initiated pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 8943, determines that probable cause exists for believing that a Member of the Legislature has violated any of the provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920), the committee shall fix a time for a hearing in the matter, which shall be not more than 30 days after the determination.
  (d) The committee shall make its determination under subdivision (a) or (b) not later than 90 days after first receiving a complaint which contains all of the information required by Section 8944. The committee may, however, seek an extension, not to exceed 90 days, which may be granted by a majority vote of the membership of each house. If the committee has requested a law enforcement agency to investigate the complaint or if the committee knows that the complaint is being investigated by a law enforcement agency, the time limits set forth in this subdivision shall be tolled until the investigation is completed.
  (e) The committee's determination under subdivision (b) or (c) shall be stated in writing, with reasons given therefor, and shall be provided to the house in which the respondent serves, the Attorney General, the Fair Political Practices Commission, and the district attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred. The written determination provided pursuant to this subdivision is a public record and open to public inspection.
  (f) Any deliberations of the committee from the time of receipt of a complaint until it decides to dismiss the complaint or to set a hearing shall not be open to the public unless the respondent requests a public meeting.

After the complaint has been filed the respondent shall be entitled to examine and make copies of all evidence in the possession of the committee relating to the complaint.

If a hearing is to be held pursuant to Section 8945 the committee, before the hearing has commenced, shall issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum at the request of any party in accordance with Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 9400) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2. All of the provisions of Chapter 4, except Section 9410, apply to the committee and the witnesses before it.

At any hearing held by the committee:
  (a) Oral evidence shall be taken only on oath or affirmation.
  (b) Each party shall have these rights: to be represented by legal counsel; to call and examine witnesses; to introduce exhibits; and to cross-examine opposing witnesses.
  (c) The hearing shall be open to the public.

Any official or other person whose name is mentioned at any investigation or hearing of the committee and who believes that testimony has been given which adversely affects him, shall have the right to testify or, at the discretion of the committee, to file a statement of facts under oath relating solely to the material relevant to the testimony of which he complains.

(a) After the hearing the committee shall state its findings of fact. If the committee finds that the respondent has not violated any provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920), it shall order the action dismissed, and shall notify the respondent and complainant thereof and shall also transmit a copy of the complaint and the fact of dismissal to the house in which the respondent serves, the Attorney General, the Fair Political Practices Commission, and the district attorney of the appropriate county. The complaint and the fact of dismissal transmitted pursuant to this subdivision are public records and open to public inspection.
  (b) If the committee finds that the respondent has violated any provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920), it shall state its findings of fact and submit a report thereon, which may include any recommendations as to actions which the committee believes would be appropriate to take against the respondent, to the house in which the respondent serves, send a copy of the findings and report to the complainant and respondent, and the committee shall also report thereon to the Attorney General, the Fair Political Practices Commission, and the district attorney of the appropriate county. The report submitted pursuant to this subdivision is a public record and open to public inspection.
  (c) The house in which the respondent serves shall have 90 days after the receipt of a copy of the findings and report described in subdivision (b) within which to take action with respect to the respondent and may take no action against a respondent after that time regarding the allegations in the complaint which resulted in the findings and report described in subdivision (b).

Nothing in this chapter shall preclude any person from instituting a prosecution for violation of any provision of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920) unless that person has filed a complaint with the committee concerning the violation, in which case that person may not file a complaint with the district attorney of the appropriate county to institute a criminal prosecution for the violation until the committee has made its determination of the matter or a period of 120 days has elapsed since the filing of the complaint with the committee.

The filing of a complaint with the committee pursuant to this article suspends the running of the statute of limitations applicable to any violation of the provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920) while the complaint is pending.

The committee shall maintain a record of its investigations, inquiries, and proceedings. All records, complaints, documents, reports filed with or submitted to or made by the committee, and all records and transcripts of any investigations, inquiries or hearings of the committee under this article shall be deemed confidential and shall not be open to inspection by any person other than a member of the committee, an employee of the committee, or a state employee designated to assist the committee, except as otherwise specifically provided in this article. The committee may, by adoption of a resolution, authorize the release to the Attorney General or to the district attorney of the appropriate county of any information, records, complaints, documents, reports, and transcripts in its possession material to any matter pending before the Attorney General or the district attorney. All matters presented at a public hearing of the committee and all reports of the committee stating a final finding of fact pursuant to Section 8950 shall be public records and open to public inspection. Any employee of the committee who divulges any matter which is deemed to be confidential by this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

All actions of the committee shall require the concurrence of two members of the committee from each house.

The committee may render advisory opinions to Members of the Legislature with respect to the provisions of Article 2 (commencing with Section 8920) and their application and construction. The committee may secure an opinion from the Legislative Counsel for this purpose or issue its own opinion.

(a) The appropriate legislative ethics committees shall conduct at least semiannually an orientation course of the relevant statutes and regulations governing official conduct. The curriculum and presentation of the course shall be established by house rules.
  (b) The committees shall conduct at least semiannually an orientation course on the relevant ethical issues and laws relating to lobbying, in consultation with the Fair Political Practices Commission. One of the semiannual courses shall be held prior to June 30 of each year. This course may be combined with the course described in subdivision (a).
  (c) At least once in each biennial session, each Member of the Legislature and each designated employee of the Legislature shall attend one of these courses.
  (d) The committees shall impose fees on lobbyists for attending the course described in subdivision (b). The fees shall be set at an amount that will enable the lobbyists' participation in the course to be funded from those fees to the fullest extent possible.