AB 148

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law, for purposes of ethics training for officers and employees of a local government, defines the term ethics laws to include, among others, laws relating to government transparency. This bill would additionally define the term ethics laws to include compensation setting guidelines as established by specified organizations or the local agency. (2) Existing law requires local agency officials, as defined, to receive ethics training, if the local agency provides any type of compensation, salary, or stipend to a member of a legislative body, or provides reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred by a member of a legislative body in the performance of official duties. This bill would require the local agency to post the ethics training records of all elected members of the local agency on the local agency's Internet Web site, if any, and to submit a copy of the records to the Controller within 90 days of receiving the records. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law authorizes a local agency, as defined, to pay compensation to members of a legislative body for attendance at specified occurrences. Existing law authorizes a local agency to pay compensation for attendance at other occurrences if the governing body has adopted, in a public meeting, a written policy specifying other types of occasions that constitute the performance of official duties. Existing law authorizes a local agency to reimburse members of a legislative body for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties, if the governing body has adopted a written policy, in a public meeting, specifying the types of occurrences that qualify a member of the legislative body to receive reimbursement of specified actual and necessary expenses. This bill would require a local agency that has adopted a written attendance compensation policy or written reimbursement policy to post the policy on the local agency's Internet Web site, if any, and to submit a copy of the policy to the Controller. The bill would, if a local agency does not comply with these requirements, require the Controller to withhold any funds to which the local agency is otherwise entitled, as specified. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.