Senate Bill No. 255, designated as File No. 384, is a legislative proposal that mandates each municipality to adopt a conflict of interest provision for its elected and appointed officials, officers, and employees by October 1, 2025. The provision must include either the municipality's own definition of "conflict of interest" or adopt the model definition provided in the bill, and it must specify the actions to be taken if a conflict of interest is identified. This requirement does not apply to municipalities that have established a conflict of interest policy prior to January 1, 2025. Additionally, by January 15, 2026, each municipality must submit a notice to the Office of State Ethics (OSE) certifying whether it has adopted such a provision or is exempt because it had already done so before the specified date. The OSE is tasked with publishing each municipality's conflict of interest provision on its website.

The bill also requires that starting by January 15, 2026, each municipality must publish its conflict of interest provision on its website in an easily accessible location, or if the municipality does not have a website, make it available at the city or town clerk's office. The bill provides a model definition of conflict of interest that municipalities may adopt, which outlines a conflict of interest as a situation where an official, officer, or employee, or their immediate family or business associates, stands to gain or lose money directly due to the official's actions, excluding actions that affect a substantial segment of the municipality's population. The bill is set to take effect on October 1, 2024, and does not have a state fiscal impact, but may result in minimal administrative costs for municipalities to comply with the publication requirements. The bill was reported favorably by the Committee on Government Administration and Elections.