Senate Bill No. 1227 seeks to amend the state's ethics code by increasing various monetary thresholds related to gifts and contracts involving public officials and state employees. Key changes include raising the value limit for ceremonial awards from one dollar to two hundred fifty dollars, food and beverage gifts from fifty dollars to one hundred dollars per person, and allowing gifts for major life events to be valued up to one thousand five hundred dollars. The bill also modifies the aggregate value limit for gifts from fifty dollars to one hundred dollars and increases the reporting threshold for gifts from ten dollars to twenty dollars. Additionally, it specifies that certain gifts, such as those from candidates for public office or employers to employees, are exempt from being classified as gifts under specific conditions.

The bill further enhances transparency in lobbying practices by increasing the limit for food and beverage expenses at receptions from fifty dollars to one hundred dollars per person and raising the threshold for certain gifts from one thousand dollars to one thousand five hundred dollars. It mandates more frequent financial reporting for lobbyists and requires itemized statements for expenditures of twenty dollars or more. The changes also include a new requirement for public officials or state employees to report necessary expenses of twenty dollars or more within 45 days. Overall, SB 1227 aims to modernize the ethics code, reflecting current societal norms and economic conditions, while ensuring accountability in the interactions between public officials, lobbyists, and private entities.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 1-84, 1-96, 1-96e
GAE Joint Favorable: 1-84, 1-96, 1-96e
File No. 126: 1-84, 1-96, 1-96e