About Us

The State Ethics Commission was created by No. 79 of the Acts of the 2017 Vermont General Assembly and is codified in Chapter 31 of Title 3 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated.

The State Ethics Commission is composed of the following five members:

1. one member appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;

2. one member appointed by the League of Women Voters of Vermont, who is a member of the League;

3. one member appointed by the Board of Directors of the Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants, who is a member of the Society;

4. one member appointed by the Board of Managers of the Vermont Bar Association, who is a member of the Association; and

5. one member appointed by the Vermont State Council of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), who is a member of the Association.

The State Ethics Commission is required to:

1. Prepare a financial disclosure form required for all candidates for State office, State Senator, or State Representative.

2. Create and maintain a State Code of Ethics that sets forth general principles of governmental ethical conduct.

3. Prepare and receive for filing a financial disclosure form from State officers, state agency Secretaries and their Deputies, state department Commissioners and their deputies, State Ethics Commission Members and Executive Director.

4. Accept, review, make referrals regarding, and track complaints of alleged violations of governmental conduct regulated by law, of the Department of Human Resources Code of Ethics, and of the State’s campaign finance law set forth in 17 V.S.A. chapter 61.

5. Provide governmental ethics training, annually to legislators, State officers and state employees.

6. Issue guidance and advisory opinions regarding ethical governmental conduct.

7. Report to the Vermont General Assembly regarding complaints received, guidance issued, and recommendations for legislative action.