Questions? Reach out to us at ethicscommission@vermont.gov.
Act 171 (H.875), an Act establishing a municipal ethics framework in Vermont, went into effect on June 10th, 2024.
The Act establishes a statewide municipal code of ethics and allows the State Ethics Commission to provide municipalities with free training and advisory services. It also requires municipalities to investigate and record ethics complaints, which can be filed either with the municipality or with the Ethics Commission, which will then refer the complaint to the municipality for investigation; to appoint an Ethics Liaison (an existing employee or select board member) to receive complaints and serve as a point of contact for the Ethics Commission; and for municipal officers to complete a free basic ethics training, which will be available through the Ethics Commission's website by December 31, 2024 (the training requirement does not go into effect until September 30th, 2025).
The primary purpose of the bill is to set minimum statewide standards while allowing municipalities to adopt supplemental (or maintain existing) ethics policies that do not conflict with the statewide code, and develop individualized policies and procedures related to complaint investigation and tracking. Many municipalities may already have such policies or procedures in place. The majority of the provisions of the bill related to municipal ethics, including the municipal code of ethics and the training requirement, do not go into effect until January 1, 2025 or later.
The Ethics Commission is in the process of developing materials to help municipalities better understand and comply with the bill's requirements. Please check back here over the coming months for additional guidance and documents related to H.875. In the meantime, municipalities may find the below documents useful.
Municipal Ethics Resources
Understanding the Municipal Provisions of Act 171 (H.875)
- Final version of Act 171 (H.875), as passed by the House and Senate.
- Quick summary of Act 171 (H.875), drafted by the Ethics Commission.
- An overview of how to approach conflicts of interest, as defined in Act 171 (H. 875), and the recusal process.
Documents to be Posted on Municipal Websites
Act 171 (H.875) requires municipalities to post certain information on their websites, or make such information available upon request if the municipality has no website: (1) procedures adopted by the municipality for the investigation and enforcement of complaints, (2) any supplemental or additional ordinances, rules, and personnel policies regarding ethics adopted by a municipality, and (3) a copy of the Municipal Code of Ethics. Below, you can find a Word and PDF version of the Municipal Code of Ethics to help meet this requirement.
Sample Administrative Documents
- Sample Complaint Tracker. Municipalities can download, modify, and use the sample complaint tracker to record ethics complaints. Municipalities are not required to use the sample tracker, it is only meant to serve as an example document.
- Sample Training Tracker. Municipalities can download, modify, and use the sample training tracker record completed ethics trainings. Municipalities are not required to use the sample tracker, it is only meant to serve as an example document.
Report: A Proposed Municipal Ethics Framework for Vermont
In November and December 2023 the State Ethics Commission received public comments, recommendations, and suggestions from all interested persons regarding municipal ethics in Vermont. This effort was to help inform the Commission’s development of a proposed municipal ethics framework for Vermont pursuant to H.125 (Act 53). The report was submitted to the Legislature on January 15th, 2024.
Virtual Listening Sessions: Municipal Ethics in Vermont
The Vermont State Ethics Commission held virtual listening sessions via Zoom on November 7, 21 and 28, 2023 to receive public comments, recommendations, and suggestions from all interested persons regarding municipal ethics in Vermont. This effort was to help inform the Commission’s development of a proposed municipal ethics framework pursuant to H.125 (Act 53), which required the Commission to submit recommendations on municipal ethics to the legislature on or before Jan. 15th, 2024.
To view the recordings of each of the listening sessions, click the link below:
November 7, 2023 (for members of the public)
November 21, 2023 (for municipal officials)
November 28, 2023 (for people who were unable to attend either of the earlier listening sessions)
Municipal Ethics Listening Session Handout