AN ACT relating to legislative ethics.
     Amend KRS 6.651 to require that at least three members of the Legislative Ethics Commission be members of the political party having the largest number of registered voters and that at least three members of the commission be members of the political party having the second largest number of registered voters; require that the four members of the commission appointed by the President of the Senate consist of one former legislator, one vested member of the Judicial Retirement System, and two members selected either from a list of three names each submitted by the Attorney General and the Judicial Retirement and Removal Commission or from outside the lists; require that the four members of the Legislative Ethics Commission appointed by the Speaker of the House shall consist of one former legislator, one vested member of the Judicial Retirement System, and two members selected either from a list of three names each submitted by the Auditor of Public Accounts and the Registry of Election Finance or from outside the lists; direct that not more than three of the President's appointments be members of the same political party and that not more than three of the Speaker's appointments be members of the same political party; require that each list submitted by the Attorney General, Judicial Retirement and Removal Commission, Auditor of Public Accounts, and Registry of Election Finance contain at least one registered voter from the political party having the largest number of registered voters and at least one registered voter from the political party having the second largest number of registered voters; permit the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to appoint from those lists, request another list, or appoint outside the lists; amend KRS 6.656 to restrict the reelection of the chair and vice chair of the commission to not more than once; direct that a commission member receive $100 per day and reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties for meeting days and for a maximum of two nonmeeting days per month devoted to commission-related work; amend KRS 6.661 to establish procedures for the method of hiring an executive director; establish a screening committee elected by the commission to perform a search for a new executive director, receive applications, interview candidates, and submit to the full commission three names for consideration for employment; specify membership of the screening committee; amend KRS 6.681 to require commission staff, after rendering an informal advisory opinion in a telephone call, facsimile, electronic transmission, or person-to-person contact with a requestor, to offer to the requestor a follow-up letter; direct that the letter states the requestor's question, the relevant facts presented by the requestor, and the staff member's response; require the request for an informal advisory opinion to remain confidential unless confidentiality is waived, in writing, by the requestor; create a new section of the legislative ethics code to permit the commission to conduct an informal investigation of a potential violation of the code; establish an executive committee elected by the commission; specify its membership; permit any member of the commission to refer a potential violation to the executive committee for an informal investigation; direct the executive committee to determine by majority vote whether to conduct the informal investigation; require the executive committee to contact and question the potential violator before proceeding with an informal investigation or questioning any other person; require the executive committee to complete the informal investigation in a timely manner and submit a written recommendation to the commission on whether the matter warrants a formal complaint and a preliminary investigation under KRS 6.686; require the recommendation to be supported by evidence obtained during the informal investigation; direct that the recommendation and supporting evidence be exempt from KRS 61.872 to 61.884, the Kentucky Open Records Act.

     Jan 7-introduced in Senate
     Jan 11-to State and Local Government (S)