AN ACT relating to the Kentucky Code of Legislative Ethics.
     Amend KRS 6.611 of the Code of Legislative Ethics to include out-of-state transportation or lodging as "anything of value"; exempt from "anything of value" the cost of attendance or participation, food, and beverages consumed at an in-state event to which an individual legislator has been invited and received prior approval from the LRC; include administrative regulations in the definition of "legislation"; define "in-state" to include counties outside Kentucky that are contiguous with the border of Kentucky; amend KRS 6.686 to prohibit the Commission, in the absence of a complaint, from imposing any penalties except certain listed administrative penalties; permit the Commission, if a complainant or person acting in cooperation with the complainant publicly discloses or comments upon the existence of a complaint or preliminary inquiry, to dismiss the complaint without prejudice to a new complaint being filed by the complainant or another person; amend KRS 6.711 to specify that the orientation courses are for newly-elected legislators and are to be conducted in December of even-numbered years as part of LRC's freshman orientation program; reduce the length of orientation courses from three hours to two hours; amend KRS 6.716 to mandate an annual ethics seminar rather than a current issues seminar for all legislators; reduce the length of the annual ethics seminar from three to two hours; direct the Commission to administer annual one-hour ethics seminars for designated legislative staff who are required to attend; amend KRS 6.747 to prohibit a legislative agent or employer from furnishing or paying for a legislator's out-of-state transportation or lodging; amend KRS 6.767 to prohibit a legislator, a candidate for the General Assembly, or his campaign committee from accepting, during a regular session of the General Assembly, a campaign contribution from an employer of a legislative agent, or from a permanent committee as defined in KRS 121.015; increase the time period during which a contribution may be returned from fourteen days to thirty days; amend KRS 6.811 to prohibit a legislative agent or employer from offering or giving anything of value to a candidate for the General Assembly or to the candidate's spouse or child; prohibit an employer of a legislative agent from making a campaign contribution to a legislator, candidate, or campaign committee for a legislator or candidate during a regular session of the General Assembly; delete the provision allowing each legislative agent and his employer to spend up to $100 annually on food and beverages for each legislator and his immediate family; prohibit an employer of a legislative agent from knowingly employing, appointing, or retaining an immediate family member of a legislator as a legislative agent; amend KRS 6.821, to delete requirement for a representative of an organized association, coalition, or public interest entity to file a statement of expenditures; require an organized association, coalition, or public interest entity that is an employer to identify the source of the entity or association's funds and financial resources; require an employer or legislative agent to report on the costs of admittance or attendance, lodging, or other expenses for in-state events conducted or approved under KRS 6.611; make various changes in the information required in a legislative agent's statement of expenditures; make various additional changes throughout the Code, to conform.

     Jan 18-introduced in House
     Jan 19-to State Government (H)
     Jan 30-posted in committee