Ethics Law Landing Page
In California, state and federal laws create a complex set of requirements laws that guide elected officials and agency staff in their service to their communities. These laws are one source of guidance on what they should do or not do in a given situation.
State laws fall into four categories:
- Laws limiting the degree to which public officials can personally financially benefit from the decisions they make;
- Laws restricting the kinds of personal advantages and perks public officials enjoy as a result of their status;
- Laws promoting transparency relating to public officials activities and decision-making; and
- Laws promoting fair decision-making.
This portion of the website is organized accordingly. Note that federal laws tend to be more sweeping.
As extensive and complex as these laws are, it is important to remember ethics laws only constitute minimum standards for officials’ conduct. The law is a floor for public official conduct, not a ceiling: just because a particular course of action is legal does not mean it is ethical.
RSS Feeds