Understanding Ethics Laws

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:

  1. Laws limiting the degree to which public officials can personally financially benefit from the decisions they make;
  2. Laws restricting the kinds of personal advantages and perks public officials enjoy as a result of their status;
  3. Laws promoting transparency relating to public officials activities and decision-making; and
  4. Laws promoting fair decision-making.

This portion of the website is organized accordingly.  Note that federal laws tend to be more sweeping.Read more »

Institute for Local Government picture

Public Service Ethics Resources for California Local Officials

The Institute offers a suite of ethics publications designed to help California local officials meet both the law’s and the public’s expectations for public servants.Read more »

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Fiduciary Duties and Public Service

This article analyzes the parallels between public service ethics laws and fiduciary responsibilities. It also notes specific areas of the law (investing money and overseeing public pension plans), where fiduciary obligations are more express.