Bill > S2109

This bill proposes changes to Massachusetts' conflict of interest law regarding travel expenses and gifts for public officials, with three key provisions. First, the bill eliminates a current loophole that allows travel expenses paid by organizations registered as lobbyists with the State Secretary to be excluded from ethics regulations, effectively closing a potential conflict of interest pathway. Second, the bill requires the State Ethics Commission to create and maintain a publicly accessible, searchable electronic database of travel expense disclosure forms filed by elected public officials, enhancing transparency by making these records easily available to anyone who requests them. Third, the bill mandates that travel expense disclosure forms be updated to include information about whether the organization paying for the travel has engaged in legislative lobbying related to the official in the 12 months preceding the travel, with "legislative lobbying" and "legislation" defined according to existing Massachusetts law. These changes aim to increase accountability and provide more comprehensive information about potential conflicts of interest in government travel and gifts.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2109