Bill > HB298

This bill makes several changes to Alaska's Legislative Ethics Act, primarily focusing on the procedures and jurisdiction of the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics. Key provisions include clarifying that the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics is exempt from certain provisions that apply to other legislative bodies, and that public members of this committee do not include alternate public members. The bill also expands the subpoena powers of the committee, allowing it to require the production of books or papers for examination when authorized by the chair. It refines the process for filing and investigating ethics complaints, including making complaint forms available and establishing timelines for acknowledging receipt and providing copies to the subject of the complaint. The bill introduces new rules regarding proceedings during campaign periods, generally suspending the committee's jurisdiction over complaints against candidates until after the campaign period ends, unless the candidate waives this suspension. It also clarifies confidentiality rules for complaints and investigations, with provisions for waiving confidentiality by the subject of the complaint and for making certain documents public. Furthermore, the bill outlines procedures for referring evidence of probable criminal activity or violations of campaign finance laws to the appropriate agencies, and it amends rules regarding the conduct of hearings, including the right to legal representation and the standard of evidence required for findings. Finally, the bill repeals certain existing subsections related to campaign periods and complaint handling, and it specifies that public members of the committee are entitled to per diem equal to that of legislators and reimbursement for travel expenses.