21-G:29 Executive Branch Ethics Committee Established; Jurisdiction; Membership. –
I. There is hereby established an executive branch ethics committee to issue guidelines, interpretive rulings, and advisory opinions relative to standards for ethical conduct in the executive branch and to resolve, through procedures established under RSA 21-G:32, issues, questions, or complaints involving executive branch officials.
II. The jurisdiction of the committee shall consist of matters arising under the executive branch code of ethics, RSA 21-G:21-27, RSA 15-A, RSA 15-B, and rules or guidelines adopted thereunder, as applied to current or former executive branch officials, provided that the committee may only consider a complaint against a former executive branch official if the complaint is filed no later than 180 days after the day the official resigned, retired, or otherwise left his or her position.
III. The committee shall consist of 7 members, nominated in the following manner:
(a) Three members, nominated by the governor, one of whom shall be a member of the democratic party, one of whom shall be a member of the republican party, and one of whom shall have no political party affiliation.
(b) Two members, nominated by the secretary of state, one of whom shall be a member of the democratic party and one of whom shall be a member of the republican party.
(c) Two members, nominated by the treasurer, one of whom shall be a member of the democratic party and one of whom shall be a member of the republican party.
IV. All nominations under paragraph III shall be confirmed by the governor and executive council.
V. Persons appointed to the committee shall be qualified by excellent personal reputation and by education or experience in public service, in resolving ethical issues facing persons in public service, or in the law. No executive branch official shall serve as a committee member, and no person who has registered as a lobbyist under RSA 15:1 shall serve as a committee member, or for 6 months following the expiration of such registration.
VI. Committee members shall serve terms of 3 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified. However, initially, the governor shall nominate one member for a one-year term, one member for a 2-year term and one member for a 3-year term; the secretary of state shall nominate one member for a 2-year term, and one member for a 3-year term; the treasurer shall nominate one member for a one-year term and one member for a 2-year term. Initial nominations to the committee shall be made no later than 90 days after the effective date of this section. The initial appointments shall begin on July 1, 2006 and end on June 30 of the appropriate year. Vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of any unexpired term. During their term of appointment, members may not hold or campaign for partisan elective office, serve as an officer of any political party or political committee, permit their names to be used in support of or in opposition to any local or state partisan candidate, participate in any way in any local or state partisan election campaign, make a contribution as defined in RSA 664:2 to any local or state candidate for office or state political committee, or act as or assist a lobbyist required to be registered under RSA 15:1.
VII. The governor shall designate one of the governor's appointees as chair, who shall convene the first meeting, which shall take place no later than 30 days after a majority of the membership has been appointed. The members shall elect by majority vote a vice-chair and secretary from the remaining members.
VIII. Committee members shall receive no compensation, except that committee members shall receive mileage at the state employee rate.
Source. 2004, 214:1. 2006, 21:3, eff. June 2, 2006. 2015, 82:1, eff. Aug. 1, 2015. 2016, 57:8, 9, eff. July 4, 2016.