Vermont § 1995 - Ethics training

§ 1995. Ethics training

• (a) Initial ethics training. Within 120 days after the election or appointment of a member of a legislative body
  or a quasi-judicial body, or a chief administrative officer, mayor, town or city manager,
  that individual shall complete ethics training, as approved by the State Ethics Commission.
  A municipality shall make a reasonable effort to provide training to all other municipal
  officers. The officer, the officer’s employer, or another individual designated by
  the municipality shall document the officer’s completed ethics training. (b) Continuing ethics training. Upon completing initial ethics training, a municipal officer shall complete additional
  ethics training, as determined by the State Ethics Commission, every three years. (c) Approval of training. Ethics trainings shall at minimum reflect the contents of the Municipal Ethics Code
  and be approved by the State Ethics Commission. Approval of ethics trainings shall
  not be unreasonably withheld. Ethics trainings shall be conducted by the State Ethics
  Commission, the municipality, or a third party approved in advance by the State Ethics
  Commission. The State Ethics Commission may approve trainings that are in person,
  online, and synchronous or asynchronous. The State Ethics Commission shall require
  ethics training to be designed in a manner as to achieve improved competency in the
  subject matter rather than rely on fixed hours of training as a measure of completed
  training. (d) Training provided by the Commission. (1) The State Ethics Commission shall develop and make available to municipalities ethics
  training required of municipal officers by subsections (a) and (b) of this section. (2) The Commission shall develop and make available to municipalities trainings regarding
  how to investigate and resolve complaints that allege violations of the Municipal
  Code of Ethics. (e) State Ethics Commission liaisons. Each municipality, acting through its legislative body, shall designate an employee
  as its liaison to the State Ethics Commission. If a municipality does not have any
  employees, the legislative body shall designate one of its members as its liaison
  to the State Ethics Commission. The municipality shall notify the Commission in writing
  of any newly designated liaison within 30 days after such change. The Commission shall
  disseminate information to the designated liaisons and conduct educational seminars
  for designated liaisons on a regular basis on a schedule to be determined by the Commission,
  in consultation with the municipality. The Commission shall report any ethics training
  conducted by the Commission and completed by an officer to the liaison of that officer’s
  municipality. (Added 2023, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 22, eff. January 1, 2025.)