SB230 - Alabama Ethics Law Comprehensive Revision

• Moves ethics violations to criminal code: Relocates provisions prohibiting public officials from using office for personal gain, misusing government equipment, or soliciting things of value from regulated persons from the ethics code to the criminal code with felony and misdemeanor penalties.

• Revises bribery crime and defines "act corruptly": Updates the bribery statute to cover anything regardless of value and adds a definition of "act corruptly" as acting voluntarily, deliberately, and dishonestly to accomplish an unlawful end or use unlawful methods.

• Requires lobbyist reporting of gifts: Mandates that lobbyists and principals report things of value given to public officials and family members to the State Ethics Commission quarterly, while allowing such gifts in specified circumstances.

• Changes disclosure violation penalties: Reduces penalties for failure to disclose information from Class A misdemeanor to civil penalties up to $5,000 imposed by the commission, while other ethics violations become Class A misdemeanors.

• Establishes new ethics framework: Repeals Chapter 25 of Title 36 and creates new Chapter 25B establishing the Alabama Ethics Act with updated definitions, commission procedures, lobbyist registration requirements, and investigatory processes, effective January 1, 2020.