CT SB01038

Effective October 1, 2019, adds "employer other than the state" and "spouse's employer" to the definition of substantial conflicts of interest under Connecticut's ethics code (Section 1-85).

Elected state officials with substantial conflicts regarding direct monetary gains or losses for their non-state employer or spouse's employer may either recuse themselves or submit a written statement under penalty of perjury explaining why they can vote fairly despite the conflict.

Statements must be submitted to the Office of State Ethics and entered into the state agency's journal or minutes, or submitted to the agency if no journal exists.

Non-elected public officials and state employees must follow similar disclosure procedures, with regulatory agency members able to submit statements or recuse themselves, while non-regulatory employees must notify their immediate superior for reassignment.

Updates related statute (Section 1-86) to include non-state employers and spouses' employers in conflict of interest definitions and disclosure requirements.