Senate Bill 338 Summary

• Establishes an independent Office of Legislative Ethics with a 5-member Board consisting of former elected officials, attorneys, law professors, and ethics experts appointed by legislative and judicial leadership.

• Creates a full-time Executive Director position (attorney required) to investigate complaints and allegations of misconduct, conflicts of interest, or violations of law by current and former General Assembly members.

• Allows public members to file complaints or request investigations anonymously through a standardized process, with investigations commenced by a 2-vote Board approval and referrals to legislative ethics committees requiring 4-vote approval.

• Requires the Office to issue quarterly reports to the General Assembly detailing complaint totals, matters investigated, and the status of each case within the investigative process.

• Extends whistleblower protections to public employees reporting violations to the Office of Legislative Ethics and exempts the Office from Delaware's Freedom of Information Act requirements.