VT HR0006

Amends Rule 90(b) of the Vermont House Rules to allow the Ethics Panel to issue brief public statements when an investigation becomes publicly known through independent sources and public confidence may be threatened by lack of information

Requires the Ethics Panel to issue anonymized closure reports for each complaint, summarizing allegations, final disposition, and basis for the decision, to be maintained in a public registry on the Panel's webpage

Establishes confidentiality requirements for Panel members and staff, with exceptions for court orders, law enforcement agencies, and sharing with Discrimination Prevention or Sexual Harassment Prevention Panels

Expands the annual reporting requirement to include a general description of the topic of each complaint filed, in addition to the existing requirements for complaint numbers and dispositions

Exempts all records produced or acquired by the Ethics Panel from the Public Records Act