Ethics Board rules
Read the rules for legislative ethics and the Legislative Ethics Board's procedures.
Preface
- Rule Number 1. Procedures
- A. Meetings
- B. Filing of Complaints
- C. Investigation of Complaints
- D. Staff Dismissal of Complaints
- E. Review of Staff Dismissal Order
- F. Determination of Reasonable Cause
- G. Stipulation and Settlement
- H. Notice of Hearing and Respondent’s Answer
- I. Conduct of Hearings
- J. Prehearing Conferences
- K. Final Order in Complaints
- L. Procedures Applicable to Advisory Opinions
- M. Procedures Applicable to Informal Advice
- N. Designated Ethics Advisers
- Rule Number 2. "Measurable Expenditure" Defined
- Rule Number 3. Private Use of Public Resources
- Rule Number 4. Working Hours
- Rule Number 5. Infrequent Meals
- Rule Number 6. Penalties
- Rule Number 7. Harassment
- Rule Number 8. Board Procedures
- A. Circulation of minutes
- B. Recording votes
- C. Advisory Opinion circulation procedures
- D. Complaint Opinion circulation procedures
- E. Circulation of Dissents/Concurrences (Separate Opinion) in Complaint Opinions
- F. Review of contracts, grants, and employment situations with state agencies
- G. Meetings conducted by electronic means
- H. Complaint Process
- I. Recusal
Rule Number 4. Working Hours
A. Authority for rule
RCW 42.52.320(2)(c) directs the ethics boards to adopt rules defining “working
hours for purposes of RCW 42.52.180.” RCW 42.52.180 prohibits the direct or
indirect use of public facilities to assist a campaign for election of a person to an
office or to promote or oppose a ballot measure. Public facilities specifically
include “use of state employees of the agency during working hours.”
B. Text of rule
(1) A legislative employee’s working hours are those designated or required by
Senate, House of Representatives, or legislative agency work schedule policy. If an
employee has a designated work schedule different from the work schedule policy,
that employee’s working hours are the hours approved by that employee’s
supervisor and the Secretary of the Senate, Chief Clerk of the House of
Representatives, or administrative director of a legislative agency, as appropriate.
(2) “Working hours” do not include the time approved and designated for the
employee’s lunch break. Employee lunch periods are assumed to be 12:00 p.m. to
1:00 p.m., unless an employee has a designated work schedule different from the
work schedule policy which has been approved by the employee’s supervisor and
the Secretary of the Senate, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, or
administrative director of a legislative agency.
(3) “Working hours” do not include time in official leave status, if the leave has
been approved in advance.