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Chairman Vincent C. Gray
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
To amend the Rules of Organization and Procedure for the
Council of the District of Columbia, Council Period 18, to adopt a Code of
Official Conduct for the Council to ensure the full public confidence that
representative government requires, recognize that public office is a
public trust, to commit the Council to the highest standards of ethics,
honesty, openness, and integrity, and pledge as a body to adhere
consistently to these values.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the
"Council Code of Official Conduct Rules Amendment Resolution of
2009".
Sec. 2. Article II of the Rules of Organization and
Procedure for the Council of the District of Columbia, Council Period 18,
effective January 2, 2007 (18-1; 55 DCR 748), is amended as follows:
(a) Add a new section 201a to read as follows:
"201a. Code of Official Conduct.
"(a) Councilmembers and Council staff shall maintain
a high level of ethical conduct in connection with the performance of
their official duties, and shall refrain from taking, ordering, or
participating in any official action which would adversely affect the
confidence of the public in the integrity of the District government.
Council members shall strive to act solely in the public interest and not
for any personal gain, or take an official action on a matter as to which
he or she has a potential conflict of interest created by a personal,
family, client or business interest, avoiding both actual and perceived
conflicts of interest and preferential treatment.
"(b) Councilmembers and Council staff shall take full
responsibility for understanding and complying with the letter and spirit
of all laws and regulations governing standards of conduct for District
public officials, including those relating to conduct, conflicts of
interest, gifts, disclosures, campaign finance, political activity, and
freedom of information. This includes Council Rule; D.C. Official Code §
1-615.51 (whistleblower protection); D.C. Official Code § 1-618.01, et
seq., and 6 DCMR, Chapter 18; (Standards of Conduct); District of
Columbia Campaign Finance and Conflict of Interest Act (D.C. Official Code
§ 1-1104.03 (Constituent Services Funds); D.C. Official Code §
1-1105.06(a)( and (b) (Lobbying); D.C. Official Code § 1-1106.01
-1-1106.02, and D.C. Municipal Regulations, Title 3, Chapters 33 and 37
(conflict of interest); D.C. Official Code § 1-1106.51 (use of government
resources); Official Correspondence Regulations (D.C. Official Code §
2-701 et seq.)(Official Mail); and all applicable federal conflict of
interest and ethics rules and regulations: the Hatch Act (5 USC §§ 7321
-7326)(partisan political activity);18 USC § 201(b)(2)(bribery); 18 USC
§ 207 (post-employment restrictions; 18 USC § 208 and 5 CFR Part 734
(conflict of interest).
"(c) Councilmembers and Council staff shall
specifically adhere to the Council Code of Official Conduct that lists the
core ethical principles that build public trust in government. The Code of
Official Conduct attached to this resolution, is hereby adopted.
"(d)(1) The Council shall proactively review the
District’s overall ethics program, including structure, training,
enforcement and overall ethics culture, and work to comply with national
standards for the creation of effective compliance and ethics programs.
"(2) The Ethics Counselor for the Council, in
coordination with the Office of Campaign Finance shall conduct mandatory
training on the conflict of interest and ethics laws and regulations
applicable to Councilmembers and staff on at least an annual basis.
Ethics training materials, including summary guidelines to all
applicable laws and regulations, shall also be prepared by the Ethics
Counselor for the Council and made readily available online and in
print.".
(b) Section 263 is amended by striking the period at the
end of the sentence and adding the phrase ", and shall serve as
Ethics Counselor to the Council." in its place.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately. |
