Ethics Bill That Requires More Financial Disclosure From Lawmakers Heads To Pence For Approval

INDIANAPOLIS – An ethics bill that would require lawmakers to be more transparent with their business dealings and stop them from using state resources for political gain is now headed to the governor for approval.

House Bill 1002, which was authored and sponsored by the four leaders of the House and Senate, received final approval by the House on Monday. The bill is a response to ethical issues surrounding former Rep. Eric Turner and former state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett.

House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, said the bill gives Hoosiers the chance to see the business interests of lawmakers, while also forcing those lawmakers to be transparent.

“The goal was always to have unprecedented transparency and disclosure, and I’m very confident that 1002 accomplishes just that,” Bosma said.

House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, said the bill was a bipartisan effort and all of the state legislative leaders contributed to the bill.

“We have plenty of things around here on which we find ground to disagree, but this is one we’re all in together,” Pelath said.

New language added to the bill closes a loophole that state employees have used in the past to get around a one year cooling off period. Current law allows a former employee to become a consultant and then contract with the company he or she would otherwise have been banned from working with.

The new language would ban that activity as well.

The legislation also requires lawmakers to take an ethics training course and creates an ethics office within the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. Bosma said new ethics office would feature the same LSA employees legislators go to for ethical advice now.

The bill would require lawmakers to disclose active business investments of at least $5,000. Current law doesn’t require a disclosure until the investment reaches $10,000.

The bill passed the House unanimously.

Alec Gray is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.