Responsibilities of an Ethics Officer Ethics Officers...It's more than a title... it's a responsibility...

Ethics Officers provide a critical function in assisting the thousands of State officers and employees in navigating the State's ethics laws.  The Public Officers Law and the Commission's ethics regulations create legal obligations for both agencies and their officers and employees. For this reason, each agency should designate an Ethics Officer to provide guidance to these individuals on compliance with the ethics laws.

In addition, the Ethics Officer is responsible for ensuring that both the agency and its personnel comply with the legal obligations related to the following subjects:

The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government is available as a resource to assist you in providing guidance to your agency on the ethics laws and regulations. The Commission has developed a comprehensive online publication that provides new and seasoned Ethics Officers with an overview of the legal obligations under the Public Officers Law and applicable regulations.  

We encourage you to contact us with questions or for confidential guidance on a specific matter.

 

Responsibilities of the Ethics Officer 

COELIG Resources

Ethics at Glance fact sheets provide quick highlights of the state's ethics laws on topics that vary from conflicts of interest, gifts and post-employment. We encourage you to share them with your agency employees. Advisory Opinions provide guidance based on the Commission's interpretation of laws, regulations, and precedent.

Helpful Advisory Opinions Popular topics for advice and guidance

 

Charitable and Political Fundraising
  • Advisory Opinion Number 97-28: Applying Public Officers Law §§ 73(5) and 74 to a State employee who wishes to engage in personal charitable fundraising activities.
  • Advisory Opinion Number 98-12: Applying Public Officers Law § 74 to State employees who fundraise and otherwise work on political campaigns.
Job offers
  • Advisory Opinion Number 06-01: Applying Public Officers Law §§ 73 and 74 to State employees who solicit or receive an offer for employment from an entity or individual with a specific matter pending before the employee.
Gifts
  • Advisory Opinion Number 95-38: Applying the Public Officers Law to gifts to State agencies.
  • Advisory Opinion Number 08-04: Applying Public Officers Law §§ 73 and 74 to State employees traveling on official business who receive reward or bonus points offered to customers by common carriers and hotels.

  • Advisory Opinion Number 05-1: Applying the gift prohibition in the Public Officers Law to discounts on goods or services offered to State employees.