November 8, 2023
An on-demand online Comprehensive Ethics Training Course (CETC) is now available to all New York State employees who have access to the Statewide Learning Management System (SLMS), Executive Director Sanford N. Berland announced today. On-demand CETC ensures all state employees are familiarized with the ethics laws that apply to them and provides an interim tool to agency ethics officers and training staff who may be facing challenges in providing live CETC training to their entire complements of officers and employees.
“COELIG’s Education and Training Team has worked diligently to ensure the state workforce has access to this essential on-demand training,” Executive Director Berland said. “New York’s valuable public servants need to be familiar with the state’s ethics laws and regulations so they can identify unethical behavior in the workplace and avoid potential violations of those laws. This comprehensive training helps fill that need.”
“Making this training available is a crucial step toward meeting the 30-fold increase in the number of state officers and employees who are required to receive comprehensive state ethics training every year,” Chair Frederick A. Davie said. “The Commission is committed to its mission of restoring the public’s trust and confidence in state government, with transparency and integrity fundamental in everything we do.”
Comprehensive Ethics Training Course (CETC)
Legislative changes and the Ethics Commission Reform Act of 2022 mandate that all executive branch state officers and employees receive ethics training every year. The requirements include that:
- new hires complete live training within 90 days of employment;
- live training be completed every other year; and
- ethics refresher training be taken in the intervening years that live training is due.
This expansion ensures that all affected state employees know and understand their obligations under the ethics laws. It also aligns with the Commission’s efforts to foster public trust in government by using ethics training to promote compliance with ethical standards and to deter misconduct.
COELIG’s Statewide Ethics Training Initiative website provides guidance and information for state agency SLMS administrators on enrolling employees in this important training. Unless an employee has taken the live CETC, all employees should, at minimum, complete the on-demand CETC by December 31, 2023. Additionally, this course satisfies the Ethics Refresher requirement for employees who have already completed live instructor-led training.
Agency Ethics Officers or Training Compliance Officers who have questions regarding on-demand CETC may email the COELIG Education team at [email protected].
About COELIG
Created by New York State Law in July 2022, the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government’s charge is to restore public trust in government by ensuring compliance with the state’s ethics and lobbying laws and regulations. It has jurisdiction over more than 300,000 officers and employees at State agencies and departments, including commissions, boards, State public benefit corporations, public authorities, SUNY, CUNY, and the statutory closely affiliated corporations; the four statewide elected officials; members of the Legislature and candidates for those offices; and state and local lobbyists and their clients.
The Commission administers, enforces, and interprets New York’s ethics and lobbying laws by providing information, education, and guidance regarding ethics and lobbying laws; promoting compliance through audits, investigations, and enforcement proceedings; issuing formal and informal advisory opinions; and promulgating regulations to implement laws under its jurisdiction.
The Commission also promotes transparency by conducting its proceedings publicly to the fullest extent permitted by law and by making publicly available the financial and other disclosures filed by those subject to the Commission’s authority. These disclosures include, but are not limited to, annual financial disclosure statements filed by over 36,000 individuals, and activity and expense reports filed by lobbyists and their clients.
The full Commission consists of 11 members with staggered four-year terms nominated by the Governor, Senate Temporary President and Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, Assembly Speaker, Assembly Minority Leader, Comptroller, and Attorney General. The Independent Review Committee, comprised of the Deans of the State’s 15 accredited law schools, determines, based upon stated criteria, whether nominees should be approved for appointment.