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HomeMy WebLinkAbout14.b Ethics Training OVERVIEW CCUA CODE OF ETHICS-2024 OVERVIEW Section 112.313 of the Florida Statutes establishes the standards of conduct required under the Code of Ethics (Part III, Chapter 112), applicable to each CCUA Board of Supervisor as a"public officer."That statute is set forth below for information purposes. In addition,there are numerous definitions set forth in the preceding section 112.212, Florida Statutes,which may be helpful in the context of researching and responding to specific potential areas of concern.Section 112.3142, Florida Statutes, requires certain public officers, now including elected officers of an independent special district,to have mandatory 4-hour training regarding the Florida Commission on Ethics (FCOE),the Code of Ethics, Public Records, and Public Meetings (i.e.,the Sunshine Law). Because our Board of Supervisors are appointed and not elected,the current state of the law does not mandate that any of the CCUA Board of Supervisors must complete such training. However, if any of you wish to pursue such training for your own benefit and knowledge,you are welcome to do so, and information on such available course training is indicated in the Commission on Ethics training excerpt, below.You may follow the indicated links to the Florida Commission on Ethics (ethics.state.fl.us) and/or Office of Attorney General(myfloridalegal.com) online to access the actual available training materials. Florida will be in the fourth week of its state legislative session as of February 6, 2024. I do not see any current legislation pending in Tallahassee which would change the application of the above training requirement to CCUA Board of Supervisors members. However, if SB 734 and CS/HB 735 on Government Accountability were to become law, CCUA would need to implement a lobbyist registration program to comply with the provisions of those bills pertaining to the (executive) lobbying of special districts. For purposes of comparison,the regional water management districts currently have such lobbyist registration requirements. The following statutory and FCOE excerpts are available for your review, but no action is required. gAW The 2023 Florida Statutes (including Special Session C) Title X PUBLIC OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES,AND RECORDS Chapter 112 PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES: GENERAL PROVISIONS 112.313 Standards of conduct for public officers, employees of agencies, and local government attorneys.— (1) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires,the term"public officer"includes any person elected or appointed to hold office in any agency, including any person serving on an advisory body. (2) SOLICITATION OR ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS.—No public officer, employee of an agency, local government attorney, or candidate for nomination or election shall solicit or accept anything of value to the recipient, including a gift, loan, reward, promise of future employment,favor, or service, based upon any understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public officer, employee, local government attorney, or candidate would be influenced thereby. (3) DOING BUSINESS WITH ONE'S AGENCY.—No employee of an agency acting in his or her official capacity as a purchasing agent, or public officer acting in his or her official capacity, shall either directly or indirectly purchase, rent, or lease any realty, goods, or services for his or her own agency from any business entity of which the officer or employee or the officer's or employee's spouse or child is an officer, partner, director, or proprietor or in which such officer or employee or the officer's or employee's spouse or child, or any combination of them, has a material interest. Nor shall a public officer or employee, acting in a private capacity, rent, lease, or sell any realty,goods, or services to the officer's or employee's own agency, if he or she is a state officer or employee, or to any political subdivision or any agency thereof, if he or she is serving as an officer or employee of that political subdivision.The foregoing shall not apply to district offices maintained by legislators when such offices are located in the legislator's place of business or when such offices are on property wholly or partially owned by the legislator.This subsection shall not affect or be construed to prohibit contracts entered into prior to: (a) October 1, 1975. (b) Qualification for elective office. (c) Appointment to public office. (d) Beginning public employment. (4) UNAUTHORIZED COMPENSATION.—No public officer, employee of an agency, or local government attorney or his or her spouse or minor child shall, at any time, accept any compensation, payment, or thing of value when such public officer, employee, or local government attorney knows, or,with the exercise of reasonable care, should know,that it was given to influence a vote or other action in which the officer, employee, or local government attorney was expected to participate in his or her official capacity. (5) SALARY AND EXPENSES.—No public officer shall be prohibited from voting on a matter affecting his or her salary,expenses, or other compensation as a public officer, as provided by law. No local government attorney shall be prevented from considering any matter affecting his or her salary, expenses, or other compensation as the local government attorney, as provided by law. (6) MISUSE OF PUBLIC POSITION.—No public officer, employee of an agency, or local government attorney shall corruptly use or attempt to use his or her official position or any property or resource which may be within his or her trust, or perform his or her official duties,to secure a special privilege, benefit, or exemption for himself, herself, or others.This section shall not be construed to conflict with s. 104.31. (7) CONFLICTING EMPLOYMENT OR CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP.— (a) No public officer or employee of an agency shall have or hold any employment or contractual relationship with any business entity or any agency which is subject to the regulation of, or is doing business with, an agency of which he or she is an officer or employee, excluding those organizations and their officers who,when acting in their official capacity, enter into or negotiate a collective bargaining contract with the state or any municipality, county, or other political subdivision of the state; nor shall an officer or employee of an agency have or hold any employment or contractual relationship that will create a continuing or frequently recurring conflict between his or her private interests and the performance of his or her public duties or that would impede the full and faithful discharge of his or her public duties. 1. When the agency referred to is that certain kind of special tax district created by general or special law and is limited specifically to constructing, maintaining, managing, and financing improvements in the land area over which the agency has jurisdiction, or when the agency has been organized pursuant to chapter 298,then employment with, or entering into a contractual relationship with, such business entity by a public officer or employee of such agency is not prohibited by this subsection 1 or deemed a conflict per se. However, conduct by such officer or employee that is prohibited by, or otherwise frustrates the intent of,this section, including conduct that violates subsections (6) and (8), is deemed a conflict of interest in violation of the standards of conduct set forth by this section. 2. When the agency referred to is a legislative body and the regulatory power over the business entity resides in another agency, or when the regulatory power which the legislative body exercises over the business entity or agency is strictly through the enactment of laws or ordinances,then employment or a contractual relationship with such business entity by a public officer or employee of a legislative body shall not be prohibited by this subsection or be deemed a conflict. (b) This subsection shall not prohibit a public officer or employee from practicing in a particular profession or occupation when such practice by persons holding such public office or employment is required or permitted by law or ordinance. (8) DISCLOSURE OR USE OF CERTAIN INFORMATION.—A current or former public officer, employee of an agency, or local government attorney may not disclose or use information not available to members of the general public and gained by reason of his or her official position, except for information relating exclusively to governmental practices,for his or her personal gain or benefit or for the personal gain or benefit of any other person or business entity. (9) POSTEMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS; STANDARDS OF CONDUCT FOR LEGISLATORS AND LEGISLATIVE EMPLOYEES.— (a)1. It is the intent of the Legislature to implement by statute the provisions of s. 8(e),Art. II of the State Constitution relating to legislators, statewide elected officers, appointed state officers, and designated public employees. 2. As used in this paragraph: a. "Employee"means: (I) Any person employed in the executive or legislative branch of government holding a position in the Senior Management Service as defined in s. 110.402 or any person holding a position in the Selected Exempt Service as defined in s. 110.602 or any person having authority over policy or procurement employed by the Department of the Lottery. (II) The Auditor General,the director of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability,the Sergeant at Arms and Secretary of the Senate, and the Sergeant at Arms and Clerk of the House of Representatives. (III) The executive director and deputy executive director of the Commission on Ethics. (IV) An executive director, staff director, or deputy staff director of each joint committee, standing committee, or select committee of the Legislature; an executive director, staff director, executive assistant, analyst, or attorney of the Office of the President of the Senate,the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives,the Senate Majority Party Office, Senate Minority Party Office, House Majority Party Office, or House Minority Party Office; or any person, hired on a contractual basis, having the power normally conferred upon such persons, by whatever title. (V) The Chancellor and Vice Chancellors of the State University System;the general counsel to the Board of Governors of the State University System; and the president, provost,vice presidents, and deans of each state university. (VI) Any person, including an other-personal-services employee, having the power normally conferred upon the positions referenced in this sub-subparagraph. b. "Appointed state officer" means any member of an appointive board, commission, committee, council, or authority of the executive or legislative branch of state government whose powers, jurisdiction, and authority are not solely advisory and include the final determination or adjudication of any personal or property rights, duties, or obligations, other than those relative to its internal operations. c. "State agency"means an entity of the legislative, executive, or judicial branch of state government over which the Legislature exercises plenary budgetary and statutory control. 3.a. No member of the Legislature, appointed state officer, or statewide elected officer shall personally represent another person or entity for compensation before the government body or agency of which the individual was an officer or member for a period of 2 years following vacation of office. No member of the Legislature shall personally represent another person or entity for compensation during his or her term of office before any state agency other than judicial tribunals or in settlement negotiations after the filing of a lawsuit. b. For a period of 2 years following vacation of office, a former member of the Legislature may not act as a lobbyist for compensation before an executive branch agency, agency official, or employee. The terms used in this sub-subparagraph have the same meanings as provided in s. 112.3215. 4. An agency employee, including an agency employee who was employed on July 1, 2001, in a Career Service System position that was transferred to the Selected Exempt Service System under chapter 2001-43, Laws of Florida, may not personally represent another person or entity for compensation before the agency with which he or she was employed for a period of 2 years following vacation of position, unless employed by another agency of state government. 5. Any person violating this paragraph shall be subject to the penalties provided in s. 112.317 and a civil penalty of an amount equal to the compensation which the person receives for the prohibited conduct. 6. This paragraph is not applicable to: a. A person employed by the Legislature or other agency prior to July 1, 1989; b. A person who was employed by the Legislature or other agency on July 1, 1989,whether or not the person was a defined employee on July 1, 1989; c. A person who was a defined employee of the State University System or the Public Service Commission who held such employment on December 31, 1994; d. A person who has reached normal retirement age as defined in s. 121.021(29), and who has retired under the provisions of chapter 121 by July 1, 1991; or e. Any appointed state officer whose term of office began before January 1, 1995, unless reappointed to that office on or after January 1, 1995. (b) In addition to the provisions of this part which are applicable to legislators and legislative employees by virtue of their being public officers or employees,the conduct of members of the Legislature and legislative employees shall be governed by the ethical standards provided in the respective rules of the Senate or House of Representatives which are not in conflict herewith. (10) EMPLOYEES HOLDING OFFICE.— (a) No employee of a state agency or of a county, municipality, special taxing district, or other political subdivision of the state shall hold office as a member of the governing board, council, commission,or authority, by whatever name known,which is his or her employer while, at the same time, continuing as an employee of such employer. (b) The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any person holding office in violation of such provisions on the effective date of this act. However, such a person shall surrender his or her conflicting employment prior to seeking reelection or accepting reappointment to office. (11) PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING BOARD MEMBERS.—No officer, director, or administrator of a Florida state,county, or regional professional or occupational organization or association,while holding such position, shall be eligible to serve as a member of a state examining or licensing board for the profession or occupation. (12) EXEMPTION.The requirements of subsections (3) and (7) as they pertain to persons serving on advisory boards may be waived in a particular instance by the body which appointed the person to the advisory board, upon a full disclosure of the transaction or relationship to the appointing body prior to the waiver and an affirmative vote in favor of waiver by two-thirds vote of that body. In instances in which appointment to the advisory board is made by an individual,waiver may be effected, after public hearing, by a determination by the appointing person and full disclosure of the transaction or relationship by the appointee to the appointing person. In addition, no person shall be held in violation of subsection (3)or subsection (7) if: (a) Within a city or county the business is transacted under a rotation system whereby the business transactions are rotated among all qualified suppliers of the goods or services within the city or county. (b) The business is awarded under a system of sealed, competitive bidding to the lowest or best bidder and: 1. The official or the official's spouse or child has in no way participated in the determination of the bid specifications or the determination of the lowest or best bidder; 2. The official or the official's spouse or child has in no way used or attempted to use the official's influence to persuade the agency or any personnel thereof to enter such a contract other than by the mere submission of the bid; and 3. The official, prior to or at the time of the submission of the bid, has filed a statement with the Commission on Ethics, if the official is a state officer or employee, or with the supervisor of elections of the county in which the agency has its principal office, if the official is an officer or employee of a political subdivision, disclosing the official's interest, or the interest of the official's spouse or child, and the nature of the intended business. (c) The purchase or sale is for legal advertising in a newspaper,for any utilities service, or for passage on a common carrier. (d) An emergency purchase or contract which would otherwise violate a provision of subsection (3) or subsection (7) must be made in order to protect the health, safety, or welfare of the citizens of the state or any political subdivision thereof. (e) The business entity involved is the only source of supply within the political subdivision of the officer or employee and there is full disclosure by the officer or employee of his or her interest in the business entity to the governing body of the political subdivision prior to the purchase, rental, sale, leasing, or other business being transacted. (f) The total amount of the transactions in the aggregate between the business entity and the agency does not exceed $500 per calendar year. (g) The fact that a county or municipal officer or member of a public board or body, including a district school officer or an officer of any district within a county, is a stockholder, officer, or director of a bank will not bar such bank from qualifying as a depository of funds coming under the jurisdiction of any such public board or body, provided it appears in the records of the agency that the governing body of the agency has determined that such officer or member of a public board or body has not favored such bank over other qualified banks. (h) The transaction is made pursuant to s. 1004.22 or s. 1004.23 and is specifically approved by the president and the chair of the university board of trustees.The chair of the university board of trustees shall submit to the Governor and the Legislature by March 1 of each year a report of the transactions approved pursuant to this paragraph during the preceding year. (i) The public officer or employee purchases in a private capacity goods or services, at a price and upon terms available to similarly situated members of the general public,from a business entity which is doing business with his or her agency. (j) The public officer or employee in a private capacity purchases goods or services from a business entity which is subject to the regulation of his or her agency and: 1. The price and terms of the transaction are available to similarly situated members of the general public; and 2. The officer or employee makes full disclosure of the relationship to the agency head or governing body prior to the transaction. (13) COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL ORDINANCES AND SPECIAL DISTRICT AND SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOLUTIONS REGULATING FORMER OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES.The governing body of any county or municipality may adopt an ordinance and the governing body of any special district or school district may adopt a resolution providing that an appointed county, municipal, special district, or school district officer or a county, municipal, special district, or school district employee may not personally represent another person or entity for compensation before the government body or agency of which the individual was an officer or employee for a period of 2 years following vacation of office or termination of employment, except for the purposes of collective bargaining. Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit such ordinance or resolution. (14) LOBBYING BY FORMER LOCAL OFFICERS; PROHIBITION.—A person who has been elected to any county, municipal, special district, or school district office or appointed superintendent of a school district may not personally represent another person or entity for compensation before the government body or agency of which the person was an officer for a period of 2 years after vacating that office. For purposes of this subsection: (a) The"government body or agency"of a member of a board of county commissioners consists of the commission,the chief administrative officer or employee of the county, and their immediate support staff. (b) The"government body or agency"of any other county elected officer is the office or department headed by that officer, including all subordinate employees. (c) The"government body or agency"of an elected municipal officer consists of the governing body of the municipality,the chief administrative officer or employee of the municipality, and their immediate support staff. (d) The"government body or agency"of an elected special district officer is the special district. (e) The"government body or agency"of an elected school district officer is the school district. (15) ADDITIONAL EXEMPTION.—No elected public officer shall be held in violation of subsection (7) if the officer maintains an employment relationship with an entity which is currently a tax- exempt organization under s. 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and which contracts with or otherwise enters into a business relationship with the officer's agency and: (a) The officer's employment is not directly or indirectly compensated as a result of such contract or business relationship; (b) The officer has in no way participated in the agency's decision to contract or to enter into the business relationship with his or her employer,whether by participating in discussion at the meeting, by communicating with officers or employees of the agency, or otherwise; and (c) The officer abstains from voting on any matter which may come before the agency involving the officer's employer, publicly states to the assembly the nature of the officer's interest in the matter from which he or she is abstaining, and files a written memorandum as provided in s. 112.3143. (16) LOCAL GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS.- (a) For the purposes of this section,"local government attorney"means any individual who routinely serves as the attorney for a unit of local government.The term shall not include any person who renders legal services to a unit of local government pursuant to contract limited to a specific issue or subject,to specific litigation, or to a specific administrative proceeding. For the purposes of this section,"unit of local government"includes, but is not limited to, municipalities, counties, and special districts. (b) It shall not constitute a violation of subsection (3)or subsection (7)for a unit of local government to contract with a law firm, operating as either a partnership or a professional association, or in any combination thereof, or with a local government attorney who is a member of or is otherwise associated with the law firm,to provide any or all legal services to the unit of local government, so long as the local government attorney is not a full-time employee or member of the governing body of the unit of local government. However,the standards of conduct as provided in subsections(2), (4), (5), (6), and (8) shall apply to any person who serves as a local government attorney. (c) No local government attorney or law firm in which the local government attorney is a member, partner, or employee shall represent a private individual or entity before the unit of local government to which the local government attorney provides legal services.A local government attorney whose contract with the unit of local government does not include provisions that authorize or mandate the use of the law firm of the local government attorney to complete legal services for the unit of local government shall not recommend or otherwise refer legal work to that attorney's law firm to be completed for the unit of local government. (17) BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND BOARDS OF TRUSTEES.-No citizen member of the Board of Governors of the State University System, nor any citizen member of a board of trustees of a local constituent university, shall have or hold any employment or contractual relationship as a legislative lobbyist requiring annual registration and reporting pursuant to s. 11.045. History.-s. 3, ch. 67-469; s. 2, ch. 69-335; ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 3, ch. 74-177; ss. 4, 11, ch. 75- 208; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 77-349; s.4, ch. 82-98; s. 2, ch. 83-26; s. 6, ch. 83-282; s. 14, ch. 85- 80; s. 12, ch. 86-145; s. 1, ch. 88-358; s. 1, ch. 88-408; s. 3, ch. 90-502; s. 3, ch. 91-85; s. 4, ch. 91- 292; s. 1, ch. 92-35; s. 1, ch. 94-277; s. 1406, ch. 95-147; s. 3, ch. 96-311; s. 34, ch. 96-318; s.41, ch. 99-2; s. 29, ch. 2001-266; s. 20, ch. 2002-1; s. 894, ch. 2002-387; s. 2, ch.2005-285; s. 2, ch. 2006-275; s. 10, ch. 2007-217; s. 16, ch. 2011-34; s. 3, ch. 2013-36; s. 2, ch. 2018-5; s. 1, ch. 2023- 121. 1 Note.The word"be"following the word"or"was deleted by the editors to improve clarity. Copyright©1995-2024 The Florida Legislature The 2023 Florida Statutes(including Special Session C) Title X PUBLIC OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES,AND RECORDS Chapter 112 PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES: GENERAL PROVISIONS 112.3142 Ethics training for specified constitutional officers, elected municipal officers, commissioners of community redevelopment agencies, and elected local officers of independent special districts.— (1) As used in this section,the term"constitutional officers"includes the Governor,the Lieutenant Governor,the Attorney General,the Chief Financial Officer,the Commissioner of Agriculture, state attorneys, public defenders, sheriffs,tax collectors, property appraisers, supervisors of elections, clerks of the circuit court, county commissioners, district school board members, and superintendents of schools. (2)(a) All constitutional officers must complete 4 hours of ethics training each calendar year which addresses, at a minimum, s. 8,Art. II of the State Constitution,the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees, and the public records and public meetings laws of this state.This requirement may be satisfied by completion of a continuing legal education class or other continuing professional education class, seminar, or presentation if the required subjects are covered. (b) All elected municipal officers must complete 4 hours of ethics training each calendar year which addresses, at a minimum, s. 8,Art. II of the State Constitution,the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees, and the public records and public meetings laws of this state.This requirement may be satisfied by completion of a continuing legal education class or other continuing professional education class, seminar, or presentation if the required subjects are covered. (c) Beginning January 1,2020, each commissioner of a community redevelopment agency created under part III of chapter 163 must complete 4 hours of ethics training each calendar year which addresses, at a minimum, s. 8,Art. II of the State Constitution,the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees, and the public records and public meetings laws of this state.This requirement may be satisfied by completion of a continuing legal education class or other continuing professional education class, seminar, or presentation, if the required subject material is covered by the class. (d) Beginning January 1, 2024, each ELECTED local officer of an independent special district, as defined in s. 189.012,and each person who is appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term of such elective office must complete 4 hours of ethics training each calendar year which addresses,at a minimum, s.8,Art. II of the State Constitution,the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees,and the public records and public meetings laws of this state.This requirement may be satisfied by completion of a continuing legal education class or other continuing professional education class,seminar, or presentation, if the required subject matter is covered by such class, seminar,or presentation. (e) The commission shall adopt rules establishing minimum course content for the portion of an ethics training class which addresses s. 8,Art. II of the State Constitution and the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees. (f) The Legislature intends that a constitutional officer, a commissioner of a community redevelopment agency, an elected municipal officer, or an elected local officer of an independent special district who is required to complete ethics training pursuant to this section receive the required training as close as possible to the date that he or she assumes office.A constitutional officer, a commissioner of a community redevelopment agency, an elected municipal officer, or an elected local officer of an independent special district assuming a new office or new term of office on or before March 31 must complete the annual training on or before December 31 of the year in which the term of office began.A constitutional officer, a commissioner of a community redevelopment agency, an elected municipal officer, or an elected local officer of an independent special district assuming a new office or new term of office after March 31 is not required to complete ethics training for the calendar year in which the term of office began. (3) Each house of the Legislature shall provide for ethics training pursuant to its rules. History.—s.4, ch. 2013-36; s. 2, ch. 2014-183; s. 1, ch. 2019-163; s. 2, ch. 2023-49; s. 2, ch. 2023- 121. Copyright©1995-2024 The Florida Legislature FLORIDA COMMISSION ON ETHICS Training Link: https://ethics.state.fl.us/Training/Training.aspx Pursuant to Section 112.3142, Florida Statutes, Florida's Constitutional officers (including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor,Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture, state attorneys, public defenders, sheriffs,tax collectors, property appraisers, supervisors of elections, clerks of the circuit court,county commissioners, district school board members, and superintendents of schools), elected municipal officers, and commissioners of a community redevelopment agency(created under Part III of chapter 163)are required to "complete 4 hours of ethics training each calendar year which addresses, at a minimum, s. 8,Art. II of the State Constitution,the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees, and the public records and public meetings laws of this state.' Beginning January 1, 2024, independent special district board members also will be subject to this requirement. Officials should complete the required training as close as possible to the date they assume office. A newly-elected official who assumes a new office on or before March 31 must complete the annual training on or before December 31 of that year. However, if the individual takes office after March 31, he or she is not required to complete the training until the next calendar year. The training must include: Article II, Section 8 of the Florida Constitution Part III, Chapter 112, Florida Statutes(Code of Ethics) Public Records Public Meetings(Sunshine Law) The Commission has no jurisdiction with respect to the open meetings and public records laws and does not provide training on those topics. Open government training may be found on the Attorney General's website at http://myfloridalegal.com/pages.nsf/Main/A142321 A365C83168525791 B006A54E5 The Commission is authorized to make rules concerning the course content for the ethics portion of the training.That rule is found in Rule Chapter 34-7.025, Florida Administrative Code. The Commission adopted CEO 13-15 at its meeting on September 13, 2013.The opinion addresses a number of questions regarding the training requirement, including that"hours,"for this purpose, may be measured in 50-minute increments. The Commission adopted CEO 13-24 at its meeting on December 18, 2013.That opinion states that the combination of two hours of ethics, one hour of open meetings, and one hour of public records, would satisfy the four-hour requirement. The Commission adopted CEO 14-29 at its meeting on December 17, 2014.The opinion indicates that ELECTED members of the governing board of a special district are not elected municipal officers subject to the training requirement. NOTE: Effective January 1,2024 these officials will be subject to the training requirement. See Ch. 2023-121, Laws of Florida. The Commission adopted CEO 15-05 at its meeting on June 5, 2015.The opinion indicates that Constitutional officers and elected municipal officers are not subject to the training requirement in the calendar year in which they leave public office. TRAINING LINKS The following links allow you to watch short training videos or hear audio on specific ethics topics. Only training in which Ethics Commission staff participates will be posted here. State Ethics Laws for Constitutional Officers&Elected Municipal Officers(Video Tutorial) NEW for 2021!This 100 minute video training is an overview of Florida's Ethics Code(Part III, Chapter 112, and Article II, Section 8, Florida Constitution)geared toward Constitutional Officers and Elected Municipal Officers.Topics covered include gifts,voting conflict, misuse of office, prohibited business relationships, conflicting employment relationships, revolving door, and Amendment 12. Business and Employment Conflicts and Post-Public-Service Restriction (Video Tutorial) This 56-minute presentation addresses conflicting business and employment relationships, blind trusts, prohibitions on public employees holding office and dual public employment, post-office- holding(revolving door) prohibitions, and additional restrictions,for state level and/or local level public officers, public employees, and certain others. (2017) Financial Disclosure- Form 1 (Video Tutorial) This 52-minute presentation is about the Form 1, Statement of Financial Interests. It provides a brief overview of the financial disclosure process, as well as detailed instructions on how to complete the Form 1.The presentation also discusses automatic fines for late filing, consequences for failure to file, and the disclosure appeal process. (2017) Financial Disclosure- Form 6 (Video Tutorial) This 50-minute presentation is about the Form 6, Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests. It provides a brief overview of the financial disclosure process, as well as detailed instructions on how to complete the Form 6.The presentation also discusses automatic fines for late filing, consequences for failure to file, and the disclosure appeal process. (2017) Gifts (Video Tutorial) This 50-minute presentation is a review of the ethics laws governing the acceptance of gifts and things of value, as well as the Executive Branch lobbyist expenditure ban. (2017) Voting Conflicts- Local Officers (Video Tutorial) This 58-minute presentation addresses the voting conflicts statute as it applies to local officers. It discusses the differences in voting conflicts at the state and local level, as well as the circumstances in which a voting conflict for a local officer will not be found. Finally, it covers how a local officer should respond if a voting conflict is presented. (2017) Voting Conflicts-State Officers (Video Tutorial) This 56-minute presentation addresses the voting conflicts statute as it applies to state officers. It addresses circumstances in which a voting conflict will be found, circumstances in which a voting conflict will not be found, and how to handle a voting conflict when one is presented. (2017) ADDITIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES/RESOURCES ** Only training in which the staff of the Commission on Ethics participates will be posted here. Training that covers all required topics is available via this link: https://iog.fsu.edu/online-training The Florida Bar offers a course covering the Sunshine Law, Public Records&Ethics for Public Officers and Public Employees. Purchase option information available via this link: https://tfb.inreachce.com/Details/Information/bf1603b1-2501-440a-a759-415544b3d478 The Office of the Attorney General offers a two-hour audio course covering the Sunshine Law and Public Records Act: https://www.myfloridalegal.com/open-government/training