The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 3 : Executive

Chapter 031 : Governmental Ethics

Subchapter 003 : STATE ETHICS COMMISSION

• § 1229. Warnings; reprimands; recommended actions; agreements [Effective September 1, 2025]

  (a) Power to issue warnings, reprimands, and recommended actions. The Commission may issue warnings, reprimands, and recommended actions, not inconsistent with the Vermont Constitution and laws of the State, including facilitated mediation, additional training and education, referrals to counseling and wellness support, or other remedial actions.

  (b) Factors in determination.

  (1) Circumstances of unethical conduct. In this determining, the Commission shall consider the degree of unethical conduct, the timeline over which the unethical conduct occurred and whether the conduct was repeated, and the privacy, rights, and responsibilities of the parties.

  (2) Determination based on evidence. The Commission shall render its determination on the allegation on the basis of the evidence in the record before it, regardless of whether the Commission makes its determination on the investigation report of the Executive Director pursuant to section 1227 of this title alone, on evidence and testimony presented in the hearing pursuant to section 1228 of this title, or on its own findings.

  (3) Burden of proof. The Commission shall only issue a warning, reprimand, or recommended action if it finds that, by a preponderance of the evidence, the public servant committed unethical conduct.

  (c) Determination after hearing.

  (1) If a majority of current members of the Commission who have not recused themselves find that the public servant committed unethical conduct as specified in the investigation report the Executive Director pursuant to section 1227 of this title alone, the Commission shall then, in writing or stated in the record, issue a warning, reprimand, or recommended action.

  (2) If the Commission does not find that the public servant committed unethical conduct, the Commission shall issue a statement that the allegations were not proved.

  (3) When a determination or order is approved for issue by the Commission, the decision or order may be signed by the Chair on behalf of the Commission.

  (d) Timeline for determination. The Commission shall make its determination within 30 days after concluding the Commission’s last hearing under this section and notify the public servant and any complainant of the Committee’s determination. This timeline may be extended by the Commission for good cause or pursuant to an agreement made between the Commission and the public servant.

  (e) Referral of unethical conduct. Notwithstanding subsection 1223(c) of this title, the Commission shall notify the Attorney General or the State’s Attorney of jurisdiction of any alleged violations of governmental conduct regulated by law or the relevant federal agency of any alleged violations of federal law, if discovered in the course of the Commission’s investigations.

  (f) Power to enter into resolution agreements.

  (1) Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter to the contrary, the Commission may, by a majority vote of its current members who have not recused themselves, enter into a resolution agreement with a public servant who is the subject of a complaint or investigation.

  (2) A resolution agreement shall:

  (A) include an agreed course of remedial action to be taken by the public servant;

  (B) be in writing; and

  (C) be executed by both the public servant and Executive Director.

  (3) A resolution agreement may be entered into at any point in time before or during Commission proceedings. Any procedural deadlines described in this chapter or rules adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be paused at the time of execution of the resolution agreement. The Executive Director shall verify compliance with the resolution agreement within three months following execution of the agreement, and if the Executive Director is not satisfied that compliance has been achieved, the Commission may resume its initial proceedings.

  (4) The Commission shall create a summary of any resolution agreement. A summary of any resolution agreement shall be a public record subject to public inspection and copying under the Public Records Act. A resolution agreement shall be exempt from public inspection and copying under the Public Records Act and shall be considered confidential. (Added 2023, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 12, eff. September 1, 2025.)