Title 36

(a) No public official shall serve for a fee as a lobbyist or otherwise represent clients, including his or her employer before the board, agency, commission, department, or legislative body, of which he or she is a former member for a period of two years after he or she leaves s…

(a) A statement of economic interests shall be completed and filed in accordance with this chapter with the commission no later than April 30 of each year covering the period of the preceding calendar year by each of the following: (1) All elected public officials at the state, c…

(a) Candidates at every level of government shall file a completed statement of economic interests for the previous calendar year with the State Ethics Commission: (i) not more than five days after the deadline to file a declaration of candidacy as provided in Section 17-13-5, or…

(a) When any citizen of the state or business with which he or she is associated represents for a fee any person before a regulatory body of the Executive Branch, he or she shall report to the commission the name of any adult child, parent, spouse, brother, or sister who is a pub…

(a) Every governmental agency head shall within 10 days file reports with the commission on any matters that come to his or her attention in his or her official capacity which constitute a violation of this chapter. (b) Governmental agency heads shall cooperate in every possible …

(a) Every lobbyist shall register by filing a form prescribed by the commission no later than January 31 of each year or within 10 days after the first undertaking requiring such registration. Each lobbyist, except public employees who are lobbyists, shall pay an annual fee of on…

(a) Every person registered as a lobbyist pursuant to Section 36-25-18 and every principal employing any lobbyist shall file with the commission a report provided by the commission pertaining to the activities set out in that section. The report shall be filed with the commission…

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares: (1) It is essential to the proper operation of democratic government that public officials be independent and impartial. (2) Governmental decisions and policy should be made in the proper channels of the governmental structure. (3) N…

(a) A person who ceases to engage in activities requiring registration pursuant to Section 36-25-18 shall file a written, verified statement with the commission acknowledging the termination of activities. The notice shall be effective immediately. (b) A person who files a notice…

All reports filed pursuant to Sections 36-25-18 to 36-25-20, inclusive, are public records and shall be made available for public inspection during regular business hours. (Acts 1973, No. 1056, p. 1699, §22; Acts 1975, No. 130, p. 603, §1; Acts 1995, No. 95-194, p. 269, §1.)

Sections 36-25-18 to 36-25-21, inclusive, shall not be construed as affecting professional services in drafting bills or in advising clients and in rendering opinions as to the construction and effect of proposed or pending legislation, executive action, rules, or regulations, wh…

(a) No public official elected to a term of office shall serve for a fee as a lobbyist or otherwise represent a client, including his or her employer, before any legislative body or any branch of state or local government, including the executive and judicial branches of governme…

(a) A supervisor shall not discharge, demote, transfer, or otherwise discriminate against a public employee regarding the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment based on either the employee’s reporting a violation or what he or she believes in goo…

No person, for the purpose of influencing legislation, may do either of the following: (1) Knowingly or willfully make any false statement or misrepresentation of the facts to a member of the Legislative or Executive Branch. (2) Knowing a document to contain a false statement, ca…

(a)(1) Except as otherwise provided, any person subject to this chapter who intentionally violates any provision of this chapter other than those for which a separate penalty is provided for in this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class B felony. (2) Any person sub…

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as to deprive any citizen, not lobbying, of the citizen’s constitutional right to communicate with members of the Legislature. (Acts 1973, No. 1056, p. 1699, §25; Acts 1975, No. 130, p. 603, §1; Acts 1995, No. 95-194, p. 269, §1.)

(a) The Legislature shall appropriate such sums as it deems necessary to implement the provisions of and administer this chapter. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, and beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, the annual appropriation…

(a) There is hereby created a State Ethics Commission composed of five members, each of whom shall be a fair, equitable citizen of this state and of high moral character and ability. The following persons shall not be eligible to be appointed as members: (1) a public official; (2…

This chapter shall be construed in pari materia with other laws dealing with the subject of ethics. (Acts 1973, No. 1056, p. 1699, §32; Acts 1975, No. 130, p. 603, §1; Acts 1995, No. 95-194, p. 269, §1.)

(a) The commission shall do all of the following: (1) Prescribe forms for statements required to be filed by this chapter and make the forms available to persons required to file such statements. (2) Prepare guidelines setting forth recommended uniform methods of reporting for us…

Notwithstanding any other law, regulation, or rule, no complaints shall be made available to the public or available on the Internet until the disposition of the matter. In no event may a complaint be made public or available on the Internet if the complaint is dismissed or found…

(a) At the beginning of each legislative quadrennium, the State Ethics Commission shall provide for and administer training programs on the state ethics laws for members of the Legislature, state constitutional officers, cabinet officers, executive staff, municipal mayors, counci…

(a) The commission, by April 1, 2012, shall implement and maintain each of the following: (1) A system for electronic filing of all statements, reports, registrations, and notices required by this chapter. (2) An electronic database accessible to the public through an Internet we…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, prior to any hearing before the State Ethics Commission pursuant to Section 36-25-4(e), for a violation of this chapter or Chapter 5 of Title 17, or issuance of an order for administrative resolution of an alleged violation of this …

(a) No public official or public employee shall use or cause to be used his or her official position or office to obtain personal gain for himself or herself, or family member of the public employee or family member of the public official, or any business with which the person is…

(a) No lobbyist, subordinate of a lobbyist, or principal shall offer or provide a thing of value to a public employee or public official or to a family member of the public employee or family member of the public official; and no public employee or public official or family membe…

(a) For purposes of this section, the term state shall include the State of Alabama and any of its agencies, departments, political subdivisions, counties, colleges and universities and technical schools, the Legislature, the appellate courts, district courts, circuit courts and …

Contributions to an office holder, a candidate, or to a public official’s inaugural or transitional fund shall not be converted to personal use. (Acts 1973, No. 1056, p. 1699, §4; Acts 1975, No. 130, p. 603, §1; Acts 1995, No. 95-194, p. 269, §1; Acts 1997, No. 97-651, p. 1217, §…

(a) No person shall offer or give to a public official or public employee or a member of the household of a public employee or a member of the household of the public official and none of the aforementioned shall solicit or receive anything for the purpose of corruptly influencin…

No public official, public employee, former public official or former public employee, for a period consistent with the statute of limitations as contained in this chapter, shall use or disclose confidential information gained in the course of or by reason of his or her position …

(a) Unless expressly provided otherwise by law, no person shall serve as a member or employee of a state, county, or municipal regulatory board or commission or other body that regulates any business with which he is associated. Nothing herein shall prohibit real estate brokers, …

(a) It is the policy of this state that the deliberative process of governmental bodies shall be open to the public during meetings as defined in Section 36-25A-2(6). Except for executive sessions permitted in Section 36-25A-7(a) or as otherwise expressly provided by other federa…

An action under this chapter must be brought within 60 days of the date that the plaintiff knew or should have known of the alleged act which brings rise to the cause of action; provided, however, that any action under this chapter must be brought within two years of the alleged …

Section 13A-14-2, is repealed. All specific references in the Code of Alabama 1975 to Section 13A-14-2 shall be considered a reference to this chapter and where expressly excluded or included from application of Section 13A-14-2, the exclusion or inclusion from application shall …

As used in and for determining the applicability of this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings solely for the purposes of this chapter: (1) DELIBERATION. An exchange of information or ideas among a quorum of members of a subcommittee, committee, or full g…

(a) Unless otherwise specified by law and as provided herein, any governmental body subject to this chapter, except for an advisory board, advisory commission, advisory committee, task force, or other advisory body created solely to make recommendations on public policy issues an…

A governmental body shall maintain accurate records of its meetings, excluding executive sessions, setting forth the date, time, place, members present or absent, and action taken at each meeting. Except as otherwise provided by law, the records of each meeting shall become a pub…

(a) Unless otherwise provided by law, meetings shall be conducted pursuant to the governing body’s adopted rules of parliamentary procedure not in conflict with laws applicable to the governmental body. (b) Unless otherwise permitted by this chapter or directed by provisions in t…

(a)(1) Except as provided in subsection (d), members of a governmental body as defined in Section 36-25A-2, that is comprised of members from two or more counties, may participate in a meeting of that governmental body by means of telephone conference, video conference, or other …

(a) Any governmental body as defined in Section 36-25A-2 that is of a county or a municipality or is an entity established by or whose members are appointed by a county or municipality may allow participation in a meeting of that governmental body by means of telephone conference…

A meeting of a governmental body, except while in executive session, may be openly recorded by any person in attendance by means of a tape recorder or any other means of sonic, photographic, or video reproduction provided the recording does not disrupt the conduct of the meeting.…

(a) Executive sessions are not required by this chapter, but may be held by a governmental body only for the following purposes: (1) To discuss the general reputation and character, physical condition, professional competence, or mental health of individuals, or, subject to the l…

In addition to any existing applicable immunity, members of a governmental body and any of its employees participating in a meeting conducted in conformance with this chapter shall have an absolute privilege and immunity from suit for any statement made during the meeting which r…

(a) This chapter is designed and intended to hold members of governmental bodies, and the bodies themselves, accountable to the public for violations of this chapter. Therefore, enforcement of this chapter, except a violation of Section 26-25A-3(a)(1), may be sought by civil acti…

This article shall be cited and may be known as the Merit System Act. (Acts 1939, No. 58, p. 68, § 2.)

(a) Positions in the service of the state shall be divided into the exempt, the unclassified, and the classified service. (b) The exempt service shall include all of the following: (1) Officers elected by the vote of the people. (2) Officers and employees of the Legislature. (3) …