<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<baltimore-city-law heading="Part III – General Administration">
  <section prefix="§" num="3-16" heading="Forms.">
    <text>The Ethics Board must prepare and distribute all forms required by &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;.</text>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-17" heading="Review of statements and reports.">
    <text>As required by the Ethics Board from time to time, the Executive Director must:</text>
    <para num="(1)">review statements and reports filed in accordance with Subtitle 7 {”Financial Disclosure”} and Subtitle 8 {”Lobbying”} of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;; and</para>
    <para num="(2)">notify individuals who submit documents under those subtitles of any omissions or deficiencies.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Executive Director	§2-11</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-18" heading="Records.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Board to maintain.">The Ethics Board must retain all documents filed with it and all other records of the Board for at least:<para num="(1)">4 years; or</para>
      <para num="(2)">if longer, the period set by the Archives and Records Management Committee in consultation with the Ethics Board.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Public access.">The Ethics Board must make these documents and other records available for public inspection and copying during regular office hours.</para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Fees and procedures.">The Ethics Board may charge a reasonable fee for the examination and copying of documents or other records.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-19" heading="Public awareness.">
    <text>The Ethics Board must publish and make publicly available information that explains the provisions of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;, the duties imposed by it, and the means for enforcing it.</text>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-20" heading="Training courses.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Board to offer.">The Ethics Board must develop and offer a training course of not less than 2 hours on the requirements of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Officials required to take.">
      <para num="(1)">Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, every official must complete the training course within 6 months of his or her appointment or reappointment to office.</para>
      <para num="(2)">The training requirements of this subsection do not apply to:<para num="(i)">an official who, within the 3 years preceding his or her appointment or reappointment, completed a training course provided under this section; or</para>
        <para num="(ii)">an individual who is an official only by virtue of being a board member, unless the board:<para num="(A)">is  one of the entities listed in &lt;cite data-path="|8|§7-8"&gt;§ 7-8 {“[Disclosures statements] – Agency officials and staff”} of this article&lt;/cite&gt;; or</para>
          <para num="(B)">performs one of the functions described in &lt;cite data-path="|8|§7-9"&gt;§ 7-9 {“[Disclosure statements] – Procurement, legislative liaison, and enforcement personnel”} of this article&lt;/cite&gt;.</para>
        </para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Availability to others.">
      <para num="(1)">After consultation with the Board, an agency head may authorize or require one or more classes of agency employees to attend the training course.</para>
      <para num="(2)">On request of the agency head, the Board must offer the training course to those employees as soon as practicable.</para>
      <para num="(3)">The Board must annually notify agency heads of the availability of the training course under this subsection.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="Assistance.">The Department of Human Resources must provide the Ethics Board with:<para num="(1)">appropriate facilities for conducting the training course;</para>
      <para num="(2)">timely notice of the appointment of all officials subject to the training requirements; and</para>
      <para num="(3)">administrative and other assistance.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-822</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 10-272</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 16-585</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Agency	§2-2</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Board	§2-3</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Employee	§2-9</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Official	§2-21</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-21" heading="Conflicts affidavit.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Officials to file.">Each official must, within 6 months of his or her initial appointment to office, complete and file with the Ethics Board and with that official’s appointing authority, an affidavit that certifies, under penalties of perjury, that the official:<para num="(1)">has read and understands the provisions of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt; governing conflicts of interest;</para>
      <para num="(2)">is not then in violation of those provisions; and</para>
      <para num="(3)">obligates himself or herself to comply with those provisions in all future activities.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Form.">The affidavit must be in the form that the Ethics Board requires.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 17-068</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Official	§2-21</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-22" heading="Oaths and subpoenas.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">The Ethics Board and Executive Director each may:<para num="(1)">administer oaths; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses to testify or to produce other evidence.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Judicial enforcement.">A subpoena issued under this section may be judicially enforced.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Executive Director	§2-11</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-23" heading="Filing fees.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">Except as otherwise specified in &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;, the Ethics Board may charge reasonable filing fees for statements, reports, and other documents filed under &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="No fee for timely disclosure statement.">The Board may not charge a fee for a disclosure statement timely filed under Subtitle 7 {“Financial Disclosure”} of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;.</para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Late fees.">The fees charged may include late fees for any document that is filed after the applicable deadline.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 13-180</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-24" heading="Notices to new appointees.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="General – Notice required.">An individual who is appointed to fill a vacancy in a position must be given written notice, in a form approved by the Ethics Board, of the requirements of:<para num="(1)">§ 3-20 {“Training courses”};</para>
      <para num="(2)">§ 3-21 {“Conflicts affidavit”}; and</para>
      <para num="(3)">§ 7-12 {“Financial Disclosure: Appointee to vacancy”}.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="General – By whom given.">
      <para num="(1)">For Board members and uncompensated appointees of the Mayor, the notice required by subsection (a) of this section must be given by the Mayor or the Mayor’s designee.</para>
      <para num="(2)">For all other appointees, the notice must be given by the appointee’s agency head or the agency head’s designee.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="General – When to be given.">The notice  required by subsection (a) of this section must be given within 5 days after the appointment.</para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="General – Notice to be signed.">
      <para num="(1)">To evidence receipt by the appointee and understanding of the appointee’s responsibilities, the notice required by subsection (a) must be signed by both the appointee and the official providing the appointee the notice.</para>
      <para num="(2)">Within 5 days of signing, a copy of the signed notice required under this subsection must be:<para num="(i)">placed in the appointee’s agency personnel file; and</para>
        <para num="(ii)">provided to the Ethics Board.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(e)" heading="Board members – Special pre-appointment notice.">
      <para num="(1)">An individual who is nominated to fill a vacancy on a City board must also be given written notice, in a form approved by the Ethics Board, of the provisions of &lt;cite data-path="|8|§6-14"&gt;§ 6-14 {“Exceptions – New board members”} of this article&lt;/cite&gt;.</para>
      <para num="(2)">The notice required by paragraph (1) of this subsection must be given by the Mayor or the Mayor’s designee at least 14 days before the appointment is to be confirmed.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-822</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 16-585</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 19-287</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
    <annotation type="Editor's Notes">Subsection (d) was added by Ordinance 19-287, effective February 25, 2020.</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-25" heading="Exemptions for boards.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">The Ethics Board may exempt from &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;, or modify the applicability of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt; to, a board or 1 or more members of a board if the Ethics Board determines that, because of the nature of the board, the application of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt; to the board or member:<para num="(1)">would significantly reduce the availability of qualified individuals for public service; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">is not needed to preserve the purposes of &lt;cite data-path="|8"&gt;this article&lt;/cite&gt;.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Written request required.">An exemption under this section may be granted only on the written request of the board involved.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 04-795</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Board	§2-3</annotation>
    <annotation type="Defined Terms">Ethics Board	§2-10</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="3-26" heading="Reports.">
    <text>The Ethics Board must submit to the Mayor and the City Council:</text>
    <para num="(1)">an annual report on its activities; and</para>
    <para num="(2)">as appropriate from time to time, based on its investigations and studies, special reports with recommendations for legislation.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 10-272</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
