Rhode Island Code of Regulations Title 520 - Ethics Commission
Here’s an organized breakdown of Rhode Island Code of Regulations Title 520 – Ethics Commission (520‑RICR), current as of January 4, 2022:
🛡️ 1. Part 1 – Code of Ethics (520‑RICR‑00‑00‑1)
Definitions: Covers key terms like “public official,” “interested person,” and familial relationships (ethics.ri.gov).
Nepotism Rules: Bars officials from participating in matters involving family or household members; limited exceptions require prior written advisory opinions from the Commission (rules.sos.ri.gov).
Gift & Honoraria Limits: Prohibits gifts exceeding $25 each or $75 annually from any single interested person; imposes restrictions on honoraria, especially those related to official duties (regulations.justia.com).
Transaction Restrictions: Employees may not engage in business transactions or solicit contributions from subordinates unless in normal commercial settings ﹣ full rule text available in § 1.4.4 (regulations.justia.com).
🧾 2. Part 2 – Ethics Commission Operations (520‑RICR‑00‑00‑2)
Governance Structure: Establishes officer roles (chair, vice, secretary) and outlines election protocols for subcommittees .
Annual Ethics Rosters: Commission must annually (by last Friday of December) distribute its roster and definitions to municipal clerks to update those subject to the Code (rules.sos.ri.gov).
Education Subcommittee: Required within 180 days to be established by the Commission chair; tasked with developing ethics training programs (law.cornell.edu).
Advisory & Declaratory Opinions: Public officials may request binding advisory opinions; declaratory rulings are available more broadly (rules.sos.ri.gov).
Rulemaking Petitions: The Commission must respond within 30 days to petitions for new or amended regulations; final actions require two votes and public notice (rules.sos.ri.gov).
Severability Clause: Invalid provisions don’t affect the rest of the regulations (rules.sos.ri.gov).
🔍 3. Part 3 – Procedures: Complaints & Investigations (520‑RICR‑00‑00‑3)
Filing Time Limits: Complaints must be submitted within six years of the alleged ethics violation (rules.sos.ri.gov).
Pre‑Election Moratorium: No complaints against declared candidates within 90 days before an election, except those initiated by the Commission itself (rules.sos.ri.gov).
Preliminary Review: Executive Director may bypass form deficiencies if sufficient facts suggest wrongdoing; otherwise complaints returned (law.cornell.edu).
Preliminary Investigations: Must generally be completed within 180 days; subpoenas can be issued; findings regularly reported to the Commission (rules.sos.ri.gov).
Complaint Handling: Formal written complaints trigger public notification within 3 business days; investigation materials remain confidential (risos-apa-production-public.s3.amazonaws.com).
Hearings & Evidence: Following probable cause, contested-case hearings are scheduled—motions due 5 days in advance; testimony may be transcribed by respondents; formal procedural standards apply .
📊 4. Part 4 – Financial Disclosure (520‑RICR‑00‑00‑4)
Published in state index, though specific details weren’t included in the sources reviewed (ethics.ri.gov).
✅ Summary Table
Part
Content
Part 1
Ethics standards: nepotism, gifts, conflicts
Part 2
Commission structure, education, rulemaking
Part 3
Complaint filing, investigation, hearings
Part 4
Financial disclosure (standards/filing)
🆕 Pending Proposal
A proposed amendment (June 26, 2025) would double gift limits to $50 per gift/$150 annually and expand “interested person” to explicitly include lobbyists (regulations.justia.com, rules.sos.ri.gov, rules.sos.ri.gov). A public hearing is scheduled for Sept 9, 2025.
⚠️ Want More Depth?
I can fetch:
Full regulatory text of any specific section (e.g., gift rules §1.4.2),
Details on financial disclosure practices (§4),
Hearing and enforcement procedures,
Or updates from the pending amendment process.
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