Skip to content

New Local Behested Payments Rules Now in Effect

English

On November 6, 2022, changes to the City’s behested payments laws took effect. Behested payments rules exist to help avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest or undue influence in City decision making. The Ethics Commission supported amending the law with the goal to balance the interests of improved clarity and workability while also retaining core behested payments prohibitions. Following stakeholder feedback and a public legislative process, amendments to the City’s laws were adopted in late September.

The Ethics Commission has developed summaries of these changes so City employees and officers can familiarize themselves with them. The changes are detailed on the Commission’s website and are also summarized in an new Ethics Commission overview document on behested payments.

In short, the City’s new behested payment law :

  • prohibits the direct or indirect solicitation of behested payments from sources defined as “interested parties” by elected officials, department heads, members of boards and commissions, and designated employees that file Statements of Economic Interests (Form 700s);
  • narrows the scope of “interested party” and “attempt to influence;”
  • shortens the length of time a contractor is an interested party;
  • expands the definition of interested party to include lobbyist clients and affiliates of clients;
  • creates new exceptions to behested payment rules.

These recently enacted changes also require the Ethics Commission to issue implementing regulations to define and illustrate key aspects of how the City’s behested payments rules function. The Commission will be considering draft regulations at its monthly public meetings and new regulations may go into effect in early 2023.

We encourage City employees and officers who have questions about how these laws may apply to contact the Ethics Commission for advice. We can be reached via email or phone (415-252-3100) and will be happy to assist.

We are continuously increasing the number of translated pages on this site. Materials on this website that are not currently translated may be translated upon request. Contact us to provide feedback on this page.

Estamos aumentando continuamente el número de páginas traducidas en este sitio. Los materiales de este sitio web que no están traducidos actualmente pueden traducirse previa solicitud. Contáctenos para proporcionar comentarios sobre esta página o solicitar traducciones.

我們正在不斷增加本網站翻譯頁面的數量。本網站上目前未翻譯的資料可根據要求進行翻譯。聯絡我們以在此頁面上提供回饋或要求翻譯。

Patuloy naming dinaragdagan ang bilang ng mga isinalin na pahina sa site na ito. Ang mga materyal sa website na ito na hindi kasalukuyang isinasalin ay maaaring isalin kapag hiniling. Makipag-ugnayan sa amin para magbigay ng feedback sa page na ito o humiling ng mga pagsasalin.