August 7, 2023
At its regular meeting on Friday, August 18, 2023, the San Francisco Ethics Commission will consider and possibly act on a set of proposed regulations regarding the City’s ethics training and gift rules.
These regulations are associated with the proposed ballot measure that the Ethics Commission will be considering during the August 18, 2023 meeting. The Commission will consider placing the ballot measure before voters on the March 5, 2024 ballot. These proposed regulations will only become operative when the ballot measure becomes operative and only if the ballot measure is approved by voters. An earlier version of the proposed ballot measure was last considered in open session during the Commission’s July 8, 2022 regular meeting.
The proposed ballot measure would create a requirement that all City officers and employees who are required to file a Form 700 Statement of Economic Interests must additionally complete an annual ethics training. The Ethics Commission will consider regulations specifying the deadlines associated with this proposed annual training requirement.
City officers and employees are prohibited from soliciting or accepting gifts from persons doing business with or seeking to do business with their department or persons who in the prior 12 months have attempted to influence the officer or employee in any legislative or administrative action. City officers and employees are also prohibited from soliciting or accepting gifts from their subordinates. Both of these rules exempt certain types of gifts. The Ethics Commission will consider amending the regulations associated with these rules to provide greater clarity and to revise the types of gifts that are exempt from these rules, including the removal of some of the current gift exemptions and the addition of new gift exemptions.
This 10-day notice is provided under Charter Sec. 4.104 to encourage public comment on the proposals in advance of the Commission’s next meeting.
The Commission invites all input on the proposed regulations. Written comments can be sent via email to ethics.commission@sfgov.org. Written public comment received by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 17, 2023, will be included in the Commission’s packet of meeting materials for its August 18, 2023 meeting. Opportunity for public comment will also be provided during the Commission’s meeting.