The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee voted 5-0 to give a favorable report to CB 68-2025 after adopting amendments that narrow and clarify post-employment restrictions for former council members.

CB 68-2025 would prohibit former council members from assisting or representing another party for compensation in matters that were the subject of their legislative action for a defined period after leaving county office, and would bar participation in certain judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings in which the former member participated.

Sponsor Council member Fisher said she reduced an original three-year prohibition to two years based on feedback and later supported an amendment to restore a one-year restriction specifically for judicial or quasi-judicial matters. The committee also voted to strike language that would have barred participation “compensation or not,” narrowing the restriction to compensated representation in many cases; the final package adopted the one-year limit for judicial/quasi-judicial participation and removed the “or not” language.

Todd Turner, executive director of the Office of Ethics and Accountability, said the office did not take a position but had submitted the bill for review to the State Ethics Commission; the commission had reviewed an earlier version and did not find it inconsistent with state law. Office of Law offered no additional comments at the meeting. Turner said enforcement or opinions would be fact-specific and that former members could seek informal advice from the ethics office about planned post-employment work.

During debate, one council member expressed concern that language such as “assist” or “significantly participated” could be vague and unintentionally limit post-service public advocacy or pro bono help; the sponsor and ethics office representative said the board’s review is fact-specific and that the intent is to prevent paid representation in matters the member voted on or otherwise significantly participated in while in office.

The committee adopted amendments on the floor and voted 5-0 to move the bill forward. The measure will be resubmitted to the State Ethics Commission for review in its amended form before final council action.