House bill 1505 would create immunity for legislators who follow disclosure rules and clarify confidentiality for ethics proceedings

House Bill 1505, introduced by House Floor Leader Mike Lafour, would add criminal immunity and an affirmative defense for members of the legislative assembly who vote on measures after disclosing a potential conflict of interest according to the chamber’s rules or after relying on informal advice from the Ethics Commission’s staff. The measure also tightens and clarifies confidentiality provisions to allow individuals to consult counsel, share records with legal representatives and, in limited circumstances, disclose information when the respondent consents.

Leader Mike Lafour described the bill’s goal as offering clarity and fairness for citizen legislators who have outside occupations and possible overlapping interests. “When individuals run for election to the legislative assembly, they do so with the…