Joint Legislative Ethics Committee seeks flat funding, highlights lobbyist reporting role

The Joint Legislative Ethics Committee (JLAC) asked the House Development Committee for flat funding for the FY26–27 biennium while outlining its three primary responsibilities: ethics advice, lobbyist registration and reporting, and law‑enforcement partnerships.

Tony Bloodsohn, executive director of JLAC and legislative inspector general, told the committee JLAC provided daily ethics guidance to members and staff, and last year handled more than 1,400 substantive ethics emails and phone calls. He said JLAC also administers registration and reporting for roughly 1,400 lobbyists representing more than 2,200 interests, and that JLAC staff made over 45,000 public documents available last year, including lobbying filings and financial disclosure statements.

On funding, Bloodsohn said the office is requesting flat GRF support of roughly $713,000 annually with limited spending authority from dedicated fee accounts: up to $150,000 from a lobbying registration fee account and up to $10,000 for an investigative fund supported by financial disclosure filing fees.

Bloodsohn emphasized JLAC’s non‑law‑enforcement status but noted routine collaboration with the Public Corruption Task Force, the Auditor of State, the attorney general, BCI and federal partners when matters require criminal investigation.

Committee members thanked Bloodsohn for his testimony; no formal action was taken on JLAC's request at the hearing.