(a) (1) If a local agency provides any type of compensation, salary, or stipend to a member of a legislative body, or provides reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred by a member of a legislative body in the performance of official duties, then all local agency officials shall receive training in ethics pursuant to this article.
(2) All local agency officials who are members of the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school shall receive training in ethics pursuant to this article, whether or not any member receives any type of compensation, salary, or stipend or reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties.
(b) Each local agency official shall receive at least two hours of training in general ethics principles and ethics laws relevant to the official’s public service every two years.
(c) (1) The Fair Political Practices Commission, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall create, maintain, and make available to local agency officials an ethics training course that satisfies the requirements of this section.
(2) (A) If another entity develops curricula to satisfy the requirements of this section, the entity shall consult with the Fair Political Practices Commission and the Attorney General regarding the sufficiency and accuracy of the proposed course content.
(B) When reviewing any proposed course content developed by another entity, the Fair Political Practices Commission and the Attorney General shall not preclude the entity from also including local ethics policies in the curricula.
(d) A local agency or an association of local agencies may offer one or more training courses, or sets of self-study materials with tests, to meet the requirements of this section. These courses may be taken at home, in-person, or online.
(e) A provider of training courses to meet the requirements of this article shall provide participants with proof of participation to meet the requirements of Section 53235.2.
(f) A local agency shall provide information on training available to meet the requirements of this article to its local officials at least once annually.
(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 201, Sec. 1. (AB 2631) Effective January 1, 2025.)