Ethics training FAQs

All public servants are required to take one hour of training on the Code of Governmental Ethics. A public servant is defined as a public employee or an elected official. The exceptions to this requirement are the following:

• A person who is solely a public servant because he serves as an uncompensated volunteer fireman or uncompensated auxiliary or reserve law enforcement officer.
  
• A person who is a nonsalaried employee of a hospital owned or operated by a hospital service district unless the employee is authorized to enter into contract on behalf of the hospital for goods or services or the duties of the employee include the supervision of another public employee.

Additionally, each person who has qualified for a statewide elective office or the office of state representative or state senator must complete an hour of ethics training. Certification of training shall be filed no later than three (3) business days after the close of the qualifying period of such office. La. R.S. 18:461.1
Candidate Form 105: CERTIFICATION FOR CANDIDATES

Per La. R.S. 42:1102:

(18)(a) Public employee means anyone, whether compensated or not, who is:

(i) An administrative officer or official of a governmental entity who is not filling an elective office.

(ii) Appointed by any elected official when acting in an official capacity, and the appointment is to a post or position wherein the appointee is to serve the governmental entity or an agency thereof, either as a member of an agency, or as an employee thereof.

(iii) Engaged in the performance of a governmental function.

(iv) Under the supervision or authority of an elected official or another employee of the governmental entity.

(b) However, "public employee" shall not mean a person whose public service is limited to the following:

(i) Periodic duty in the National Guard pursuant to 32 U.S.C. 502.

(ii) A contract to provide attest services as a certified public accountant.

(iii) Volunteering as described in R.S. 29:735.3.1(A).

(c) A public employee shall be in such status on days on which he performs no services as well as days on which he performs services. The termination of any particular term of employment of a public employee shall take effect on the day the termination is clearly evidenced.

If you have questions as to whether you are considered a public employee, please contact our office to speak with one of our staff attorneys.

The training is on a calendar year schedule. The due date is on or before December 31 of the calendar year.

There are currently three ways to be authorized as an ethics trainer/proctor:

• State agency ethics liaison (SAEL)
• Political subdivision ethics liaisons (PSEL)
  A political subdivision is any unit of local government, including a special district, authorized by law to perform governmental functions.
• Certified ethics trainer (CET)

For a complete copy of the Third Party Training rules click here.

In order to take the training online, public servants will need an email. The email address does not have to be a work email. Public servants may register for a free email account in a matter of minutes with a number of websites.

Please contact our Training Department at 225-219-5600 to discuss the specifics of your request.

Yes. The Board of Ethics encourages all agencies hosting a live session(s) to open their session to the public and/or other nearby agencies. For a list of live training sessions that are open to the public please click here.

Yes. If you take your training online on the Board of Ethics website, then you will receive one hour of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit. However, such credit will not be attributed to Ethics, professionalism, and law office management on your Mandatory Conginuing Legal Education transcript. If you attend a live training session, then you may receive CLE credit; it is, however, the responsibility of the host agency and/or yourself to ensure you get such credit.