A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide for additional ethics standards in counties and cities.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 5 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 160A‑88.  Additional ethics requirements for governing boards.
(a)	All members of governing boards of cities, counties, local boards of education, unified governments, sanitary districts, and consolidated city‑counties shall complete a statement of economic interest as if that member were a public servant as defined in G.S. 138A‑3. That statement of economic interest shall be filed with the clerk to the board of the governing board on or before April 15 of each year.
(b)	All members of governing boards of cities, counties, local boards of education, unified governments, sanitary districts, and consolidated city‑counties shall not mention or permit another person to mention the member's public position in nongovernmental advertising that advances the private interest of the member or others.
(c)	A member shall not use or permit the use of public funds for any advertisement or public service announcement in a newspaper, on radio, television, magazines, or billboards that contains that member's name, picture, or voice, except in the case of local, State, or national emergency, and only if the announcement is reasonably necessary to the member's official function. This subsection shall not apply to fund‑raising on behalf of and aired on public radio or public television.
(d)	A member shall not use or disclose nonpublic information gained in the course of, or by reason of, the member's official responsibilities in a way that would affect a personal financial interest of the member or any other person."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 153A‑53 reads as rewritten:
"§ 153A‑53.  Ethics.
(a)	The board of commissioners shall adopt a resolution or policy containing a code of ethics, as required by G.S. 160A‑86.
(b)	All members of the board of commissioners, whether elected or appointed, shall receive the ethics education required by G.S. 160A‑87.
(c)	All members of the board of commissioners shall comply with G.S. 160A‑88."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2013. The statement of interest required by G.S. 160A‑88(a), as enacted by this act, shall be filed with the clerk to the board on or before October 1, 2013.