The Virginia General Assembly may be taking steps toward substantive ethics reform in its upcoming session. Ethics bills have already been prefiled in anticipation of the session’s start on January 8, most notably Senate Bill 274, limiting gifts to officers and employees of the state and local governments to $100 per calendar year, and requiring disclosure of gifts to immediate family members.

Virginia does not currently limit the amount of gifts officials and employees may receive, and many called for reform after Gov. Bob McDonnell became embroiled in scandal after accepting thousands of dollars worth of gifts from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams. Williams had also made gifts to McDonnell’s wife and daughters, prompting the addition of disclosure requirements to immediate family members.

Photo of the Virginia Capitol courtesy of Varmin on Wikimedia Commons.