California Council on Science and Technology: fellows.

Existing law, commonly known as the code of ethics, prohibits a Member of the Legislature or an employee of either house of the Legislature from receiving or agreeing to receive, directly or indirectly, any compensation, reward, or gift from any source except the State of California for any service, advice, assistance, or other matter related to the legislative process, except for specified circumstances. This bill would clarify that the services of a California Science and Technology Policy Fellow provided by the California Council on Science and Technology and duly authorized by the Senate Committee on Rules, the Assembly Committee on Rules, or the Joint Committee on Rules are not compensation, a reward, or a gift to a Member of the Legislature for purposes of the so-called code of ethics. The bill would also provide that such a fellow is not an employee of either house of the Legislature for purposes of the code of ethics. In addition, the bill would require that a fellow be selected according to criteria, and pursuant to a process, approved by the Senate Committee on Rules, the Assembly Committee on Rules, or the Joint Committee on Rules. The bill would further require the council to execute an agreement for a fellow to be bound to abide by standards of conduct, economic interest disclosure requisites, and other requirements specified by the Senate Committee on Rules, the Assembly Committee on Rules, or the Joint Committee on Rules. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.