AN ACT relating to legislative ethics.

HB 53 increases the maximum civil penalty for legislative ethics violations from $2,000 to $10,000 under Kentucky law. It directly affects legislators and legislative agents who violate ethics rules by raising potential fines. The bill amends procedures for ethics commission hearings, ensuring public proceedings and requiring written reports of findings. Key provisions include allowing public reprimands, sanction recommendations to legislative bodies, and appeals to circuit court, but the core policy change is the higher penalty amount.