(a) The Ethics Counsel shall be designated Counselor for the Commission and shall serve as the Commission's delegate to the Office of Personnel Management on matters covered by the rules in this subpart. The Ethics Counsel shall be responsible for coordinating the Commission's counseling services provided under this section and for assuring that counseling and interpretations on questions of conflicts of interest and other matters covered by the rules in this subpart are available to all members and employees.

(b) A member, employee, or former member or employee may obtain advice or guidance on the application of the rules in this subpart from the Ethics Counsel. In addition, any former member or employee seeking advice or an interpretation relating to the Ethics in Government Act shall submit his or her request to the Ethics Counsel.

(c) The Ethics Counsel will treat information he or she receives pursuant to requests for advice or guidance under this Rule on a confidential basis, except that information he or she receives indicating a possible past violation of any provision of this Conduct Regulation or of the law will be brought to the attention of appropriate persons.

(d) The Ethics Office shall furnish a copy of this Conduct Regulation (subpart M) to each member, employee and special Government employee immediately upon his or her entrance on duty and shall thereafter, annually, and at such other times as circumstances warrant, bring to the attention of each member, employee and special Government employee this Conduct Regulation (subpart M) and all revisions thereof.

(e) The Ethics Office shall notify each member, employee and special Government employee at the time of entrance on duty, and from time to time thereafter, of the availability of counseling services and of how and where these services are available.

[45 FR 36064, May 29, 1980, as amended at 73 FR 32227, June 5, 2008; 75 FR 42278, July 20, 2010; 76 FR 71450, Nov. 18, 2011; 79 FR 1735, Jan. 10, 2014]