(a) Banks. Each Bank, acting through its board of directors, may conduct an annual assessment of the skills and experience possessed by the members of its board of directors as a whole and may determine whether the capabilities of the board would be enhanced through the addition of individuals with particular skills and experience. If the board of directors determines that the Bank could benefit by the addition to the board of directors of individuals with particular qualifications, such as auditing and accounting, derivatives, financial management, organizational management, project development, risk management practices, or the law, it may identify those qualifications and so inform the members as part of its announcement of elections pursuant to § 1261.7(a).

(b) Support for nomination or election. (1) A Bank director, officer, attorney, employee, or agent, acting in his or her personal capacity, may support the nomination or election of any individual for a member directorship, provided that no such individual shall purport to represent the views of the Bank or its board of directors in doing so.

(2) A Bank director, officer, attorney, employee or agent and the board of directors and Advisory Council (including members of the Council) of a Bank may support the candidacy of any individual nominated by the board of directors for election to an independent directorship.

(c) Prohibition. Except as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, or § 1223.21(b)(7) of this chapter, no director, officer, attorney, employee, or agent of a Bank shall:

(1) Communicate in any manner that a director, officer, attorney, employee, or agent of a Bank, directly or indirectly, supports or opposes the nomination or election of a particular individual for a directorship; or

(2) Take any other action to influence the voting with respect to any particular individual.