(a) Office of the Commission and Office of Executive Direction. (1) The Chairman of the Commission shall prepare and submit to the Office of Personnel Management for approval, standards of employee conduct which implement requirements of law, Executive Order 11222 and provisions of 5 CFR part 905; and prescribe additional standards of ethical and other conduct and reporting requirements that are appropriate to the agency. After OPM approval, the Chairman shall submit the agency's regulations to the Federal Register for publication. These requirements also apply to any amendments to agency regulations.
(2) The Commissioners shall appoint a Designated Agency Ethics Official and Deputy Ethics Official in accordance with 5 CFR 738.202(b). Responsibilities of these officials are described below in § 735.15.
(3) The Executive Director shall ensure that the regulations published under this part are disseminated to all Commission personnel and that staff are familiar with and understand the standards of conduct and statutes governing conflicts of interest and post Federal employment restrictions.
(4) The Executive Director shall ensure that disciplinary or remedial action is taken in the case of all agency personnel who violate these standards or related laws and regulations, and against supervisors who fail to carry out their responsibilities in taking disciplinary or remedial action in such cases.
(b) Managers and supervisors. Managers and supervisors shall ensure that all Commission personnel under their supervision are familiar with and understand these regulations governing standards of conduct, conflict of interest, and referenced statutory restrictions, and adhere to them at all times. Issues and problems which cannot be resolved through the discussion process inherent in the supervisor-employee relationship shall be referred to the Designated Agency Ethics Official. Managers and supervisors shall ensure that disciplinary or remedial action is taken with all agency personnel who violate these regulations, and against subordinate supervisors who fail to carry out their responsibilities for effecting or recommending disciplinary or remedial action in these cases.
(c) Employees. All Commission personnel shall be familiar with the standards of conduct governed in this directive and the laws governing conflicts of interest and post employment restrictions, and shall comply with them. When in doubt as to the permissibility of an action under the terms of this directive, the employee shall not act without first consulting the immediate supervisor and as appropriate seeking the advice of the Designated Agency Ethics Official.
(d) Office of Management Operations. (1) The Office of Management Operations shall give each employee a copy of these regulations and shall conduct an oral briefing on their contents, within 30 days of approval. New personnel shall receive a copy and oral briefing promptly upon assuming their duties. Additions and amendments shall be similarly communicated upon approval.
(2) The Office shall conduct annual review sessions of these standards for all personnel.
(3) The Office shall provide the Designated Agency Ethics Official with necessary administrative and clerical staff support.