(1) Upon the written request of any person, the executive director of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission may issue and publish written staff advisory opinions on the application of ORS § 192.660 or any provision of this chapter to any proposed transaction or action or any actual or hypothetical circumstance.

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(2) Not later than 30 days after the date the executive director receives the written request for a staff advisory opinion, the executive director shall issue either the opinion or a written denial of the request. The written denial shall explain the reasons for the denial. The executive director may ask the person requesting the advisory opinion to supply additional information the executive director considers necessary to render the opinion. The executive director may extend the 30-day deadline by one period not to exceed 30 days. The executive director shall clearly designate an opinion issued under this section as a staff advisory opinion.

(3)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, unless the staff advisory opinion is revised or revoked, the commission may only issue a written letter of reprimand, explanation or education for any good faith action a person takes in reliance on a staff advisory opinion issued under this section.

(b) The commission may impose, for an action that is subject to a penalty and that is taken in reliance on a staff advisory opinion issued under this section, a penalty under ORS § 244.350 or 244.360 on the person who requested the opinion if the commission determines that the person omitted or misstated material facts in making the request.

(4) At each regular meeting of the commission, the executive director shall report to the commission on all staff advisory opinions issued since the last regular meeting of the commission. The commission on its own motion may issue a commission advisory opinion under ORS § 244.280 on the same facts or circumstances that form the basis for any staff advisory opinion. [2007 c.865 § 14; 2007 c.877 § 39c; 2009 c.68 § 12; 2021 c.264 § 2]