[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 39, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 39CFR447.31]

[Page 153-154]
 
                        TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE
 
                 CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
 
PART 447_RULES OF CONDUCT FOR POSTAL EMPLOYEES--Table of Contents
 
    Subpart C_Ethical Conduct Advisory Services and Post-Employment 
 
Sec.  447.31  Advisory service.

                            Activities


    (a) The Ethical Conduct Officer is responsible for the 
administration of the ethics program of the Postal Service. In the 
exercise of that responsibility, the Ethical Conduct Officer shall 
coordinate the advisory service provided by this section, assure that 
authoritative interpretations of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for 
Employees of the Executive Branch (Standards) and Supplemental Postal 
Service Regulations (Supplemental Regulations) are available to the 
Associate Ethical Conduct Officers, and render final rulings on behalf 
of the Postal Service in appeals by employees from rulings under the 
Standards and Supplemental Regulations made by an agency designee. The 
Ethical Conduct Officer shall provide advice and guidance for the 
Postmaster General and all Associate Ethical Conduct Officers concerning 
questions arising under the Standards and Supplemental Regulations. The 
Ethical Conduct Officer may delegate to an Assistant Ethical Conduct 
Officer authority to perform any duty or function vested in him or her 
by this Section. The General Counsel is the Ethical Conduct Officer of 
the Postal Service and the Designated Agency Ethics Official for 
purposes of the Ethics in Government Act, as amended, and implementing 
regulations of the Office of Government Ethics, including 5 CFR part 
2638.
    (b) The Deputy Postmaster General is the Associate Ethical Conduct 
Officer for the Office of the Postmaster General and the Office of the 
Deputy Postmaster General. The Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice 
Presidents, Vice Presidents, and such other persons as the Ethical 
Conduct Officer may designate are Associate Ethical Conduct Officers for 
their respective organizational elements. Each Associate Ethical Conduct 
Officer shall designate a suitable employee to coordinate the ethics 
program within his or her organization and to act as liaison with the 
Ethical Conduct Officer. Each Associate may designate other suitable 
employees to assist or act for him or

[[Page 154]]

her and shall ensure that there is an adequate number of Qualified 
Ethics Trainers to comply with the requirements of the annual ethics 
training program.
    (c) The Ethical Conduct Officer and, with his or her approval, 
Associate Ethical Conduct Officers, may delegate to additional persons 
or classes of persons the authority to make determinations, to give 
approval, or to take other action in accordance with the Standards of 
Ethical Conduct, as is contemplated by 5 CFR 2635.102(b), defining 
``agency designee.''
    (d) An employee may obtain advice and guidance on questions of 
conflicts of interest from the Ethical Conduct Officer or the Associate 
Ethical Conduct Officer having appropriate jurisdiction. In order to 
avoid undue interference with established grievance and disciplinary 
procedures, advisory service under this subpart will not normally be 
available in an instance in which a grievance is pending or disciplinary 
action has been initiated.
    (e) An employee may request any ruling provided for by the Standards 
and Supplemental Regulations by submitting a request in writing to the 
Senior Counsel, Ethics, or, in the field, to the Chief Field Counsel or 
Deputy Chief Field Counsel, General Law.
    (f) An employee may appeal to the Ethical Conduct Officer from a 
ruling made by an agency designee concerning matters covered by the 
Standards and Supplemental Regulations within 30 days from the date of 
the ruling. The appeal must be in writing and must contain a full 
statement of the relevant facts. It should be addressed to the Ethical 
Conduct Officer, U.S. Postal Service, Washington, DC 20260, and a copy 
thereof should be sent to the official whose ruling is being appealed.

[60 FR 47244, Sept. 11, 1995]