Announcement of Office of Government Ethics Guidance Portal

• Published date: 29 July 2020
• Citation: 85 FR 45638
• Record Number: 2020-16363
• Section: Notices
• Court: Government Ethics Office

Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 146 (Wednesday, July 29, 2020)

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 146 (Wednesday, July 29, 2020)]
                [Notices]
                [Page 45638]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2020-16363]
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                OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
                Announcement of Office of Government Ethics Guidance Portal
                AGENCY: Office of Government Ethics.
                ACTION: Notice of new guidance portal.
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                SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is publishing this
                notice to announce a new guidance portal on its website for guidance
                documents, as required by Executive Order 13891 ``Promoting the Rule of
                Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents.''
                DATES: The guidance portal is accessible by the public on the date of
                publication of this notice: July 29, 2020.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Lightfoot, Assistant
                Counsel, U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Telephone: 202-482-9300.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive Order 13891 ``Promoting the Rule
                of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents'' requires each
                agency to establish or maintain on its website a guidance portal that
                contains or links to all guidance documents in effect issued by that
                agency. Guidance documents are defined by the Executive Order, subject
                to certain exclusions, as agency statements of general applicability,
                intended to have future effect on the behavior of regulated parties,
                that set forth a policy on a statutory, regulatory, or technical issue,
                or an interpretation of a statute or regulation.
                 The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Memorandum M-20-
                02, ``Guidance Implementing Executive Order 13891, Titled `Promoting
                the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents' '' on
                October 31, 2019. OMB's memorandum directed agencies to establish a
                guidance portal and publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing
                it. Accordingly, this notice announces that OGE has established its
                guidance portal at: https://www.oge.gov/guidance.
                 The guidance portal notes that guidance documents do not have the
                force and effect of law, except as authorized by law or as incorporated
                into a contract. However, to the extent that a guidance document
                provides an interpretation of the government ethics laws and
                regulations or concerns aspects of ethics program management, guidance
                documents are controlling within the executive branch. Guidance
                documents not included in the guidance portal will not be cited to,
                used, or relied on by OGE, except to establish historical facts.
                 Approved: July 23, 2020.
                Emory Rounds,
                Director, U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
                [FR Doc. 2020-16363 Filed 7-28-20; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 6345-03-P