1. Any state agency or the governing body of a county or an incorporated city may establish a specialized or local ethics committee to complement the functions of the Commission. A specialized or local ethics committee may:

(a) Establish a code of ethical standards suitable for the particular ethical problems encountered in its sphere of activity. The standards may not be less restrictive than the statutory ethical standards.

(b) Render an opinion upon the request of any public officer or employee of its own organization or level seeking an interpretation of its ethical standards on questions directly related to the propriety of the public officer’s or employee’s own future official conduct or refer the request to the Commission. Any public officer or employee subject to the jurisdiction of the committee shall direct the public officer’s or employee’s inquiry to that committee instead of the Commission.

(c) Require the filing of financial disclosure statements by public officers on forms prescribed by the committee or the city clerk if the form has been:

(1) Submitted, at least 60 days before its anticipated distribution, to the Secretary of State for review; and

(2) Upon review, approved by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall not approve the form unless the form contains all the information required to be included in a financial disclosure statement pursuant to NRS 281.571.

2. The Secretary of State is not responsible for the costs of producing or distributing a form for filing a financial disclosure statement pursuant to the provisions of subsection 1.

3. A specialized or local ethics committee shall not attempt to interpret or render an opinion regarding the statutory ethical standards.

4. Each request for an opinion submitted to a specialized or local ethics committee, each hearing held to obtain information on which to base an opinion, all deliberations relating to an opinion, each opinion rendered by a committee and any motion relating to the opinion are confidential unless:

(a) The public officer or employee acts in contravention of the opinion; or

(b) The requester discloses the content of the opinion.

(Added to NRS by 1977, 1107; A 1985, 2126; 1991, 105; 1995, 2198, 2445; 1997, 640, 641; 2011, 1727; 2013, 3781; 2015, 1726) — (Substituted in revision for NRS 281A.470)