California Code of Regulations
Title 2 - Administration
Division 6 - Fair Political Practices Commission
Chapter 7 - Conflicts of Interest
Article 1 - Conflicts of Interest; General Prohibition
Section 18701 - Determining Whether a Financial Effect is Reasonably Foreseeable

Universal Citation: 2 CA Code of Regs 18701

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

(a) Financial Interest Explicitly Involved: A financial effect on a financial interest is presumed to be reasonably foreseeable if the financial interest is a named party in, or the subject of, a governmental decision before the official or the official's agency. A financial interest is the subject of a proceeding if the decision involves the issuance, renewal, approval, denial or revocation of any license, permit, or other entitlement to, or contract with, the financial interest, and includes any governmental decision affecting a real property financial interest as described in Regulation 18702.2(a)(1)-(6).

(b) Financial Interest Not Explicitly Involved in Decision: A financial effect need not be likely to be considered reasonably foreseeable. In general, if the financial effect can be recognized as a realistic possibility and more than hypothetical or theoretical, it is reasonably foreseeable. If the financial result cannot be expected absent extraordinary circumstances not subject to the public official's control, it is not reasonably foreseeable. In determining whether a governmental decision will have a reasonably foreseeable financial effect on a financial interest other than an interest described in subdivision (a), the following factors should be considered. These factors are not intended to be an exclusive list of all the relevant facts that may be considered in determining whether a financial effect is reasonably foreseeable, but are included as general guidelines.

(1) The extent to which the occurrence of the financial effect is contingent upon intervening events, not including future governmental decisions by the official's agency, or any other agency appointed by or subject to the budgetary control of the official's agency.

(2) Whether the public official should anticipate a financial effect on the official's financial interest as a potential outcome under normal circumstances when using appropriate due diligence and care.

(3) Whether the public official has a financial interest that is of the type that would typically be affected by the terms of the governmental decision or whether the governmental decision is of the type that would be expected to have a financial effect on businesses and individuals similarly situated to those businesses and individuals in which the public official has a financial interest.

(4) Whether a reasonable inference can be made that the financial effects of the governmental decision on the public official's financial interest might compromise a public official's ability to act in a manner consistent with the official's duty to act in the best interests of the public.

(5) Whether the governmental decision will provide or deny an opportunity, or create an advantage or disadvantage for one of the official's financial interests, including whether the financial interest may be entitled to compete or be eligible for a benefit resulting from the decision.

(6) Whether the public official has the type of financial interest that would cause a similarly situated person to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the governmental decision on the official's financial interest in formulating a position.

1. New section filed 1-22-76; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 76, No. 4).
2. Amendment of subsection (c) filed 4-28-82; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 82, No. 18).
3. Amendment of subsection (b) filed 10-19-89; operative 11-18-89 (Register 89, No. 42).
4. Repealer and new section filed 11-23-98; operative 11-23-98 pursuant to the 1974 version of Government Code section 11380.2 and title 2, California Code of Regulations, section 18312(d) and (e) (Register 98, No. 48).
5. Editorial correction of History 4 (Register 2000, No. 25).
6. Amendment of section heading, section and Note filed 1-11-2001; operative 2-1-2001. Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements) (Register 2001, No. 2).
7. Amendment filed 12-29-2005; operative 1-28-2006. Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992. (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements.) (Register 2005, No. 52).
8. Change without regulatory effect renumbering former section 18701 to section 18704.6 and renumbering former section 18706 to section 18701, including amendment of section, filed 4-27-2015. Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2015, No. 18).
9. Amendment of subsection (a) filed 7-10-2015; operative 7-10-2015 pursuant to section 18312(e)(1)(A), title 2, California Code of Regulations. Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2015, No. 28).
10. Amendment of subsections (b)(2), (b)(4) and (b)(6) filed 5-12-2021; operative 6-11-2021 pursuant to Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, section 18312(e). Submitted to OAL for filing pursuant to Fair Political Practices Commission v. Office of Administrative Law, 3 Civil C010924, California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, nonpublished decision, April 27, 1992 (FPPC regulations only subject to 1974 Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking requirements and not subject to procedural or substantive review by OAL) (Register 2021, No. 20).

Note: Authority cited: Section 83112, Government Code. Reference: Sections 87100, 87102.5, 87102.6, 87102.8 and 87103, Government Code.

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