§ 266.2 Definitions.

Employee2(a) means a regular officer or employee of the Board; it does not include a consultant to the Board.

Official responsibility,(b) with respect to a matter, means administrative, supervisory, or decisional authority, whether intermediate or final, exercisable alone or with others, personally or through subordinates, to approve, disapprove, decide, or recommend Board action or to express staff opinions in dealings with the public.

Appear personally(c) includes personal appearance or attendance before, or personal communication, either written or oral, with the Board or a Federal Reserve Bank of any member or employee thereof, or personal participation in the formulation or preparation of any material presented or communicated to, or filed with, the Board, in connection with any application or interpretation arising under the statutes or regulations administered by the Board or the Federal Reserve Banks, except that requests for general information or explanations of Board policy or interpretation shall not be construed to be a personal appearance.

2 While former consultants to the Board are not covered by these Rules, they appear to fall within the coverage of section 207 of the United States Criminal Code (18 U.S.C. 207) that provides criminal penalties for engaging in activities similar, although not identical, to those described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of § 266.3.