(a) Any person may request the commission to issue a written opinion with respect to his or her duties under provisions of the Charter or any ordinance relating to campaign finance, conflicts of interest, lobbying or governmental ethics. The commission shall, within 14 days, either issue a written opinion or advise the person who made the request whether an opinion will be issued. No person who acts in good faith on a written opinion issued to him or her by the commission shall be subject to criminal or civil penalties for so acting, provided that the material facts are as stated in the opinion request. The commission’s opinions shall be public records and may from time to time be published.
(b) Any person may request the commission to provide written advice with respect to the person’s duties under provisions of the Charter or any ordinance relating to campaign finance, conflicts of interest, lobbying, or governmental ethics. Advice shall be provided within 21 working days of the commission’s actual receipt of the request, except that the time may be extended by the commission for good cause. Reliance on the advice, or the failure of the Commission to provide the advice within 21 working days of its receipt of the request, or within the extended time for response, shall be a complete defense in any enforcement proceeding initiated by the commission, and evidence of good faith conduct in any other civil or criminal proceeding if the requester, at least 21 working days prior to the alleged violation, requested written advice from the commission in good faith, disclosed truthfully all the material facts, and committed the acts complained of either in reliance on the advice or because of the failure of the commission to provide advice within 21 days of the request or such later extended time.