ISSUANCE OF OPINION

(a) In response to a specific request from a member of the public or the credit union industry, the commissioner may issue an opinion directly or through the deputy commissioner or a department attorney. (b) If the commissioner determines that the opinion is useful for the general guidance of the public or credit unions, the commissioner may disseminate the opinion by newsletter, through an electronic medium such as the Internet, in a volume of statutes or related materials published by the commissioner or others, or by any other means reasonably calculated to notify persons affected by the opinion. A published opinion must be redacted to preserve the confidentiality of the requesting party unless the requesting party consents to be identified in the published opinion. (c) The commissioner may amend or repeal a published opinion by issuing an amended opinion or notice of repeal of an opinion and disseminating the opinion or notice in a substantially similar manner as the affected opinion was originally disseminated. The requesting party may rely on the original opinion if: (1) all material facts were originally disclosed to the commissioner; (2) the safety and soundness of the affected credit union will not be endangered by further reliance on the original opinion; and (3) the text and interpretation of relevant governing provisions of this chapter or Subtitle D, Title 3, have not been changed by legislative or judicial action.