Article 6.5. Distribution Of State Publications of California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 6.5.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this article, to reduce the excessive flow of unsolicited state agency reports which, after being written, printed, and distributed at significant public expense, are received without having been requested by legislative offices, state agency offices, and other recipients who often shelve, destroy, or otherwise dispose of the unsolicited material often, again, at significant public expense.
  (b) In enacting this article, it is not the intent of the Legislature to reduce the free flow of information between state government and the public but, rather, to reduce the use of state government publications for other than required informational purposes and to effect a reduction in the escalating public expense of writing, printing, and distributing unsolicited state agency reports.

(a) No state agency shall distribute a state publication, as defined in Section 14902, except in response to a specific request therefor, or to the subjects of a mailing list or distribution list who have previously requested the automatic receipt of reports of this type, or pursuant to Sections 14900, 14901, 14903, 14904, 14905.1, and 14907. This section shall not apply to the following publications:
  (1) Public information pamphlets.
  (2) Copies of legislative bills.
  (3) Copies of statutes, laws, and regulations.
  (4) Any information disseminated to the press.
  (5) Publications which are applications, instructions, or guidelines for complying with any state or federal law, regulation, or policy.
  (6) Directories.
  (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a state agency from distributing an abstract which contains a description of any reports submitted to the Legislature, and of any other information that is available upon request.

Beginning with the 1984-85 fiscal year, each state agency shall include in its budget request a listing of state publications, as defined in Section 14902, which were added by legislative mandate or otherwise during the previous fiscal year.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when funding for any legislatively mandated publication is discontinued in the Budget Act, the statutory mandate for that publication shall be automatically suspended.

Each state agency that publishes or distributes a state publication, as defined in Section 14902, shall file a copy of the publication with the Joint Committee on Rules if it has published or distributed more than 1000 copies of the publication in the preceding 12 months. This section shall not apply to any of the following publications:
  (a) Copies of legislative bills.
  (b) Copies of statutes, laws, and regulations.
  (c) Any information disseminated solely to the press.
  (d) Publications that are applications, instructions, or guidelines for complying with any state or federal law, regulation, or policy.