1. (a) The Secretary shall, annually, prepare and publish a Register and Manual that shall give a complete list of the state, county and town officers, of the judges of all courts and of the officials attending thereon. The population, railroad and postal facilities and other items of general interest concerning each town shall also be given in such book and such other information in relation to state departments, state institutions and other matters of public concern as the Secretary deems desirable. The number of copies of the State Register and Manual published each year shall be determined at the discretion of the Secretary. The Secretary shall determine, by regulations adopted in accordance with chapter 54, the agencies and officers of the federal, state and municipal governments to whom the State Register and Manual shall be distributed without charge and the number of copies of such manual to be distributed to each such agency and officer. The price to be charged for any additional copies distributed or sold, except for copies sold pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, shall be twenty dollars per copy for soft-bound copies and thirty-eight dollars per copy for hard-bound special edition copies. Any copies not distributed or sold by July first of the year following publication may be distributed, at no cost, except the cost of mailing if mailed, to any person making a request to the Secretary. Any remaining copies may be disposed of at the time of the next annual publication.
2. (b) The Secretary shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54, providing for the sale of copies of the Register and Manual through an agent or agents, including, but not limited to, wholesale and retail booksellers according to a discount schedule similar to one that would be available to such agents from commercial book publishers and generally in keeping with standard book industry practices, provided the price of the Register and Manual under such schedule shall be not less than the cost of producing the Register and Manual.

(1949 Rev., S. 173; 1955, S. 60d; 1959, P.A. 152, S. 4; 615, S. 16; 1963, P.A. 351; 1969, P.A. 543; P.A. 76-434, S. 1, 12; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 81-11, S. 4, 19; P.A. 83-260, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-149, S. 1, 2; P.A. 89-251, S. 60, 203; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-1, S. 6, 7; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 141.)

History: 1959 acts deleted distribution to municipal court officials and county commissioners; 1963 act increased maximum number of books to be published each year; 1969 act increased number of books to be published to 30,000 and changed language as necessary to reflect change from biennial to annual sessions of legislature; P.A. 76-434 decreased number of books to be published to 28,324 and decreased the number of books sent to senators from 15 to 2 and to representatives from 10 to 2; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 81-11 deleted detailed provisions re number of copies to be published and number to be distributed to schools, libraries, government agencies, etc. and provision which had empowered secretary to reduce the number published and to vary (but not increase) the number distributed as required and inserted new provisions authorizing secretary to determine number to be published, recipients of free copies and the number of copies such recipients are to receive and established $10 charge for any additional copies; P.A. 83-260 changed the price from $10 per copy to $8 for soft-bound copies and $15 for hard-bound copies; P.A. 84-149 provided that copies not distributed by April first of year following publication may be lower in price, copies not distributed by July first in the year following may be distributed without cost and remaining copies may be disposed of at next annual publication; P.A. 89-251 increased fee for soft-bound copies from $8 to $10 and increased fee for hard-bound copies from $15 to $19; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-1 designated existing section as Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (a) by specifying free distribution to officers and agencies “of the federal, state and municipal governments” and deleting provision re price reduction for copies not distributed by April first of following year, and added Subsec. (b) re regulations providing for sale of register and manual through agents; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased fee for soft-bound copies from $10 to $20 and for hard-bound copies from $19 to $38 in Subsec. (a).