(a) The Attorney General may, upon the request of any district attorney, sheriff, chief of police, or other local, state or federal law enforcement official, make available to such official so requesting, the department’s laboratory facilities and personnel and the department’s technical experts, including but not limited to such personnel as fingerprint examiners, criminalists, document examiners and intelligence specialists for the purpose of assisting in the investigation of criminal matters, the detection of crimes and the apprehension or prosecution of criminals.

(b) The Attorney General may, upon the request of any public defender or private defense counsel appointed by the court, make available to such public defender or such private appointed counsel, the department’s laboratory facilities and personnel and the department’s technical experts, including but not limited to such personnel as fingerprint examiners, criminalists, document examiners and intelligence specialists for the purpose of assisting in the representation by such public defender or private appointed counsel of persons in criminal proceedings. The Attorney General may contract with each county whose public defender or such private appointed counsel makes requests pursuant to this subdivision for the payment of the reasonable costs of time and material in making available information, services or facilities pursuant to this subdivision. No information, services or facilities shall be made available to such public defender or private appointed counsel unless the county so contracts with the Attorney General.

(c) A copy of any information, including the results of any analysis, furnished by the Attorney General to a public defender, or private defense counsel appointed by the court, pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be sent to the district attorney of the county in which the public defender is located. If this subdivision or its application to any person or circumstance is invalid, subdivision (b) shall not be operative.

(d) The Department of Justice may charge a fee for the laboratory services it performs.

(Amended by Stats. 1978, Ch. 1135.)