It is unlawful for the board or any person having an administrative duty under this part to make known in any manner whatever the business affairs, operations, or information obtained by an investigation of records and equipment of any person visited or examined in the discharge of official duty, or the amount or source of income, profits, losses, expenditures, or any particular thereof, set forth or disclosed in any report, or to permit any report or copy thereof or any book containing any abstract or particulars thereof to be seen or examined by any person. However, the Governor may, by general or special order, authorize examination of the records maintained by the board under this part by other state officers, by tax officers of another state, by the federal government, if a reciprocal arrangement exists, or by any other person.

Successors, receivers, trustees, executors, administrators, assignees, and guarantors, if directly interested, may be given information as to the items included in the measure and amounts of any unpaid tax or amounts of tax required to be collected, interest, and penalties.

Nothing in this section shall prevent the board from exchanging with officials of other states information concerning interstate shipments of cigarettes or tobacco products.

Any violation of this section is a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or by both, in the discretion of the court.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 620, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 1998.)