(a) It is the duty of the commissioner of general services to establish rules and regulations to control the costs and quantity of all publications, and to promulgate rules and regulations governing the printing and distribution of state agency reports and publications issued by agencies and departments of the government of this state, excluding institutions of higher education, the judicial branch of state government and those state institutions and facilities exempted from public purchase laws in § 12-3-103. For purposes of this part, rules of the publications committee in existence on May 1, 2008, shall be deemed rules of the commissioner of general services.

(b) The rules and regulations on distribution shall include a provision stipulating that there shall be no automatic distribution of reports or publications, except the distribution provided for in chapter 6 of this title, or otherwise by law or resolution enacted after May 25, 1984, but that all distributions must either be approved in general by the commissioner of general services or be made upon request by the recipient.

(c) It also is the duty of the commissioner of general services to establish a procedure for reviewing all publications as defined in subsection (e), and to approve or disapprove the printing of existing publications and planned publications that come under this part.

(d) The commissioner of general services shall determine the need for existing and planned publications based upon the agency's goals and purpose or statutory requirements, and the quantity and distribution of each approved publication.

(e) “Publications” includes any newsletter, stationery, greeting card, report or printed material produced for distribution outside the department or agency for which the report or printed material is printed, including those printed at facilities not operated by the state.

(f) The commissioner of general services may appoint a designee to fulfill the responsibilities laid out in this section.