Section 6031.5.

(a) State Bar sections, as established under and pursuant to Article 13 of the Rules and Regulations of the State Bar, and their activities shall not be funded with mandatory fees collected pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 6140.

The State Bar may provide an individual section, or two or more sections collectively, with administrative and support services, provided the State Bar shall be reimbursed for the full cost of those services out of funds collected pursuant to subdivision (b), funds raised by or through the activities of the sections, or other funds collected from voluntary sources. The financial audit specified in Section 6145 shall confirm that the amount assessed by the State Bar for providing the services reimburses the costs of providing them, and shall verify that mandatory dues are not used to fund the sections.

(b) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, the State Bar is expressly authorized to collect voluntary fees to fund the State Bar sections on behalf of those organizations in conjunction with the State Bar's collection of its annual membership dues. Funds collected pursuant to this subdivision, and other funds raised by or through the activities of the sections, or collected from voluntary sources, for their support or operation, shall not be subject to the expenditure limitations of subdivision (b) of Section 6140.05.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Bar is expressly authorized to collect, in conjunction with the State Bar's collection of its annual membership dues, voluntary fees or donations on behalf of the Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations, the independent nonprofit successor entity to the former Conference of Delegates of the State Bar which has been incorporated for the purposes of aiding in matters pertaining to the advancement of the science of jurisprudence or to the improvement of the administration of justice, and to convey any unexpended voluntary fees or donations previously made to the Conference of Delegates of the State Bar pursuant to this section to the Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations. The Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations shall pay for the cost of the collection. The State Bar and the Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations may also contract for other services. The financial audit specified in Section 6145 shall confirm that the amount of any contract shall fully cover the costs of providing the services, and shall verify that mandatory dues are not used to fund any successor entity.

(d) The Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations, which is the independent nonprofit successor entity to the former Conference of Delegates of the State Bar as referenced in subdivision (c), is a voluntary association, is not a part of the State Bar of California, and shall not be funded in any way through mandatory dues collected by the State Bar of California. Any contribution or membership option included with a State Bar of California mandatory dues billing statement shall include a statement that the Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations is not a part of the State Bar of California and that membership in that organization is voluntary.

(Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 334, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2004.)