(a) The Secretary of State shall charge and collect fees as provided in this article and may also by regulation establish fees to be charged and collected for copying and special handling in connection with filing documents, issuing of certificates, and other services performed by the office.
(b) Except as provided in subdivision (c), the fees shall approximate the estimated cost of copying and special handling.
(c) Fees charged for preclearance of documents and expedited filings may be in different amounts, that shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). Those fees may be charged only if the special handling does not cause disruption or delay in the process of normal handling of documents.
(d) Copying and special handling fees shall be paid into the Secretary of State’s Business Fees Fund.
(e) The preclearance or expedited filing of documents by the Secretary of State or his or her employees pursuant to this section shall be considered discretionary pursuant to Section 820.2.
(f) This section shall become operative commencing July 1, 2014.
(Repealed (in Sec. 3) and added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 364, Sec. 4. (AB 554) Effective January 1, 2014. Section operative July 1, 2014, by its own provisions.)