City of Sacramento
City Council - 2PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2026-00392 1/27/2026
[Pass for Publication] An Ordinance Deleting Section 9.12.010 of the Sacramento City Code Relating to a Prohibition on the Distribution of Certain Comic Books to Minors File ID: 2026-00392
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: 1) Review an Ordinance deleting Sacramento City Code section 9.12.010, relating to a prohibition on the distribution of certain comic books to minors; and 2) pass for publication the Ordinance title per Sacramento Charter section 32(c) for consideration on February 3, 2026.
Contact: David Gull, Chief of Staff, (916) 808-7004, [email protected], Office of Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, District 4; Evan Cragin, Operations Director, (916) 808-7005, [email protected], Office of Councilmember Caity Maple, District 5; Ryan Meyerhoff, Senior Deputy City Attorney, (916) 808-5346, [email protected], Office of the City Attorney
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Ordinance (Clean)
3-Ordinance (Redline)
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: Sacramento City Code section 9.12.010, originally adopted in 1949, prohibits the sale, gifting, and other distribution of comic books to minors if the comics both (i) prominently feature crime, and (ii) depict, among other things, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, kidnapping, mayhem, robbery, or theft. In effect, City Code currently prohibits the sale or gifting of significant quantities of popular comics to minors.
Recognizing that comics are an influential and celebrated art form, including among minors where they may encourage lifelong literacy, it is appropriate to delete section 9.12.010 to allow comics to be distributed to minors.
File ID: 2026-00392 1/27/2026
Policy Considerations: A similar law in Los Angeles County was found unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court in Katzev v. Los Angeles Cnty., 52 Cal. 2d 360 (1959).
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
Environmental Considerations: Not applicable.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: This topic was discussed by the Law and Legislation Committee on November 18, 2025, and the Committee passed a motion directing an Ordinance be prepared and presented to the City Council for consideration without further review by the Committee.
Rationale for Recommendation: The proposed ordinance deletes an antiquated provision of the City Code in alignment with public policy.
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
ORDINANCE NO. 2026-____
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
[Date Adopted]
AN ORDINANCE DELETING SECTION 9.12.0 10 OF THE
SACRAMENTO CITY CODE, RELATING TO A PROHIBITION ON THE
DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN COMIC BOOKS TO MINORS
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO:
SECTION 1.
Section 9.12.010 of the Sacramento City Code is hereby deleted.
ORDINANCE NO. 2026-____
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
[Date Adopted]
AN ORDINANCE DELETING SECTION 9.12.0 10 OF THE
SACRAMENTO CITY CODE, RELATING TO A PROHIBITION ON THE
DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN COMIC BOOKS TO MINORS
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO:
SECTION 1.
Section 9.12.010 of the Sacramento City Code is hereby deleted.
9.12.010 Distributing certain "comic books."
It is unlawful for any person to distribute, give away or in any way cause to be furnished ultimately for use by persons under the age of eighteen (18) years any book, magazine or other publication, commonly known as a "comic book" in which there is prominently featured an account of crime, and which depicts, by the use of drawings or photographs, the commission or attempted commission of the crimes of arson, assault with caustic chemicals, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, kidnapping, torture, mayhem, murder, rape, robbery, theft or voluntary manslaughter.
This section shall not be construed to in any way prohibit the publication of actual accounts of crime, nor the drawings or photographs used to illustrate such accounts, which are a part of the general dissemination of news; nor shall it apply to the publication, distribution or dissemination of "syndicated comic sections" which form a part of an established newspaper engaged in the general circulation of news.