F.A.Q.

Contents

Federal Issues

Governor Brown serves the people of California as chief executive of California government, and exercises his power as prescribed in the California Constitution. The Governor does not have jurisdiction over federal agencies or policies, such as Social Security or immigration. California’s federal elected officials in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are best suited to assist or answer questions that pertain to the United States federal government.

You may contact President Donald Trump by visiting his website at http://www.whitehouse.gov.

You may contact Senator Dianne Feinstein by visiting her website at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public. You may also contact Senator Kamala Harris through her website at http://harris.senate.gov.

You can find contact information for your member of the House of Representatives at http://www.house.gov.

You can obtain forms and information regarding immigration and/or naturalization by visiting the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ website at http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis.

To obtain information on U.S. Passports or to check on a pending passport application, you can visit the U.S. Department of State website at http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.

To obtain information on Social Security and services rendered by the U.S. Social Security Administration, you can visit their website at http://www.ssa.gov.

Local Issues

Governor Brown does not have jurisdiction over local issues. Your elected representatives of local government are in the best position to assist on issues and/or concerns relating to local government.

For issues pertaining to city and county government, you should contact your Mayor and local officials as applicable. For assistance obtaining contact information visit https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials.

For issues pertaining to school districts, you should contact your elected school board to express your issues and/or concerns. The California School Boards Association’s website can assist you in obtaining your school board’s contact information at http://www.csba.org.

For issues pertaining to county government, you should contact your county’s Board of Supervisors. You can find assistance in obtaining the contact information to your county office and its officers by visiting http://www.ca.gov/About/Government/Local/Counties/index.html.

Judicial Issues

The Governor’s office cannot provide legal assistance or advice, nor can the Governor intervene in court cases due to separation of powers between the Executive and Judicial branches, as outlined in the California Constitution.

If you seek legal help and cannot afford an attorney, the American Bar Association (ABA) offers resources that can direct you to free legal assistance. You can request information about free legal services from the ABA by calling (800) 285-2221 or by accessing its online resources at http://www.findlegalhelp.org.

For consumer complaints, you can contact the Office of Attorney General at http://ag.ca.gov.

If you have a complaint against the legal practices of an attorney in the State of California, you can contact the California State Bar by visiting their website at http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Complaints-Claims

If you have a concern about the performance of a judge, please contact the State of California Commission of Judicial Performance. You can find contact information and information on filing a complaint on their website at http://cjp.ca.gov/.

How do I invite the Governor to an event?

You can invite Governor Brown to an event by submitting a formal request online at https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/scheduling/, with at least 30 days advance notice. You may also invite Governor Brown to an event by submitting a formal request in writing, to the Governor’s scheduling office at:

Governor Jerry Brown
ATTN: Scheduling Office
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

Please be sure to include the date, time and location of the event. Also include information pertaining to the nature of the event and the requested role of the Governor at the event.

How can I get a commemorative message from the Governor?

Commemorative messages are issued only to current California residents or organizations or to organizations hosting events in California. Out of state requests will not be considered. Keep in mind that due to the volume of similar requests, we may not be able to accommodate your request even if it meets the criteria outlined below.

Some criteria to keep in mind when submitting a request:

Does the event or individual have statewide notoriety or impact?
If the letter is being requested by a 501(c) 3 organization, is the charity current with its annual IRS Form 990 filings?
Is the event or organization celebrating a significant milestone?

There are three types of commemorative messages. Please read carefully; the submission process is different for each.

Proclamations:
Official proclamations – which are legal documents – declare a day, week or month and are issued for holidays or public awareness campaigns initiated by state agencies. If your proclamation request is for an event or day other than a state or national holiday, it must be first evaluated and sponsored by the state agency under which the issue falls. The agency works directly with the requestor to determine if the agency will sponsor the proclamation.

To find the appropriate agency to sponsor your proclamation request, please click here. The Governor’s Office does not issue official proclamations for individuals or private organizations; those types of requests are fulfilled by commemorative messages.

Commemorative Messages:
Commemorative messages – which are non-legal documents – are for an event or special occasion. When requesting a commemorative message a draft of the requested language (200 words or less) and background information on the organization or individual must be included. Additionally, we cannot accommodate individual letters for multiple honorees – we can provide one letter which recognizes all honorees as a group.

All requests must be submitted no later than 30 days prior to your requested deadline or event date, whichever comes first. Please include a contact name, email, address and phone number, date of the event, date message is needed, and background information. You can submit your request via the web form at https://govnews.gov.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php.

Letters of Recognition:
A letter of recognition is issued for individual achievements by California residents . They are often submitted by the employer of an individual who is retiring after a career in public or military service. Our office also accepts requests to recognize residents turning 100 years old and those celebrating a milestone wedding anniversary.

If you wish to request a letter of recognition, please do so no later than 30 days prior to your requested deadline or event date, whichever comes first. Please include a contact name, email, address and phone number, date of the event, date message is needed, and background information and submit it via the web form at https://govnews.gov.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php.

Certificates:
Certificates of recognition or certificates of commendation are no longer provided by the Governor’s office.

How do I get a flag flown over the capitol?

If you are interested in having your California or U.S. flag flown over the Capitol, please mail the flag along with a letter outlining your request to:

Office of the Governor
ATTN: Constituent Affairs
State Capitol
Sacramento, California 95814

The letter should include your contact information along with return postage-paid envelope.

If you do not have a flag but would like to purchase one that has already been flown over the Capitol, contact the Senate Publications and Flags Office at 916-651-1538.

How can I request a gubernatorial pardon or commutation of sentence?”

You can find information on how to request a gubernatorial pardon or commutation of sentence at:

https://www.gov.ca.gov/pardons-and-commutations/