This bill addresses funding for the Office of the Attorney General.
This bill:
- exempts the Office of the Attorney General (office) from the provisions governing internal service funds with respect to charges for legal services the office provides to an agency;
- provides that when the office charges an agency for legal services, the office shall calculate the charge based on the actual time spent on the legal services;
- requires the office and each agency to annually agree on a retainer amount to be included in the governor's proposed budget that represents the total anticipated cost of the agency's legal services for the upcoming fiscal year;
- after the Legislature appropriates each agency's retainer, directs the office and each agency to execute a service-level agreement that includes the agency's expected legal services needs, the rates at which the office will charge for the legal services, and specified information about the money used to pay for the legal services;
- establishes the Legal Services Retainer Fund into which each agency will transfer the agency's retainer;
- allows the office to use money in the Legal Services Retainer Fund to pay for the legal services that the office charges to each agency during the fiscal year;
- requires an agency to use the agency's existing budget to pay for any legal services charges that exceed the agency's balance in the Legal Services Retainer Fund;
- creates the Legal Services and Litigation Program to pay costs of defending the state in civil litigation that meets specified criteria;
- provides that appropriations made to the Legal Services and Litigation Program are nonlapsing; and
- makes technical and conforming changes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 52-4-205, 63J-1-410, 63J-1-602.2
Amended 2/18/2026 11:02:829: 52-4-205, 63J-1-410, 63J-1-602.2
Enrolled: 52-4-205, 63J-1-410, 63J-1-602.2
Amended 3/6/2026 20:03:196: 52-4-205, 63J-1-410, 63J-1-602.2
Substitute #1: 52-4-205, 63J-1-410, 63J-1-602.2