Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §196, as amended by PL 1989, c. 410, §14, is further amended to read:

§196. Deputies and assistants; appointment and duties

The Attorney General may appoint one or more deputy attorneys general, assistant attorneys general and staff attorneys who shall serve during at the pleasure of the Attorney General or until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. They may perform all the duties required of the Attorney General and such other duties as the Attorney General may delegate delegates to them. The Attorney General may appoint such research assistants with such any powers and duties as the Attorney General may delegate delegates. Research assistants may perform such duties as may be delegated to them by the Attorney General, including such activities as are authorized by Title 4, section 807. The Attorney General may appoint and delegate duties to a director of investigations. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the compensation compensations of the director of investigations, research assistants, law office manager and deputy attorneys general shall be are fixed by the Attorney General. The compensations of the staff attorneys, assistant attorneys general and secretary to the Attorney General shall be are fixed by the Attorney General with the approval of the Governor, but such compensations shall may not in the aggregate exceed the amount appropriated therefor for those positions and shall may not result in an increased request to future Legislatures.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever the written approval of the Attorney General is required by statute or court rule and the Attorney General either is unavailable to act upon the matter or has determined that it would be legally or ethically improper for him the Attorney General to do so, the required approval may be given by a deputy attorney general specifically authorized in writing by the Attorney General to act on his the Attorney General's behalf in these situations.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §931, sub-§1, ķI, as amended by PL 1985, c. 785, Pt. A, §42, is further amended to read:

I. Deputies, assistants, the director of investigations, staff attorneys, research assistants and the secretary to the Attorney General of the Department of Attorney General;