An Act To Require Agencies To Report the Costs of Pursuing Actions in Adjudicatory and Court Proceedings

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §43, first ¶,  as repealed and replaced by PL 1975, c. 436, §3, is amended to read:

As used in this section and sections 43 through 46 44 to 46-A, the word "agency" shall mean means a state department, agency, office, board, commission or quasi-independent agency, board, commission, authority or institution.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §46-A  is enacted to read:

§ 46-A.  Report of expenditures for adjudicatory and court proceedings

By December 15th of each year, an agency that made any expenditures for adjudicatory or court proceedings in the previous fiscal year shall submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over that agency's activities a report of those expenditures, including personnel time, attorney's fees, court costs, witness fees and expert fees, as well as any costs incurred by the Office of the Attorney General on the agency's behalf.

summary

This bill requires state agencies to annually report expenditures for pursuing actions in adjudicatory and court proceedings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over that agency's activities. The report must include costs incurred directly by the agency as well as any costs incurred by the Office of the Attorney General.