§ 10-3-312 - Notification of lawsuits affecting state.
10-3-312. Notification of lawsuits affecting state.
(a) In order that the General Assembly may take whatever steps it deems necessary concerning lawsuits which may affect the State of Arkansas, its officials, or its financial resources:
(1) The Attorney General shall notify the Director of the Bureau of Legislative Research who is the Executive Secretary to the Legislative Council as soon as possible after the Attorney General becomes involved in such litigation;
(2) When any state agency or any entity which receives an appropriation of funds from the General Assembly becomes involved in litigation without representation by the Attorney General, the director or administrative head of the agency shall notify the Director of the Bureau of Legislative Research as soon as possible.
(b) The notice given by the Attorney General or by the director or administrative head of a state agency to the Director of the Bureau of Legislative Research shall include the style of the case being litigated, the identity of the tribunal before which the matter has been filed, a brief description of the issues involved, and other information that will enable the Legislative Council or the Joint Budget Committee to determine the action that may be deemed necessary to protect the interests of the General Assembly and the State of Arkansas in that matter.
(c) Upon receipt of the notice, the Director of the Bureau of Legislative Research shall during the interim between legislative sessions transmit a copy of the notice to the cochairs of the Legislative Council and to the cochairs of the Joint Budget Committee during legislative sessions in order that those committees may schedule that matter upon their respective agendas at the earliest possible date.
(d) During the interim between legislative sessions, the Legislative Council shall determine, and during legislative sessions the Joint Budget Committee shall determine, whether the General Assembly has an interest in the litigation and, if so, take whatever action deemed necessary to protect the General Assembly's and the state's interest in that matter.