Bill > SB098

This bill appropriates a total of $144,962,214 to the Department of Law for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, with additional funds from various cash and reappropriated sources. * **Administration:** $39,391,896 is appropriated for various administrative functions, including personal services, office operations, health benefits, and IT asset maintenance. This includes $6,018,145 for personal services and $1,369,433 for information technology asset maintenance. * **Legal Services to State Agencies:** $63,534,289 is appropriated for providing legal services to other state agencies. This includes $54,808,865 for personal services and $5,731,983 for indirect cost assessments. The bill specifies that hourly billing rates for attorneys should not exceed $142.09 and for legal assistants should not exceed $95.25. * **Criminal Justice and Appellate:** $19,062,200 is appropriated for criminal justice and appellate functions, including special prosecutions, the appellate unit, and support for the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board. This includes $6,262,995 for the Special Prosecutions Unit and $5,767,426 for the Appellate Unit. * **Water and Natural Resources:** $3,721,651 is appropriated for water and natural resources legal matters, including defense of interstate water compacts and environmental response. This includes $1,420,026 for the Federal and Interstate Water Unit and $1,036,399 for the Defense of the Colorado River Basin Compact. * **Consumer Protection, Antitrust, and Civil Rights:** $15,014,330 is appropriated for consumer protection, antitrust, and civil rights enforcement, including the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. This includes $6,661,522 for general consumer protection, antitrust, and civil rights activities, and $3,725,239 for the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. * **Special Purpose:** $4,237,848 is appropriated for special purposes, including district attorneys' salaries and grants for bond hearings. This includes $2,878,674 for District Attorneys' Salaries and $600,000 for District Attorney Assistance for Bond Hearings Grants.