By: Nichols, Eckhardt S.B. No. 992
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the procedure by which the attorney general approves or
denies approval of a state agency contract for outside legal
services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 402.0212, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) The attorney general shall approve or deny approval of
a contract for legal services described by Subsection (a) not later
than the 25th day after the date the contract is received by the
attorney general from the submitting state agency. If the attorney
general denies approval of the contract, the attorney general shall
provide the state agency that submitted the contract a written
explanation of the reason the attorney general denied approval of
the contract.
SECTION 2. Section 825.203(c), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) [The attorney general shall timely act on a request to
approve a contract for outside legal services under Section
402.0212.] If the attorney general denies the board's request for
approval of a contract for outside legal services,[:
[(1) the attorney general shall provide the board with
the reason for the denial; and
[(2)] the board may select alternative outside legal
counsel, subject to approval by the attorney general in accordance
with this section and Section 402.0212.
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
to a contract for legal services submitted for approval to the
attorney general on or after the effective date of this Act. A
contract submitted for approval to the attorney general before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect
immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.