2021 -- S 0795

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LC001983

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF ATTORNEY

GENERAL

     Introduced By: Senator Michael J. McCaffrey

     Date Introduced: April 08, 2021

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 42-9-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-9 entitled "Department

of Attorney General" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     42-9-19. Acceptance of settlements -- Attorney General settlement restricted account.

     (a) The attorney general is hereby authorized and empowered to accept in the name of the

state any settlement resulting from a multi-state initiative. The attorney general is additionally

authorized and empowered to recover attorney's fees and costs that shall be considered settlement

proceeds for purposes of this chapter.

     (b) The settlement proceeds shall be transferred to the general treasurer for deposit in the

general fund, unless otherwise ordered by the applicable court. The general treasurer shall transfer

ten percent (10%) thirty percent (30%) of such proceeds, up to sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000)

in any fiscal year, to the "attorney general multi-state initiative restricted-receipt account." Any

balance in this restricted account of more than one million five hundred thousand dollars

($1,500,000) at the end of a fiscal year shall be transferred to the state general fund. The restricted-

receipt account shall be used to pay for staff, operational, and litigation costs associated with multi-

state initiatives.

     (c) Expenditure of all settlement proceeds accepted by the attorney general as part of shall

be subject to the terms of the relevant master settlement agreement shall be subject and to the annual

appropriation process and approval by the general assembly.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF ATTORNEY

GENERAL

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     This act would require the general treasurer to allocate thirty percent (30%) of settlement

proceeds resulting from any multi-state initiative accepted by the attorney general to the "attorney

general multi-state initiative restricted receipt account", and would require any amount left in the

account at the end of the fiscal year over one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000)

to be transferred to the state general fund.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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