§ 51-200. Settlements - Legislative approval - Involvement of Attorney General.

A.  1.  No agency, board or commission, public officer, official or employee of the State of Oklahoma shall, without the approval of the Oklahoma State Legislature when it is in regular session, or by the Contingency Review Board, when the Legislature is not in regular session, enter into any default or agreed judgment, consent decree or other settlement of any litigation or claim against this state which would require a settlement expenditure in excess of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) or the creation, modification or implementation of a court-ordered or legislatively authorized plan or program which would necessitate an appropriation by the Legislature in excess of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00).  Approval of the Oklahoma Legislature pursuant to this section shall be by concurrent resolution.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall notify their respective membership of the default or agreed judgment, consent decree or other settlement of litigation or claim.  Any default or agreed judgment, consent decree or other settlement entered into in violation of this section shall be void.

2.  Any agreed judgment, consent decree or other settlement of litigation or claim against this state which shall be paid from the Risk Management Fund and any statutory condemnation proceeding shall be exempt from the provisions of this section.

B.  The Attorney General shall be notified by any agency, board or commission, public officer, official or employee of this state of all lawsuits against said agency, board or commission, public officer, official or employee that seeks relief which would impose obligations requiring an agency to request a supplemental appropriation or to request an increase in appropriations to maintain the current level of services beyond the fiscal year in which the lawsuit is filed if said lawsuit was settled in favor of the plaintiff.  The Attorney General shall review any such cases and may represent the interests of the state, if he considers it to be in the best interest of the state to do so.  Representation of multiple defendants in such actions may, at the discretion of the Attorney General, be divided with counsel for the agency, board or commission, public officer, official or employee of this state as necessary to avoid conflicts of interest.  The Attorney General may levy and collect costs, expenses of litigation and a reasonable attorney's fee for such legal services from the agency, board or commission, public officer, official or employee of this state.

C.  A copy of the service summons in all actions on claims against the state shall be made on the Attorney General of this state by the petitioner.

Added by Laws 1994, c. 374, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1994.