SB1274 Summary

• Expands liability for illegal public monies payments to include county and school district officers, employees, and agents, in addition to boards of supervisors, with joint and several liability for the full amount plus interest and 20 percent additional penalty.

• Adds a safe harbor provision shielding disbursing officers from personal liability if they are not the originators of the warrant or claim and did not know or should not have known it would result in illegal payment.

• Empowers the county attorney to institute recovery actions and allows taxpayers to bring actions after the county attorney fails to act for 20 days, with prevailing taxpayers eligible for costs and attorney fees up to 40 percent of recovery.

• Extends the attorney general's authority to recover illegally paid state public monies against recipients and responsible officials, and allows taxpayers to bring actions after 60 days if the attorney general does not act (with a 21-day waiting period if also requesting county attorney action).

• Defines "public monies" to include all monies in possession of state agencies and tax-supported political subdivisions, regardless of funding source.