SB 1427 Summary

• Expands liability for illegal public payments to include county and school district officers, employees, and agents, not just boards of supervisors, with joint and several liability plus interest and 20 percent penalty.

• Changes county attorney authority from mandatory ("shall") to discretionary ("may") to institute actions for illegal payments under section 11-641.

• Allows taxpayers to bring actions to recover illegally paid public monies if the county attorney fails to act within 20 days of written request, and permits recovery of up to 40 percent of recovered amounts as attorney fees.

• Expands state attorney general authority to recover illegally paid public monies against any person who knowingly received payment, public bodies/officers with supervisory authority, or officials/employees who knowingly ordered or caused payment.

• Allows state taxpayers to bring actions to recover illegal payments from political subdivisions if attorney general fails to act within 60 days, with restrictions on when such requests can be made regarding counties.