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MS HB555
Bill
Status
Failed
2/28/2017
Primary Sponsor
Mark Baker
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AI Summary
- Requires the Mississippi Attorney General to obtain prior written approval from the Outside Counsel Oversight Commission before filing or pursuing any claim or cause of action where the amount sought exceeds $250,000, inclusive of attorney's fees, interest, and costs.
- The Outside Counsel Oversight Commission consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretary of State, with actions taken by majority vote; appeals from Commission decisions go to any court of competent jurisdiction.
- For currently pending litigation exceeding $250,000 not yet reduced to final judgment, the Commission must review the matter and determine whether the Attorney General should proceed and whether the matter should be pursued before a state or federal agency with expertise rather than in court.
- Amends over 150 sections of the Mississippi Code across dozens of policy areas—including tax collection, education, consumer protection, environmental regulation, gaming, insurance, and criminal law—to subject the Attorney General's authority to file or prosecute actions to the new Commission approval requirement.
- Maintains existing sliding-scale caps on contingency fees for outside counsel retained by the state, ranging from 25% on recoveries up to $10 million down to 5% on amounts exceeding $25 million, with an aggregate cap of $50 million unless the Commission approves a higher amount.
Legislative Description
Attorney General; require approval by Outside Counsel Oversight Commission to bring certain suit.
Last Action
Died In Committee
2/28/2017
Committee Referrals
Judiciary, Division A2/22/2017
Judiciary A1/13/2017
Full Bill Text
No bill text available