HB 1685 Summary

• Prohibits the Attorney General from canceling approved private attorney contracts except for breach of contract, gross negligence, or reasons stated in the contract itself.

• Establishes tiered contingency fee caps ranging from 25% on recoveries up to $10 million down to 5% on amounts exceeding $25 million, with a total cap of $50 million per contract.

• Requires government attorneys to maintain complete control over litigation, including veto power over outside counsel decisions and exclusive authority over settlement decisions.

• Mandates public posting of executed contingency fee contracts within 5 business days and contingency fee payments within 15 days, with payments remaining posted for at least 365 days.

• Requires request for proposal process with at least three qualified firms for cases anticipated to exceed $1 million in costs, and mandates submission of contracts exceeding $1 million to the Legislative Oversight Committee.