The Florida Senate

16.58  Florida Legal Resource Center.--

(1)(a)  There is created within the Department of Legal Affairs the Florida Legal Resource Center, hereinafter referred to as the "center."

(b)  The resources of the center, with the exception of state-staffed court reporters, shall be equally available to state agencies, multicounty special districts, universities, community and junior colleges, and city and county governments.

(2)  The center shall:

(a)  Facilitate interagency legal information sharing and communications through the Florida Information Resource Network or the Administrative Management Information Center, whichever is most appropriate. Executive and judicial entities shall cooperate in the identification of legal bodies of information to be made available to government attorneys through state resources. All entities identified as owning a necessary body of information shall take all action necessary to continually provide electronic access to such information to all government entities requiring the information. The Attorney General shall coordinate these activities.

(b)  Establish and maintain a statewide research bank. All state agencies, multicounty special districts exclusive of those created by interlocal agreement, universities, and community and junior colleges are encouraged to participate in the submission of memoranda, briefs, and opinions to be deposited in the research bank. The Attorney General shall adopt a procedure for agency submission to the research bank.

(c)  Coordinate and assist in the development of statewide inservice continuing legal education training designed specifically for attorneys employed by the state.

(d)  Serve as a centralized acquisition entity for discounted or negotiated purchasing of computerized and printed legal information resources.

(e)  Serve as a clearinghouse to facilitate the exchange of attorney expertise between agencies.

(f)  Develop interagency communications instruments with the goal of tying the state's legal units into a single information network.

(3)  On or before January 1 of each year, and beginning January 1, 1994, the center shall prepare and transmit to the Governor and the Legislature a report of center program activities for the preceding fiscal year. This report shall include a report of legal activities within the state, including the usage of the center by state agencies, universities, community and junior colleges, multicounty special districts exclusive of those created by interlocal agreement, and city and county governments; costs and activities of staff attorney services; and costs and activities of private attorneys by agency, as well as cost-saving opportunities. All state agencies, multicounty special districts exclusive of those created by interlocal agreement, universities, and community and junior colleges shall cooperate with the office of the Attorney General in the preparation and compilation of this report.

History.--s. 6, ch. 93-161; s. 2, ch. 2000-158; s. 1, ch. 2000-336.