Florida Senate - 2023                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 242
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì356760.Î356760                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                 Comm: UNFAV           .                                
                  03/07/2023           .                                
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       The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability
       (Polsky) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Before line 18
    4  insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 16.0156, Florida Statutes, is created to
    6  read:
    7         16.0156 Legal representation contracts.—
    8         (1) As used in this section, the term:
    9         (a) “Department” means the Department of Legal Affairs.
   10         (b) “Legal representation contract” means any contract for
   11  legal services, other than a contingency fee agreement, entered
   12  into by the department with a private attorney.
   13         (c) “Private attorney” includes a law firm.
   14         (2) Beginning July 1, 2023, any legal representation
   15  contract executed, amended, or extended between the department
   16  and a private attorney must require the private attorney to
   17  provide documentation that indicates the amount of state funds:
   18         (a) Allocated to be used during the full term of the legal
   19  representation contract to pay any private attorney.
   20         (b) Allocated under each payment by the department to the
   21  private attorney for services rendered. The documentation must
   22  include the private attorney’s hourly rate and detailed
   23  contemporaneous time records to the nearest one-tenth of an hour
   24  which indicate the services rendered.
   25         (3) The information required under subsection (2) must be
   26  included in the state contracting system maintained pursuant to
   27  s. 215.985 and must be posted on the private attorney’s website,
   28  if the private attorney maintains a website.
   29  
   30  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   31  And the title is amended as follows:
   32         Delete line 2
   33  and insert:
   34         An act relating to fiscal accountability; creating s.
   35         16.0156, F.S.; defining terms; requiring any legal
   36         representation contract between the Department of
   37         Legal Affairs and a private attorney to require the
   38         private attorney to provide specified documentation;
   39         requiring such information to be included in the state
   40         contracting system and posted on the private
   41         attorney’s website, if applicable; amending s.