If a district attorney requests that the Attorney General exercise the power to prosecute in a county criminal court or juvenile delinquency court under section 205(a)(3) of the act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, and the Attorney General declines to accept or act on the request, the following shall apply:
(1) The district attorney may refer the matter to a district attorney of a contiguous county who has sufficient resources and has no conflict of interest in representing the Commonwealth.
(2) If the district attorneys of the contiguous counties decline to accept the referral for any reason, the referring district attorney may refer the matter to a district attorney of a noncontiguous county.
(3) A district attorney who has accepted a case under paragraph (1) or (2) and a deputy or assistant district attorney on the district attorney's staff shall have the same authority to investigate and prosecute as the district attorney who referred the matter.