(a) There is hereby imposed upon the Office of the Attorney General the duty to provide public contract advocacy for all proceedings involving contracts for basic telecommunications service under 30 V.S.A. § 226a. The Attorney General shall appoint or retain as required one or more public contract advocates who shall be knowledgeable in the fields of public utility regulation and telecommunications services.

(b) Public contract advocates shall be appointed or retained for such time as may be required to monitor, represent the public interest, and report on any contract for basic telecommunications service under 30 V.S.A. § 226a. Compensation, expenses, and support of public contract advocates shall be assessed as costs to the Department of Public Service and paid from the revenues received from the tax to finance the Department and the Board levied under 30 V.S.A. § 22. (Added 1987, No. 87, § 9.)