§ 167a. Complex Litigation Special Fund
(a) There is established the Complex Litigation Special Fund pursuant to 32 V.S.A. chapter 7, subchapter 5 to be available for expenditure by the Attorney General, as annually appropriated or authorized pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 511, to pay nonroutine expenses, not otherwise budgeted, incurred in the investigation, prosecution, and defense of complex civil and criminal litigation. These expenses may include, for example, costs incurred for expert witnesses and for support staff and technology needed to review and manage voluminous documents in discovery and at trial in complex cases.
(b) The Fund shall consist of:
(1) Such sums as may be appropriated or transferred by the General Assembly.
(2) Settlement monies other than consumer restitution collected by the Office of the Attorney General, except for those recoveries that by law are transferred or appropriated for other uses pursuant to 9 V.S.A. § 2458(b)(4), and subject to the Fund balance cap in subsection (c) of this section.
(c) The unencumbered Fund balance shall not exceed $1,000,000.00.
(d) The Attorney General shall submit a report of the amount and purpose of expenditures from the Fund at the close of each fiscal year to the Joint Fiscal Committee annually on or before September 1. As part of the annual budget submission, the Attorney General shall include a projection of the Fund balance for the current fiscal year and upcoming fiscal year and may recommend appropriations as needed consistent with the purpose of the Fund. (Added 2018, No. 11 (Sp. Sess.), § E.200.1.)