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| SPONSOR: | Lujan | DATE TYPED: | 02/18/99 | HB | 466 | ||
| SHORT TITLE: | Additional Insurance Coverage for DA Staff | SB | |||||
| ANALYST: | Pickering | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY99 | FY2000 | FY99 | FY2000 | ||
| NFI | $ 50.0 | NFI | appropriation
extends to the end of FY2001 |
Recurring | GF |
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Administrative Office of the District Attorneys (AODA)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
HB 466 provides an appropriation of $50.0 from the general fund to the AODA for the purpose of purchasing additional liability insurance coverage for staff in district attorney offices.
Significant Issues
According to the AODA, there are instances when DAs and their staffs are sued by plaintiffs whereby Risk Management does not provide insurance coverage. The non-coverage is based upon an existing state statute and a 1985 Attorney General Opinion which interprets that statute. AODA maintains that until the law is changed, the DAs and their staff attorneys will continue to require this additional coverage.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
HB 466 appropriates $50.0 to the AODA to use in FY2000 and FY2001 for purchasing additional group liability coverage. The agency believes the allocation is sufficient based upon previous examination and quotes from insurance companies.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
According to AODA, the additional liability insurance will have positive implications for DAs, who will now be able to perform their prosecutorial duties without having to worry about defending themselves in frivolous lawsuits.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
Without passage of the bill, the agency believes that DAs and their staffs will continue to be targets of frivolous lawsuits.
RWP/gm