SB70,,63566356(2) The department may expend moneys from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (1) (hg) for its legal expenses related to participation in arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution processes arising from payments under the tobacco settlement agreement.

SB70,,63576357(3) Annually, no later than September 1, the department shall submit a report to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution under s. 13.172 (2) that identifies its expenses that are attributable to participation in arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution processes arising from payments under the tobacco settlement agreement.

SB70,,63596359165.25 (1) Represent state in appeals and on remand. Except as provided in ss. 5.05 (2m) (a), 19.49 (2) (a), and 978.05 (5), appear for the state and prosecute or defend all actions and proceedings, civil or criminal, in the court of appeals and the supreme court, in which the state is interested or a party, and attend to and prosecute or defend all civil cases sent or remanded to any circuit court in which the state is a party. The joint committee on legislative organization may intervene as permitted under s. 803.09 (2m) at any time. Nothing in this subsection deprives or relieves the attorney general or the department of justice of any authority or duty under this chapter.

SB70,,63616361165.25 (1m) Represent state in other matters. If requested by the governor or either house of the legislature, appear for and represent the state, any state department, agency, official, employee or agent, whether required to appear as a party or witness in any civil or criminal matter, and prosecute or defend in any court or before any officer, any cause or matter, civil or criminal, in which the state or the people of this state may be interested. The joint committee on legislative organization may intervene as permitted under s. 803.09 (2m) at any time. The public service commission may request under s. 196.497 (7) that the attorney general intervene in federal proceedings. All expenses of the proceedings shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.455 (1) (d).

SB70,,63636363165.25 (4) (ar) The department of justice shall furnish all legal services required by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection relating to the enforcement of ss. 91.68, 93.73, 100.171, 100.173, 100.174, 100.175, 100.177, 100.18, 100.182, 100.195, 100.20, 100.205, 100.207, 100.209, 100.2091, 100.2092, 100.21, 100.28, 100.37, 100.42, 100.50, 100.51, 100.55, and 846.45 and chs. 126, 136, 344, 704, 707, and 779, together with any other services as are necessarily connected to the legal services.

SB70,,63656365165.25 (6) (a) 1. At the request of the head of any department of state government, the attorney general may appear for and defend any state department, or any state officer, employee, or agent of the department in any civil action or other matter brought before a court or an administrative agency which is brought against the state department, or officer, employee, or agent for or on account of any act growing out of or committed in the lawful course of an officer’s, employee’s, or agent’s duties. Witness fees or other expenses determined by the attorney general to be reasonable and necessary to the defense in the action or proceeding shall be paid as provided for in s. 885.07. The attorney general may compromise and settle the action as the attorney general determines to be in the best interest of the state except that, if the action is for injunctive relief or there is a proposed consent decree, the attorney general may not compromise or settle the action without the approval of an intervenor under s. 803.09 (2m) or, if there is no intervenor, without first submitting a proposed plan to the joint committee on finance. If, within 14 working days after the plan is submitted, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the attorney general that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed plan, the attorney general may compromise or settle the action only with the approval of the committee. The attorney general may not submit a proposed plan to the joint committee on finance under this subdivision in which the plan concedes the unconstitutionality or other invalidity of a statute, facially or as applied, or concedes that a statute violates or is preempted by federal law, without the approval of the joint committee on legislative organization.

SB70,,63686368165.25 (11m) False claims. Diligently investigate possible violations of s. 20.9315 and, if the department determines that a person has committed an act that is punishable under s. 20.9315, may bring a civil action against that person.

SB70,,63706370165.63 (3) Requests from courts. In making a determination required under s. 813.124 (7) (a), 813.1285 (7) (a), or 968.20 (1m) (d) 1., a judge or court commissioner shall request information under sub. (2) from the department or from a law enforcement agency or law enforcement officer as provided in sub. (4) (d).

SB70,,63726372165.63 (4) (d) Aid the court in making a determination required under s. 813.124 (7) (a), 813.1285 (7) (a), or 968.20 (1m) (d) 1. or aid an entity in making a determination required under s. 968.20 (1m) (d) 2.

SB70,,63746374165.68 (1) (a) 3. Sexual abuse, as defined in s. 103.10 (1m) (b) 6 (1) (gd).

SB70,,63766376165.73 Hate crimes reporting. (1) In this section, “hate crime” means an act described under s. 939.645 (1).

SB70,,63776377(2) The department of justice shall provide a publicly accessible Internet-based reporting system and a telephone hotline for the reporting of hate crimes. The department of justice shall ensure that the reporting system and hotline do all of the following:

SB70,,63786378(a) Relay a report of a hate crime to the appropriate employee of the department or law enforcement officer for investigation.

SB70,,63796379(b) Direct individuals to appropriate local support services.

SB70,,63806380(c) Maintain confidentiality for any personally identifiable information that an individual provides through the reporting system or hotline, except as needed for investigative, legal, or crime victims service purposes.

SB70,,63816381(d) Are staffed by individuals who are trained to be knowledgeable about applicable federal, state, and local hate crime laws and law enforcement and support services.

SB70,,63826382(3) The department of justice shall collaborate with community organizations to provide a public education campaign to raise awareness of hate crimes and to promote the reporting of hate crimes using the reporting system and hotline described in sub. (2).

SB70,,63836383(4) The department of justice shall collect data on hate crime reporting under sub. (2).