§ 111.006.Report by Attorney General

The legislature cannot consent to what it has not heard about. This section is the pipeline.

The report is due by September 1 of each even-numbered year, which puts it in front of members months before the next regular session opens.

It goes to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house, and every member of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee — the presiding officers and the two budget-writing committees.

The report describes each claim or action pending as of that September 1 that has been settled, or that in the attorney general’s opinion may be settled, in a way requiring consent or approval under this chapter.

The standard is the attorney general’s own judgment. A matter goes in the report because the state’s lawyer thinks it may end in a settlement of that size, not because anyone has agreed to anything.

Forward-looking reporting is what makes prior consent possible. Section 111.003 prefers consent before the settlement, and that works only if the legislature learns about the case while it is pending.

The audience explains the content. Reporting to the appropriations and finance committees ties the disclosure to the bodies that would have to find the money.