Title 18, Executive Branch; Organization

There is established the office of Attorney General of the State of Oregon.

The Attorney General shall be elected by the electors of this state at the regular general election in the same manner as other state officers are elected. The term of the Attorney General shall commence on the first Monday in January of the year succeeding election. The Attorney…

Before entering upon the duties of office the Attorney General shall qualify by filing with the Secretary of State the certificate of election or of appointment. [Amended by 2005 c.797 §28]

At any time when a vacancy may by any cause occur in the office of Attorney General, the Governor shall appoint a suitable person to be Attorney General, who shall hold office until the next general election, when a successor shall be elected for a full term and shall qualify as …

The Attorney General shall keep and attend the office of Attorney General at the capital of the state. The state shall provide and furnish the office. (Powers and Duties)

(1) The Attorney General shall: (a) Appear for the state in the trial of all civil and criminal causes in the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals in which the state may be directly or indirectly interested. (b) Appear for the state, when required by the Governor or the legislat…

(1) The Attorney General may, when directed to do so by the Governor, take full charge of any investigation or prosecution of violation of law in which the circuit court has jurisdiction. (2) When acting under this section, the Attorney General shall have all the powers of a dist…

(1) In any criminal investigation conducted by the Attorney General, the Attorney General may execute in writing and serve a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum upon any person the Attorney General believes to have information or material relevant to the investigation. A subpoena ma…

Except as provided in this section, the Attorney General may not disclose any testimony or materials obtained under the provisions of ORS 180.073. The Attorney General may disclose testimony or materials only if: (1) The disclosure is to a federal, state or local law enforcement …

When directed by the Governor, the Attorney General shall attend in person, or by one of the assistants of the Attorney General, in any court, or appear before the grand jury in any county, for the purpose of managing and conducting in such court, or before such jury, the crimina…

In making investigations of and conducting special prosecutions for violations or alleged violations of the criminal laws of the state, the Attorney General may call upon the Department of State Police or any other peace officer or department for assistance in making such investi…

(1) The Department of Justice Protection and Education Revolving Account is created in the General Fund. All moneys in the account are continuously appropriated to the Department of Justice and may be used to pay for only the following activities: (a) Restitution and refunds in p…

(1) Notwithstanding the purposes set forth in ORS 180.095, and except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the Department of Justice shall use the proceeds of the State of Oregon’s settlement with Countrywide Financial Corporation that are deposited into the Department …

The Attorney General shall, upon request of any member of or of any person elected to either branch of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon, prepare all bills requested by any such member or person within a reasonable length of time prior to the commencement of any ses…

The Attorney General shall keep copies of all the opinions of the Attorney General and a record of all cases, in any of the courts and tribunals, prosecuted or defended by the Attorney General or in which the Attorney General appears. The Attorney General shall make a biennial re…

(1) The Attorney General shall: (a) Defend all criminal actions and proceedings in which the Department of State Police or any member thereof is concerned as a party, which require the services of an attorney or counsel in order to protect the interests of the state and are neces…

If the Attorney General advises the Department of Transportation under ORS 180.060 about a matter related to an intergovernmental road maintenance agreement described in ORS 366.574 or represents the department in an action related to the agreement, the Attorney General shall: (1…

The Attorney General shall appoint a Deputy Attorney General, who shall qualify as required by law, and who may do and perform, in the absence of the Attorney General, all the acts and duties that may be authorized and required to be performed by the Attorney General. The Attorne…

(1) The Attorney General shall appoint the other assistants the Attorney General deems necessary to transact the business of the office, each to serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General and perform such duties as the Attorney General may designate and for whose acts the Atto…

Subject to any applicable provisions of the State Personnel Relations Law, the Attorney General shall employ the necessary clerical aid required for the discharge of the duties imposed upon the Attorney General by law, and fix compensation therefor, to be paid as other salaries a…

(1) Subject to rules prescribed by the Attorney General, in rendering assistance to the respective officers, departments, boards and commissions of state government, and other public bodies, the Department of Justice may charge such officers, agencies and public bodies (including…

The Department of Justice shall estimate in advance the expenses that it will incur during the biennium under ORS 180.160 and 180.340, and shall render to officers, departments, boards and commissions of state government and other public bodies an invoice for their share of such …

(1) The Department of Justice Operating Account is created in the General Fund. Moneys credited to the account are continuously appropriated to the Department of Justice for the purpose of paying expenses incurred by the department, including those incurred by the Division of Chi…

(1) The Oregon Department of Administrative Services is hereby authorized to draw a warrant in the amount of $50,000 payable to the Department of Justice from the Department of Justice Operating Account which shall then be deposited by the Department of Justice in the State Treas…

(1) The Department of Justice Client Trust Account is established in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the General Fund. All moneys in the account are appropriated continuously and shall be used by the Department of Justice for payments to persons and agencies on who…

(1) The Tobacco Enforcement Fund is established separate and distinct from the General Fund. The Tobacco Enforcement Fund shall consist of: (a) Moneys deposited into the fund under ORS 180.450, 180.451, 180.491 and 323.804; and (b) Moneys transferred to the fund under ORS 293.537…

(1) Each biennium, the Department of Justice shall include in its agency request budget filed under ORS 291.208 discrete amounts necessary to fund the projected costs of continuing state support for the following currently authorized programs and activities for the next biennium:…

There hereby is constituted an executive department to be known as the Department of Justice. The Attorney General shall be the head of this department and the chief law officer for the state and all its departments.

(1) The Department of Justice shall have: (a) General control and supervision of all civil actions and legal proceedings in which the State of Oregon may be a party or may be interested. (b) Full charge and control of all the legal business of all departments, commissions and bur…

In any proceeding under the antitrust laws of the United States in which the state or any public body within the state is interested, the Attorney General may, in the discretion of the Attorney General, represent any such public body at its request, charging it for the cost of su…

No compensation shall be allowed to any person for services as an attorney or counselor to any department of the state government or to the head thereof, or to any board or commission, except in cases specially authorized by law. [Amended by 1971 c.418 §6]

(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, whenever the Attorney General concludes that it is inappropriate and contrary to the public interest for the office of the Attorney General to concurrently represent more than one public officer or agency in a particular m…

The Attorney General and the Department of Justice shall have the same powers and prerogatives in each of the several counties of the state as the district attorneys have in their respective counties.

(1) Notwithstanding ORCP 7 E or any other law, employees and officers of the Department of Justice other than attorneys may serve summons, process and other notice, including all child support actions initiated by the Division of Child Support or to which the division is a party,…

The Department of Justice may delegate to officers and employees of the Department of Revenue the authority to undertake and complete certain filings and other tasks relating to tax claims pending before a United States Bankruptcy Court that the Department of Justice has identifi…

For the purpose of requesting a state or nationwide criminal records check under ORS 181A.195, the Department of Justice may require the fingerprints of a person who: (1)(a) Is applying for employment by the department; or (b) Provides services or seeks to provide services to the…

On or before March 1 of each odd-numbered year, the Department of Justice shall submit a report to the chairpersons of the standing or interim Joint Committee on Ways and Means regarding materially significant or noteworthy litigation involving the state that is ongoing or that c…

(1) All state agencies, district attorneys and all police officers of the state, county or any municipality, university or court thereof, shall cooperate with the Division of Child Support of the Department of Justice in furnishing and making available information, records and do…

ORS 180.320 to 180.365 are not intended to relieve any district attorney from performing the duties, powers and functions of the district attorney under the statutes of this state relating to the enforcement of support and of the criminal laws of this state. [1957 c.105 §5]

There is established the Division of Child Support of the Department of Justice to be maintained, operated and controlled under the supervision of the Attorney General. The Attorney General may employ attorneys, investigators and other personnel necessary to carry out the duties …

(1) The Department of Justice is responsible for the administration, supervision and operation of the program authorized by Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 651 et seq.), hereinafter the Oregon Child Support Program. The Administrator of the Division of Child Supp…

Investigators employed by the Attorney General under ORS 180.320 to 180.365 shall have all the authority given by statute to peace officers of this state, including the authority to serve and execute warrants of arrest. [1957 c.105 §7]

Filing, recording or court fees may not be required from the Division of Child Support of the Department of Justice by any circuit court clerk for the filing of any cases, documents, stipulated orders or processes. However, if the division is entitled to recover costs and disburs…

(1) The Child Support Suspense Fund is established in the State Treasury separate and distinct from the General Fund. Interest earned by the Child Support Suspense Fund shall be credited to the Child Support Deposit Fund established under ORS 25.725. All moneys in the Child Suppo…

(1) In addition to its other duties, powers and functions, the Division of Child Support may disclose confidential information from the Federal Parent Locator Service to an authorized person if the information is needed to: (a) Enforce any state or federal law regarding the unlaw…

The Legislative Assembly finds that violations of ORS 323.800 to 323.807 threaten the integrity of the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, the fiscal soundness of the state and the public health. The Legislative Assembly finds that enacting procedural enhancements will aid the e…

As used in ORS 180.400 to 180.455 and 323.106: (1) “Brand family” means all styles of cigarettes sold under the same trademark and differentiated from one another by means of additional modifiers or descriptors, including, but not limited to, cigarettes labeled “menthol,” “lights…

(1) Every tobacco product manufacturer whose cigarettes are sold in this state whether directly or through a distributor, retailer or similar intermediary shall execute and deliver a certification to the Attorney General certifying that as of the date of the certification, the to…

In the certification required by ORS 180.410 (1), a nonparticipating manufacturer shall further certify: (1) That the nonparticipating manufacturer and, if applicable, the nonparticipating manufacturer’s importer are registered to do business in the State of Oregon or have appoin…

(1) A nonparticipating manufacturer shall post a bond for the benefit of the state, in accordance with this section, which is conditioned on the nonparticipating manufacturer fully complying with the obligations of ORS 323.804 or 323.806. (2) The bond must be posted at least 10 d…