Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary and specifically the provisions of any law that authorizes the state or a state agency to appoint, employ, or contract for private legal counsel to represent the state or a state agency, including but not limited to the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 42:261, 262, and 263, and La. Rev. Stat. 40:1237.1(E), any appointment of private legal counsel to represent the state or a state agency shall be made by the attorney general with the concurrence of the commissioner of administration in accordance with the following procedure:

           (1) All attorneys appointed as private legal counsel to represent the state or a state agency shall meet or exceed written minimum qualifications and all appointments shall be made in accordance with a written appointments procedure, both of which shall be established by the attorney general and the governor, or their designees. The commissioner of administration shall participate in the preparation of the minimum qualifications and the appointment procedure. The minimum qualifications and the appointments procedure shall be published at least annually in the Louisiana Bar Journal or such other publication as will reasonably assure dissemination to the membership of the Louisiana State Bar Association. The exercise of the authority provided in this Section shall not be subject to the Administrative Procedure Act.

           (2) All appointments of private legal counsel representing the state or a state agency that are in effect on the effective date of this Section shall be reviewed to ensure that such counsel satisfy the minimum qualifications provided for in Paragraph (1) of this Section and all such changes in or terminations of such appointments shall be made as are necessary to ensure such compliance.

           (3) For the purposes of this Section, “state agency” means any department, board, commission, agency, office, special district, authority, or other entity of the state, but does not include the Public Service Commission or the State Bond Commission or any political subdivision of the state, as defined by La. Const. Art. VI of Louisiana, or any entity of such political subdivision.

           Acts 1988, No. 448, §5, eff. July 1, 1988; Acts 1990, No. 946, §1; Acts 1992, No. 385, §2.