Okla. Stat. tit. 74, § 74-18c

- Defense of actions by Attorney General.

A. 1. Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, no

state officer, board or commission shall have authority to employ or

appoint attorneys to advise or represent said officer, board or

commission in any matter.

2. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the

Corporation Commission, the Council on Law Enforcement Education and

Training, the Consumer Credit Commission, the Board of Managers of

the State Insurance Fund, the Oklahoma Tax Commission, the

Commissioners of the Land Office, the Oklahoma Public Welfare

Commission also known as the Commission for Human Services, the

State Board of Corrections, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the

Department of Public Safety, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics

and Dangerous Drugs Control, the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement

Commission, the Transportation Commission, the Oklahoma Energy

Resources Board, the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission, the

Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the Oklahoma Water

Resources Board, the Department of Labor, the Department of

Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, the Northeast Oklahoma Public

Facilities Authority, the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and

Retirement System, the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System,

the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges, the Oklahoma

Conservation Commission, the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the State

Board of Pharmacy and the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs.

3. The provisions of paragraph 2 of this subsection shall not

be construed to authorize the Office of Juvenile Affairs to employ

any attorneys that are not specifically authorized by law.

4. All the legal duties of such officer, board or commission

shall devolve upon and are hereby vested in the Attorney General;

provided that:

a. the Governor shall have authority to employ special

counsel to protect the rights or interest of the state

as provided in Section 6 of this title, and

b. liquidation agents of banks shall have the authority

to employ local counsel, with the consent of the Bank

Commissioner and the Attorney General and the approval

of the district court.

B. At the request of any state officer, board or commission,

except the Corporation Commission, the Oklahoma Tax Commission and

the Commissioners of the Land Office, the Grand River Dam Authority,

the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control,

the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission, the Oklahoma

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 74. State Government Page 67

Firefighters Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Public

Employees Retirement System, the Uniform Retirement System for

Justices and Judges and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact

Commission, the Attorney General shall defend any action in which

they may be sued in their official capacity. At the request of any

such state officer, board or commission, the Attorney General shall

have authority to institute suits in the name of the State of

Oklahoma on their relation, if after investigation the Attorney

General is convinced there is sufficient legal merit to justify the

action. Any officer, board or commission which has the authority to

employ or appoint attorneys may request that the Attorney General

defend any action arising pursuant to the provisions of The

Governmental Tort Claims Act.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to repeal or

affect the provisions of the statutes of this state pertaining to

attorneys and legal advisors of the several commissions and

departments of state specified in subsection B of this section, and

all acts and parts of acts pertaining thereto shall be and remain in

full force and effect.