Child Support, Fraud, & Consumer Protection
The position dates back to the formation of the Republic of Texas in 1836, and continued after the state's admission to the United States in 1845. As with the other Confederate states, Texas' Attorneys General were appointed by Union military authorities during Reconstruction.
The Attorney General of Texas has been charged by the Texas Constitution to three responsibilities: to defend the laws and the Constitution of the State of Texas; to represent the state in matters of litigation; and to approve public bond issues. In the course of fulfilling these duties, the Office of the Attorney General provides legal counsel to all state agencies and governmental boards.
The Attorney General office is required to issue legal opinions when requested by the Governor, heads of state agencies and other officials as provided by Texas statutes. The Attorney General defends legal challenges to state laws and suits against state agencies as well as individual state employees. The Attorney General is prohibited from representing or offering legal advice to private individuals, but he protects the rights of all Texans through his activities of the various government agencies.
These include enforcement of health and safety regulations; educational outreach programs as well as consumer protections and protection of the rights of the elderly and disabled. The Attorney General is also responsible for the collection of court-ordered child support and the administration of the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund. The agency fields citizens’ concerns regarding crime victims’ compensation, child support, abuse in nursing homes, and possible consumer fraud.
The Office of the Attorney General reports receiving hundreds of letters, phone calls and visits each week about these issues. The office can send out a crime victim compensation form for those that request it. They can also assist in directing other concerns to the appropriate department for resolution.
Today's TX Attorney General is Greg Abbott, who was first elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. Abbott is a Republican, the second to ever hold the post after John Cornyn, who was first elected in 1998. Cornyn is now a US Senator from Texas; two other Attorney Generals have been elected to the Senate and seven have been elected governor of Texas. Abbott is considered likely to run for another office in 2010.