Duties of the capital collateral regional counsel; reports.

(1) The capital collateral regional counsel shall represent each person convicted and sentenced to death in this state for the sole purpose of instituting and prosecuting collateral actions challenging the legality of the judgment and sentence imposed against such person in the state courts, federal courts in this state, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. The three capital collateral regional counsel’s offices shall function independently and be separate budget entities, and the regional counsel shall be the office heads for all purposes. The Justice Administrative Commission shall provide administrative support and service to the three offices to the extent requested by the regional counsel. The three regional offices shall not be subject to control, supervision, or direction by the Justice Administrative Commission in any manner, including, but not limited to, personnel, purchasing, transactions involving real or personal property, and budgetary matters.

(2) The capital collateral regional counsel shall represent persons convicted and sentenced to death within the region in collateral postconviction proceedings, unless a court appoints or permits other counsel to appear as counsel of record.

(3)(a) The capital collateral regional counsel shall file motions seeking compensation for representation and reimbursement for expenses pursuant to 18 U.S.C. s. 3006A when providing representation to indigent persons in the federal courts, and shall deposit all such payments received into the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel Trust Fund.

(b) The court having jurisdiction over any nonindigent or indigent-but-able-to-contribute defendant who has been receiving the services of the capital collateral regional counsel may assess attorney’s fees and costs against the defendant at any stage in the proceedings as the court may deem appropriate. The determination of indigence of any defendant shall be made pursuant to s. 27.52. Liability for the costs of such representation may be imposed in the form of a lien against the property of the nonindigent or indigent-but-able-to-contribute defendant, which lien shall be enforceable as provided in s. 27.561 or s. 938.29.

(4)(a) The capital collateral regional counsel or private counsel shall give written notification of each pleading filed by that office and the name of the person filing the pleading to the trial court assigned to the case.

(b) Each capital collateral regional counsel shall provide a quarterly report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives which details the number of hours worked by investigators and legal counsel per case and the amounts per case expended during the preceding quarter in investigating and litigating capital collateral cases.