(a)

(1) The Arkansas Public Defender Commission is authorized to pay for certain expenses regarding the defense of indigents.

(2)

(A) The expenses shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, fees for counsel appointed by the court, expert witnesses, temporary investigators, testing, and travel.

(B)

(i) Expenses shall not include attorney's fees for counsel privately retained for the benefit of an indigent defendant for that defendant's defense.

(ii) The commission may authorize the payment of expenses of counsel privately retained for the benefit of an indigent defendant, provided counsel complies with the standards set by the commission under this subchapter governing counsel appointed by the court or employed or contracted by the commission.

(3)

(A) Whenever a judge orders an authorized payment in a case involving an indigent person, a copy of the order accompanied by a detailed explanation of services rendered, time spent, and expenses incurred shall be transmitted to the commission, and the commission shall set the amount of compensation.

(B) Orders as authorized throughout this chapter shall be paid by the commission provided sufficient funds are available.

(b)

(1) With the approval of the Executive Director of the Arkansas Public Defender Commission, trial public defenders, appointed private attorneys, and the Capital, Conflicts, and Appellate Office are authorized to utilize the services of the State Crime Laboratory for pathology and biology, toxicology, criminalistics, raw drug analysis, latent fingerprint identification, questioned documents examination, firearms and toolmarks identification, and in other such areas as the trial judge may deem necessary and appropriate.

(2) If approved by the executive director, the State Crime Laboratory shall provide the requested services.

(c) At the discretion of the commission, capital murder cases and all proceedings under the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 37.5, shall be paid entirely by the commission.