(a) There is created a consumer advocate division in the office of the attorney general and reporter which shall consist of various positions which may include attorneys, accountants/financial analysts, support personnel and other personnel as determined by the attorney general and reporter to be appropriate and necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. As part of the annual appropriations process, the attorney general and reporter may request the general assembly to increase or eliminate positions within the division. The offices of the division shall be located wherever the attorney general and reporter, in the attorney general and reporter's discretion, shall so choose.

(b)

(1) The consumer advocate division has the duty and authority to represent the interests of Tennessee consumers of public utilities services. The division may, with the approval of the attorney general and reporter, participate or intervene as a party in any matter or proceeding before the commission or any other administrative, legislative or judicial body and initiate such proceeding, in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, and the rules of the commission.

(2) If the consumer advocate division concludes that it is without sufficient information to initiate a proceeding, it may petition the commission, after notice to the affected utility, to obtain information from the utility. The petition shall state with particularity the information sought and the type of proceeding that may be initiated if the information is obtained. Additionally, the consumer advocate division may request information from the commission staff, and, if the commission staff is in possession of the requested information, such information shall be provided within ten (10) days of the request.

(c) If the consumer advocate division initiates an appeal of a commission decision, the defense of the appeal shall be the responsibility of the commission through its legal staff.

(d) The consumer advocate division may enter into agreements regarding the nondisclosure of trade secrets or other confidential commercial information obtained by the division.

(e) The attorney general and reporter shall hire, fire, supervise, direct and control the personnel and activities of the consumer advocate division, and the employees of the division shall be employees of the attorney general and reporter for the purposes of title 8, chapter 6.

(f) The attorney general and reporter shall prepare, each year, a budget for the consumer advocate division for the next fiscal year and submit the budget for inclusion in the attorney general and reporter's budget request for review and final approval by the general assembly. Reports on the operations and other matters relative to the consumer advocate division shall be filed by the attorney general and reporter with the general assembly and other governmental entities.

(g) The division shall be funded from the general fund as appropriated in the general appropriations act.