Texas Government Code - GOV'T § 2254.108. Fee Payment and Expense Reimbursement

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a contingent fee and a reimbursement of an expense under a contract with a state governmental entity is payable only from funds the legislature specifically appropriates to pay the fee or reimburse the expense. An appropriation to pay the fee or reimburse the expense must specifically describe the individual contract, or the class of contracts classified by subject matter, on account of which the fee is payable or expense is reimbursable. A general reference to contingent fee contracts for legal services or to contracts subject to this subchapter or a similar general description is not a sufficient description for purposes of this subsection.

(b) If the legislature has not specifically appropriated funds for paying the fee or reimbursing the expense, a state governmental entity may pay the fee or reimburse the expense from other available funds only if:

(c) A payment or reimbursement under the contract may not be made until:

(d) Litigation and other expenses payable under the contract, including expenses attributable to attorney, paralegal, accountant, expert, or other professional work performed by a person who is not a contracting attorney or a partner, shareholder, or employee of a contracting attorney or law firm, may be reimbursed only if the state governmental entity or political subdivision and, if applicable, the entity's or subdivision's auditor determine that the expenses were reasonable, proper, necessary, actually incurred on behalf of the state governmental entity or political subdivision, and paid for by the contracting attorney or law firm. The contingent fee may not be paid until the entity's or subdivision's auditor or the governing body of a political subdivision without an auditor, as applicable, has reviewed the relevant time and expense records and verified that the hours of work on which the fee computation is based were actually worked in performing reasonable and necessary services for the state governmental entity or political subdivision under the contract.