1. The Attorney General, in the course of the investigation of any alleged violations of this chapter, may obtain and use any intelligence, investigative information or other information obtained by or made available to the Attorney General. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2 and 3, any such intelligence or information received must retain its confidential status under the laws of this State until the Attorney General institutes civil or criminal proceedings and is exempt from the provisions of NRS 239.010.

2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, the Attorney General may cooperate with and coordinate the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter with State and local agencies, officials of the Federal Government and the several states, including, but not limited to, the sharing of information and evidence obtained in accordance with subsection 1 or NRS 598.0963.

3. The provisions of subsections 1 and 2 do not prohibit the Attorney General from disclosing any intelligence or information received pursuant to subsection 1, including, without limitation, the address or telephone number of a business or organization, before the Attorney General institutes civil or criminal proceedings if, in the discretion of the Attorney General, that disclosure is necessary to protect consumers and businesses.

4. If any information sought pursuant to an investigation of an alleged violation of this chapter includes a trade secret, the Attorney General shall enter into, and be bound by, an agreement regarding limitations on the disclosure of that information to protect that trade secret. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the Attorney General shall not disclose that information in violation of the terms of the agreement. For the purposes of this subsection, “trade secret” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 600A.030.

(Added to NRS by 2009, 1187)