Receipt, investigation, and report

1. Except for those claims that are addressed as provided in section 25.2, subsection 3, when a claim is filed or made against the state, on which in the judgment of the director of the department of management the state would be liable except for the fact of its sovereignty or that it has no appropriation available for its payment, the director of the department of management shall deliver that claim to the state appeal board. However, this chapter does not apply to a claim as defined in section 669.2. 2. The state appeal board shall make a record of the receipt of claims received from the director of the department of management, notify the attorney general, and deliver a copy to the state official or agency against whom the claim is made, if any. a. The official or agency shall report its recommendations concerning the claim to the attorney general who, with a view to determining the merits and legality of the claim, shall investigate the claim and report the findings and conclusions of the investigation to the state appeal board. b. To help defray the initial costs of processing a claim and the costs of investigating a claim, the department of management may assess a processing fee and a fee to reimburse the office of the attorney general for the costs of the claim investigation against the state agency which incurred the liability of the claim. 3. Notwithstanding subsections 1 and 2, and section 25.2, the state appeal board shall not consider claims for refund of the unused portion of vehicle registration fees collected under section 321.105.