SB90

ENGROSSED

By Senator Holtzclaw

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

Relating to the School Fiscal Accountability Act; to add Section 16-13A-14 to the Code of Alabama 1975, to authorize local boards of education to utilize approved electronic methods to disburse and receive funds and complete other financial transactions; and to repeal Sections 16-8-37 and 16-11-24, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the publication of annual financial reports to the public by city and county boards of education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. Section 16-13A-14 is added to the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as follows:

§16-13A-14.

(a) A local board of education may adopt fiscal management policies which allow financial transactions to be made by electronic means according to standards approved by the State Superintendent of Education and the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.

(b) All of the following transactions of a local board of education or school may be conducted by electronic methods:

(1) Payments to employees by direct deposit, bank cards, electronic checks, or other electronic means.

(2) Payments and deposits to vendors, contractors, government agencies, and other payees by bank drafts, electronic checks, purchasing cards, procurement cards, bank cards, or other electronic means.

(3) Receipt of payments for students by credit cards, debit cards, bank drafts, or other electronic means.

(4) Receipt of funds for donations, fundraising, admission charges, fees, fines, and other purposes by credit cards, debit cards, bank drafts, or other electronic means.

(5) Receipt of funds from government agencies and other payees by bank drafts, electronic checks, purchasing cards, procurement cards, bank cards, or other electronic means.

(6) Purchase orders, purchase requisitions, and other procurement documents which do not require a notarized signature.

(7) Other financial transactions included in the standards approved by the State Superintendent of Education and the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.

Section 2. The State Superintendent of Education shall annually provide to each local superintendent of education a listing of financial and other reports required to be published on the website of the local board of education and a listing of reports that are published on the State Department of Education website that provide accountability information to the public. In addition to the website posting, the office of each local superintendent of education shall give notice by placing a display advertisement, of at least one-half page in size, once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county that satisfies the requirements for publication of legal notices as provided in Sections 6-8-60 and 6-8-64, Code of Alabama 1975. The advertisement shall contain the listing of the reports available on the website and the website address.

Section 3. All laws or parts of laws which conflict with this act are repealed, and Sections 16-8-37 and 16-11-24, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the publication of annual financial reports to the public by city and county boards of education, respectively, are specifically repealed.

Section 4. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Education

Superintendent of Education, State

Superintendent of Education, City

Superintendent of Education, County

Examiners of Public Accounts Department

School Fiscal Accountability Act

Code Added

Code Repealed