Alabama § 41-4-50 - Established; Functions and Duties.

§ 41-4-50. Established; Functions and Duties.

There shall be in the Department of Finance the Division of Control and Accounts. The functions and duties of the Division of Control and Accounts shall be as follows:

(1) To keep all books, records and accounts relating to the finances of the state government, including the budget accounts, which are authorized or required to be kept by the Department of Finance, in accordance with recognized standards of public accounting and in such a manner as at all times to reveal the true financial status of the state government and of each special fund and account in the State Treasury.

(2)a. To control and make records of all payments into and out of the State Treasury and each special fund and account therein.

b. When the state Comptroller finds that, in a prior fiscal year, the state has failed to give a vendor payment to which the vendor is entitled and the state or any department, division, bureau, commission, board, or other agency thereof, agrees that the payment is due, the state Comptroller, with the approval of the Director of Finance, shall approve such request for payment from the department, division, bureau, commission, board, or other agency thereof and shall draw a warrant on the State Treasury from the affected agency’s funds for the amount thereof in favor of such vendor.

(3) To audit currently all receipts and receivables.

(4) To preaudit and determine the correctness and legality of every claim and account submitted for the issuance of a warrant and to determine that funds have been appropriated and allotted and are then available in the State Treasury for the payment of such claim or account before any warrant on the State Treasury shall be issued; except, that the preaudit of claims for unemployment compensation, public assistance, child welfare, or income tax refunds shall be performed by the department or departments having charge of the other functions and duties relating to unemployment compensation, or public assistance, or child welfare, or income tax refunds subject to the general supervision of the Division of Control and Accounts.

(5)a. To draw every warrant authorized to be drawn upon the State Treasury and any fund therein, whether a special or earmarked fund or not.

b. Any law to the contrary notwithstanding, any or all warrants issued by the Division of Control and Accounts may be transferred or deposited electronically or by other acceptable methods to any financial institution capable of handling direct deposits by electronic transfer or other acceptable methods if written approval is given by the original payee of the warrant. The state Comptroller shall maintain files on all written approvals given by original payees and separate records on all transfers of funds authorized in this subsection and shall furnish sufficient documentation for the purpose of auditing and reconciling such electronic financial transactions.

(6) To secure such information and data, to prepare or make such studies and reports, and to perform such other functions and duties of the Department of Finance as may be assigned by the Director of Finance.