Rhode Island § 37-2-55 - State Purchases

§ 37-2-55. Imprest fund.

(a) Subject to the provisions of this chapter, any budget unit, when provided for by appropriation or when authorized by the department of administration, may establish one or more imprest cash funds for the purpose of making disbursements requiring prompt cash outlay and to carry out the provisions of this chapter. The state treasurer, upon warrants of the chief purchasing officer based upon a requisition from the head of the budget unit, shall pay to the head of that budget unit the amount necessary to establish an imprest fund.

(b) A custodian shall be designated by the head of the budget unit and certified by the department of administration after appropriate instruction and testing as qualified to administer the fund. The custodian shall, as often as may be necessary to replenish the fund and at least once each month, file with the chief purchasing officer a schedule of the disbursements from the fund, accompanied by appropriate vouchers and statements of indebtedness therefor approved by the head of the budget unit, and by a certificate as to the condition of the fund. The amount of the total of the approved voucher shall be paid to the custodian of the fund on the warrant of the chief purchasing officer and the amount shall be devoted to reimbursement of the fund. Any question relative to the amount to be allowed in any imprest cash fund, the expenditure thereof, the accounting therefor, and the repayment thereof to the state treasurer, shall be determined by the chief purchasing officer.

(c) The agency head shall be responsible for expenditures authorized from those funds and the custodian shall be responsible for administration of the fund. Each agency head and custodian shall be separately bonded in the amount by which the total authorization for the fund exceeds the state blanket bond for those officials.

(d) A post-audit of each imprest fund shall be conducted.

(e) Each imprest fund shall lapse with the appropriation on which it is based, but may be reestablished by appropriation for the next ensuing year or when authorized by the chief purchasing officer.

(f) Where work is done on public projects by the state through the use of its own personnel or facilities, in whole or in part, which work is not subject to the provisions of law for competitive bidding, the budget unit having that work performed may, when authorized by the chief purchasing officer, establish an imprest cash fund for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the proposed project, which fund shall not exceed at any time an amount equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the anticipated total cost of the project.