Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the following procedure may be utilized for payroll-related payments as limited in this section. The county superintendent of schools may designate one or more national or state banks, savings and loan associations, or federal or state credit unions with the principal office in this state, if the deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, or other private insurance or guaranty of share accounts that is acceptable to the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, to act as disbursing agents for the county superintendent of schools and for school districts and community colleges in the territory under his or her jurisdiction. The county superintendent of schools may draw orders and requisitions upon the funds of the respective public employers, in favor of the designated institutions, for tax-sheltered annuities, custodial accounts, individual retirement accounts, credit union deductions, insurance plan payments, deferred compensation, withholding taxes, professional dues, and other payroll-related deductions or employer contributions. The county auditor shall follow the procedure with respect to examining and allowing the orders and requisitions set forth in Sections 42639 and 85239. The county superintendent of schools, upon receiving allowed warrants from the county auditor, shall deposit the warrants in the designated institutions. As soon as feasible following deposit, the county superintendent of schools shall furnish the designated institutions with information required to enable disbursement of payments to insurance companies, credit unions, and other recipients, including identification of the employees for whom the payments are to be made, the amount of payment on behalf of each designated employee, and the company to which the payment on behalf of each designated employee is to be made. It shall be the duty of each designated institution to disburse the payments to the recipients entitled thereto by check, bank draft, or other appropriate method, within a reasonable time after receipt of each payment, with necessary information for disbursements, which time period shall not exceed 5 working days. Designated institutions receiving deposits and making disbursements, and the county superintendent of schools, shall be deemed to be agents of the respective public employers, for payment of annuities on behalf of their respective employees, and for other payments as specified, and the moneys received by the designated institutions shall be deemed to be deposits of the county superintendents of schools. Security for the deposits shall be furnished as required by the laws of this state. The county superintendent of schools may directly prepare the information and necessary checks, bank drafts, or other appropriate instruments, on the account or accounts within the designated institutions, providing that payment to recipients entitled thereto with required information is made within the timeframe specified.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 430, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2002.)