With the approval of the county superintendent of schools, the governing board of a school district may cause warrants to be drawn on the county treasury against designated funds, except debt service, of the district in the county treasury in the payment of expenses of the district. The warrants for salary and other types of claims designated by the county superintendent shall be issued by a person designated as the district disbursing officer for the school district on the county treasury in favor of the persons entitled thereto in payment of all claims in designated categories chargeable against the district which have been legally examined, allowed, and ordered paid by the governing board. The district disbursing officer shall issue warrants, using procedures prescribed by the county auditor, on the county treasury for all debts and demands, within categories designated by the county superintendent, against the district when amounts are legally approved. The form of the warrant shall be prescribed by, and approved by, the county auditor or county treasurer having jurisdiction.

The cost of printing warrants may be charged to the district. Notwithstanding Section 41000, except for assessing and tax collecting, the county auditor and county treasurer may charge those districts that draw their own warrants for the cost of all fiscal services.

Notwithstanding Section 27005 of the Government Code, or any other provision of law requiring orders for warrants or warrants to be signed by the county superintendent of schools or the county auditor, or both, the county superintendent and county auditor may prescribe alternative procedures for districts to issue warrants. The district disbursing officer shall not be considered a deputy county superintendent of schools or a deputy county auditor. The county treasurer shall pay the warrant in the designated category, if district funds are available.

County officers shall not be responsible for providing reports, statements, or other data relating to, or based on, the designated payments of expenses of the district. Those districts issuing warrants, as provided by this section, shall provide the county superintendent of schools, in the form prescribed by him, with the data necessary to make retirement reports and other reports required of him by law. All warrants, vouchers, and supporting documents shall be kept by school districts that draw their own warrants in those designated categories.

The county superintendent shall provide for a periodic review of the districts’ financial transactions and internal control pursuant to Section 1241.5.

County superintendents of schools may provide fiscal, budgetary, and data-processing services through contractual agreements to school districts that have been determined to be fiscally accountable under the provisions of this section.

The person authorized by the governing board of the district to issue warrants, pursuant to this section, shall execute an official bond in an amount fixed by the governing board conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties under this section. A county superintendent or county auditor shall not be liable under the terms of their bonds or otherwise for any warrant issued pursuant to this section. This section shall not be construed as impairing the obligation of any contract in the bond of such officer in effect on January 1, 1977.

A listing of the warrants issued under this section by each school district shall be forwarded to the county auditor having jurisdiction, upon his request, and to the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction over the district on the same day warrants are issued. The listing, which may be on magnetic tape, punched cards, or in other form, shall report, among other things, the warrant number, date of the warrant, amount of the warrant, the name of the payee, and the fund on which drawn. The form and content of the warrant listing shall be as prescribed by the county auditor or county superintendent and approved by the county auditor or county superintendent having jurisdiction.

Each district which issues warrants pursuant to this section shall furnish monthly to the county superintendent of schools and the county auditor of the county of jurisdiction, upon his request, a statement showing for the current fiscal year to date, for each required expenditure classification, the amount budgeted, actual expenditures, encumbrances and unencumbered balances.

In order to obtain the approval of the county superintendent of schools and county auditor for fiscally accountable status, the governing board of a school district shall file a written application with the county superintendent of schools and county auditor having jurisdiction on forms which the county superintendent shall prescribe. Upon receipt of an application from the district, the county superintendent shall cause an audit to be made of the district’s management and accounting controls, in accordance with standards prescribed by him, by an independent certified public accountant or public accountant approved by the county superintendent, who shall report his findings and recommendations to the county superintendent and to the applicant district. The audit report may include Department of Finance guidelines and other assessments of fiscal management as required by the county superintendent or the audit may be the report of the annual district audit pursuant to Section 41020 if that is acceptable to the county superintendent of schools. The cost of the audit required in support of a district’s application for fiscal accountability shall be borne by the applicant district.

The county superintendent and county auditor shall review the district’s application and report of financial management and control and may approve the application if they find the management and accounting controls of the district to be adequate. If the county superintendent and county auditor determine that such management and accounting controls are inadequate, they shall disapprove the application.

A district that applies for fiscal accountability status shall file its written application with the county superintendent of schools on or before September 1. The required audit of financial management and accounting controls shall be filed on or before January 1. When a district’s application for fiscal accountability status has been approved by the county superintendent of schools and county auditor, the issuance of warrants by the district pursuant to this section shall be effective at the beginning of a fiscal year, provided that approval had been made prior to the preceding first day in March. If disapproved, the county superintendent of schools shall state the specific steps which must be taken by the applicant school district to receive approval and these changes shall be certified as completed by an independent certified public accountant or public accountant before the county superintendent shall approve the application. If at any time the county superintendent of schools or the county auditor determines that the financial management or accounting controls of the district have become inadequate, either such officer may revoke approval for fiscal accountability status effective immediately.

(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 734, Sec. 23. Effective October 11, 2001.)