Section 17. Notwithstanding the provisions of section twenty-two of chapter twenty-nine or any other provisions of law, funds made available by appropriation, or otherwise, for enabling the department to carry out the provisions of law for furnishing public assistance to individuals may be advanced to the department in such sums and subject to such rules and regulations as the comptroller may determine.
The department shall make a monthly report to the comptroller of the amount of funds disbursed by the department subsequent to the previous monthly report and shall certify to the comptroller that such disbursements are substantiated by detailed records and vouchers retained in the custody of the department of transitional assistance.