§ 31-17-105. Purposes and procedures; maintenance of working balance in State General Fund; interfund loans

MS Code § 31-17-105 (2019) (N/A)
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(1) The said notes shall be issued for the purpose of maintaining a sufficient working balance in the State General Fund. In effectuating the purposes of Section 31-17-101 et seq., the following procedures shall be followed:

(a) Immediately following the close of business on the last day of every calendar month, the State Fiscal Officer shall submit to each member of the State Bond Commission a certified statement relative to the actual unexpended cash balance remaining to the credit of the State General Fund, and state whether or not, in his opinion, said balance was sufficient, when combined with normal receipts for the ensuing month, to provide enough cash to pay obligations during the month at the time they are due, and if it is not sufficient, stating the amount which will be needed. The State Fiscal Officer shall also submit to the State Bond Commission, if he deems the General Fund cash balance insufficient, a statement showing cash balances in all special funds in the State Treasury which appear to have cash in excess of their immediate needs. The State Bond Commission shall immediately ascertain whether such balances are, in fact, in excess of current needs;

(b) The State Bond Commission shall issue notes as authorized hereunder in whatever amount it finds to be necessary, upon the recommendation of the State Fiscal Officer, to maintain a sufficient working balance in the General Fund; or

(c) If the State Bond Commission determines that it is not practical to issue notes at that time, or if the State Bond Commission determines it is not in the financial interests of the state to issue the notes at that time, and if the cash balance in special funds in the State Treasury in fact have cash in excess of their immediate needs, then the State Bond Commission shall, to the extent that such balances are available, make temporary loans or transfers therefrom to the General Fund. To accomplish such transfer or loan, a requisition shall be issued by the bond commission against the special fund or funds, a copy thereof to be sent to each agency responsible for the administration of the fund or funds so utilized. The State Fiscal Officer shall issue his disbursement warrants against the fund or funds in the manner prescribed in governing statutes, and shall maintain a complete record of such transfers or loans and repayments thereof. A similar but separate record shall be maintained by the State Treasurer’s office, to afford a double check for the benefit of the bond commission and agencies administering any special funds involved. In the event any special fund has such a loan outstanding to the General Fund and needs the use of the money before the balance of the General Fund is sufficient to make repayment thereof, the bond commission is authorized and directed to effectuate a loan or transfer from other special fund or funds to the General Fund in an amount sufficient to make repayment, or if no other special fund balances are available, the bond commission shall immediately issue notes in the amount needed, as authorized in Section 31-17-103.

(2) It shall be the duty of the State Fiscal Officer to advise the bond commission, each month after such notes have been issued or such loans or transfers have been made, whether or not the cash balance to the credit of the State General Fund is sufficient to make full or partial payment of such obligations in addition to other current requirements, and if such is the case, the commission shall promptly issue requisitions on the State General Fund for whatever amount can be paid on such obligations without reducing the General Fund cash balance below the amount needed for current requirements during the remainder of the month; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants accordingly. The State Treasurer shall requisition warrants, as appropriate, from the State Fiscal Officer, for the payment of interest on notes authorized hereunder and the payment of any costs authorized under Section 31-17-103.

(3) The State Bond Commission is also authorized, in the manner provided herein, to make temporary loans or transfers from special funds in the State Treasury to pay amounts authorized under Section 31-17-101 et seq., including without limitation payment of the principal of and interest on notes issued hereunder.

(4) Notes herein authorized to be issued may be reissued, and interfund loans or transfers herein authorized to be made may be remade, provided the total amount of such notes and interfund loans or transfers combined, outstanding at any one (1) time, shall not exceed seven and one-half percent (7-½%) of the total appropriations made by the Legislature out of the General Fund for the fiscal year during which such notes are issued and such interfund loans or transfers are made.

(5) The State Bond Commission shall immediately send notice of any action relating to the issuance of bonds or the borrowing of money, under authority of this or any other section, to the Legislative Budget Office.