The Department shall:

1. Investigate any claim against any school fund or an account established under NRS 354.603, 388A.411 or 388C.260, as applicable, whenever a written protest against the drawing of a warrant, check or order in payment of the claim is filed with the county auditor, the sponsor of the charter school or the Department.

2. If, upon an investigation conducted pursuant to subsection 1, the Department finds that any such claim is unearned, illegal or unreasonably excessive, the Department shall notify the county auditor and the clerk of the board of trustees, the governing body of the charter school or the governing body of the university school for profoundly gifted pupils who drew or authorized the order for the claim, stating the reasons in writing why the order is unearned, illegal or excessive.

3. If notified pursuant to subsection 2, the county auditor shall not draw his or her warrant in payment of the claim nor shall the board of trustees, governing body of the charter school or governing body of the university school for profoundly gifted pupils draw a check or order in payment of the claim from an account established under NRS 354.603, 388A.411 or 388C.260, as applicable.

4. If the Department finds that any protested claim is legal and actually due the claimant, the Department shall authorize the county auditor, the board of trustees, the governing body of the charter school or the governing body of the university school for profoundly gifted pupils, as applicable, to draw his or her warrant or its check or order on an account established under NRS 354.603, 388A.411 or 388C.260, as applicable, for the claim, and the county auditor, the board of trustees or the appropriate governing body shall immediately draw his or her warrant or its check or order in payment of the claim.

(Added to NRS by 1959, 811; A 1965, 1150; 1969, 169; 1971, 1346; 1975, 1808; 1979, 1572; 1987, 829; 2009, 932; 2013, 2635) — (Substituted in revision for NRS 385.315)