S-0924.1                   _______________________________________________

                                                     SENATE BILL 5356

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senator Haugen

Read first time 01/25/93.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Authorizing city and town legislative authorities to review and approve checks and warrants up to one month after issuance.

          AN ACT Relating to payment of claims by cities and towns; and amending RCW 42.24.180.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  RCW 42.24.180 and 1984 c 128 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

          In order to expedite the payment of claims, the legislative body of any taxing district, as defined in RCW 43.09.260, may authorize the issuance of warrants or checks in payment of claims after the provisions of this chapter have been met and after the officer designated by statute, or, in the absence of statute, an appropriate charter provision, ordinance, or resolution of the taxing district, has signed the checks or warrants, but before the legislative body has acted to approve the claims.  The legislative body may stipulate that certain kinds or amounts of claims shall not be paid before the board has reviewed the supporting documentation and approved the issue of checks or warrants in payment of those claims.  However, all of the following conditions shall be met before the payment:

          (1) The auditing officer and the officer designated to sign the checks or warrants shall each be required to furnish an official bond for the faithful discharge of his or her duties in an amount determined by the legislative body but not less than fifty thousand dollars;

          (2) The legislative body shall adopt contracting, hiring, purchasing, and disbursing policies that implement effective internal control;

          (3) The legislative body shall provide for its review of the documentation supporting claims paid and for its approval of all checks or warrants issued in payment of claims at its next regularly scheduled public meeting or, for cities and towns, at a regularly scheduled public meeting within one month of issuance; and

          (4) The legislative body shall require that if, upon review, it disapproves some claims, the auditing officer and the officer designated to sign the checks or warrants shall jointly cause the disapproved claims to be recognized as receivables of the taxing district and to pursue collection diligently until the amounts disapproved are collected or until the legislative body is satisfied and approves the claims.

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