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§12-4-1. Biennial reports.
All reports, settlements, accounts and statements which are now, or that hereafter may be required by law, shall be kept and made to conform to the fiscal year. As soon as practicable after June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and thirty-two, each of the officers or boards now or hereafter required by law to compile a biennial report shall compile a report covering the two preceding years, and every two years thereafter the biennial reports shall be made for the two preceding years.

§12-4-2. Accounts of treasurer and auditor; auditor to certify condition of revenues and funds of the state.
The treasurer shall keep in his office separate accounts with each depository, and also a summary account for the state, and when money is paid into the treasury, it shall be charged to the proper depository and credited to a summary account. The auditor shall keep in his office separate accounts of the particular heads or sources of revenue, and a summary account with the treasurer, beside such individual accounts with officers and persons as may be necessary, and shall charge every sum of money received for the state as aforesaid to the treasurer's account, and credit it under the particular head of revenue to which it properly belongs, distinguishing especially in distinct accounts the receipts on account of the capital of the school fund and those on account of the income of said fund subject to annual distribution. The auditor shall certify annually to the commissioner of finance and administration the condition of the state revenues and the several funds of the state. The certification shall be used by the commissioner in the preparation of a tentative state budget as required of him by article two, chapter five-a of this code.

§12-4-3. Accounts of appropriations.
The auditor and secretary of administration shall each keep an account of every appropriation made by law, and of the several sums drawn thereon, so that the accounts may show at all times the balance undrawn on each appropriation. The account so kept shall be compared every month and errors, if any, corrected.

§12-4-3a. Accounts of the auditor.
The auditor shall at all times maintain and have available for public inspection a report containing monthly balances in the treasury, which balances shall include, but not be limited to, the

general revenue surplus balance; the general revenue surplus appropriation account balance; the state general revenue reappropriated account balance; the state general revenue current account balance; the total state account balance; and the total general revenue.

§12-4-4. Accounts of expenditures; signing of checks and warrants; facsimile signatures and use of mechanical and electrical devices; forgery; penalty.
When the treasurer issues his check on a depository, he or she shall credit the same to the account of the depository, and charge it to the summary account provided for in section two of this article. The auditor shall keep accounts of the particular heads of expenditures, and, when he or she issues a warrant on the treasurer, shall credit the treasurer's summary account therewith and charge the same under the particular head of expenditure to which it properly belongs, distinguishing especially the disbursements on account of the capital and the annual income of the school fund, as directed in section two of this article in relation to receipts belonging to that fund. All checks when issued by the treasurer shall bear his or her signature, personally signed by the treasurer, or by employees as are, in writing, authorized by the treasurer to make his or her signature thereto, or bear a facsimile of the treasurer's signature. All warrants when issued by the auditor shall bear his or her signature, personally signed by the auditor, or by employees as are, in writing, authorized by the auditor to make his or her signature thereto, or bear a facsimile of the auditor's signature. The signature of the treasurer, or auditor, respectively, may be made, however, by means of such mechanical or electrical device as the treasurer, or auditor, respectively, may select. Any mechanical or electrical device selected shall be safely kept in the respective offices of the treasurer or auditor so that no one has access to the device except the treasurer, or the auditor, and the employees authorized to respectively sign checks or warrants as provided by this section. If any person, other than the treasurer, or auditor, respectively, or their respective duly and respectively authorized employees, sign the name of the treasurer or the auditor, respectively, by the use of any mechanical or electrical device, or otherwise, or use the facsimile of the signature of either of them, on any check or warrant, or utter or attempt to employ as true such forged check or warrant, knowing it to be forged, he or she shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned not less than two nor more than ten years.

§12-4-5. Individual accounts; auditor to notify sureties when sheriff defaults.
There shall be kept in the auditor's office all necessary and proper accounts of persons having pecuniary transactions with the state, and especially accounts of all persons employed in the collection of any part of the public revenue, including the school fund. In case of a default made by any sheriff in the prompt payment of money due from him as such sheriff of his county, it shall be the duty of the auditor, within sixty days after default is made by such sheriff, to notify the sureties on the official bond of such sheriff. In such notice to the sureties, the amount of indebtedness of such sheriff shall be stated, including all the funds due to the state from such sheriff, and the auditor shall also lodge a copy of such notice with the clerk of the county court of the county of such defaulting sheriff, and with the state tax commissioner.

§12-4-6. Comparison of books of auditor and treasurer; monthly balances.
At the end of every month of the year, the summary account of the treasurer kept on the books of the auditor's office shall be compared with the summary account kept by the treasurer, and the errors, if there be any in either, corrected. The summary account of the month shall be adjusted and a balance shall be struck showing the amount then in the treasury. The balance shall be carried forward in the books of both offices to the account for the next month.

§12-4-7. Annual report of auditor.
The annual report of the auditor shall be furnished to the governor by the thirty-first day of December following after the end of the fiscal year. It shall contain a statement of the receipts and disbursements, under the proper general heads, during the preceding fiscal year, and show the balance in the treasury at the beginning and end of that year. It shall also contain an estimate of the revenue and expenditures for the current year, with similar statements and estimates respecting the school fund. It shall show the indebtedness of the state and the balances standing at the end of the year to the credit of the several unexpired appropriations, specifying in each case the date when the appropriation was made. The report shall be accompanied with an explanation of the amounts of receipts and disbursements and the balances and estimates reported. In it the auditor shall point out any defects which may occur to him or her in the revenue laws. Furthermore, the auditor shall suggest the remedies for those deficits. If the auditor is of the opinion that the future revenue is likely to prove insufficient, then the auditor shall recommend plans for increasing the revenue and suggest new subjects of taxation, or additional taxes on the old, as he may deem proper.

§12-4-8. Office hours of auditor and treasurer.
The hours for transacting business in the offices of the auditor and treasurer shall be from eight-thirty in the morning until five o'clock in the afternoon.

§12-4-9. Absence of auditor or treasurer.
When it is necessary for either the auditor or treasurer to be absent, the other shall be informed of the absence. During the absence, the duties of the officer so absent may be performed by the auditor's or treasurer's designee respectively. The absent officer and his sureties shall be liable for any malconduct or neglect of the person acting in his or her place.

Notwithstanding restrictions which may otherwise be provided by law concerning membership on any board, agency or commission, the auditor and treasurer each may designate a representative who is authorized to act for and on their behalf in any and all matters relating to those memberships.

§12-4-10. State not preferred as to unsecured claim.
On and after February first, one thousand nine hundred thirty-three, the state shall not, by virtue of prerogative or any other right, have any priority or preference of any claim or demand in its favor which is not made a lien and given such priority and preference by statute, over any other unsecured or common creditor of any person, firm or corporation against the property or assets or any part thereof of the debtor.

§12-4-11. Exceptional items fund.
(a) There is hereby created in the treasurer's office a special fund known as the "exceptional items fund" to be administered by the treasurer pursuant to the provisions of this section and rules and regulations established thereunder.

(b) The treasurer is authorized to make transfers to and from the exceptional items fund for the purpose of clearing irreconcilable items carried forward on his accounts with state depositories: Provided, That no transfer may be made as to any irreconcilable item in excess of fifty dollars without the approval of the state auditor.

(c) The treasurer and auditor shall jointly promulgate rules and regulations establishing procedures and conditions for issuance of substitute checks to payees in cases where the checks originally issued are erroneous, or have been lost, mutilated, destroyed, stolen or forged. Any disbursements pursuant to such rules and regulations shall be made from the exceptional items fund. Any moneys received by the state from persons responsible for wrongfully cashing such originally issued checks shall be deposited in such fund.

§12-4-12. Treasurer authorized to provide check-cashing service; establishment and audit of cash funds.
The treasurer may provide a check-cashing service at his or her office in the capitol building and may charge fees for the service for each check cashed and for each check returned for insufficient funds. For this purpose, he or she may establish from receipts in the treasury not more than two cash funds each in an initial amount not to exceed one hundred thousand dollars. The treasurer shall designate certain employees in his or her office who are to provide the service and have charge of the funds, and may require the employees to be bonded either individually or by blanket bonds. The cost of the bond or bonds shall be paid out of the treasurer's current expense appropriation.

The fees received for the service shall be deposited in the cash funds and itemized accounts of the receipts shall be maintained. Any check determined by the treasurer to be uncollectible shall be charged against the fund from which it was cashed. Before the first day of July, two thousand one and at least every three fiscal years thereafter, the legislative auditor shall audit the cash funds and all accounts and records relating to the service provided pursuant to this section. If the amount of either cash fund, after charges for uncollectible checks, exceeds one hundred thousand dollars at the conclusion of any audit, the treasurer shall transfer the excess to the general revenue fund.

§12-4-13.

Repealed.

Acts, 1997 Reg. Sess., Ch. 95

§12-4-14. Accountability of persons receiving state funds or grants; sworn statements by volunteer fire departments; criminal penalties.
(a) For the purposes of this section:

(1) "Grantor" means a state spending unit awarding a state grant.

(2) "Person" includes any corporation, partnership, association, individual or other legal entity. The term "person" does not include a state spending unit or a local government as defined in section one-a, article nine, chapter six of this code.

(3) "Report" means an engagement, such as an agreed-upon procedures engagement or other attestation engagement, performed and prepared by a certified public accountant to test whether state grants were spent as intended. The term "report" does not mean a full-scope audit or review of the person receiving state funds.

(4) "State grant" means funding provided by a state spending unit, regardless of the original source of the funds, to a person upon application for a specific purpose. The term "state grant" does not include: (A) Payments for goods and services purchased by a state spending unit; (B) compensation to state employees and public officials; (C) reimbursements to state employees and public officials for travel or incidental expenses; (D) grants of student aid; (E) government transfer payments; (F) direct benefits provided under state insurance and welfare programs; (G) funds reimbursed to a person for expenditures made for qualified purposes when receipts for the expenditures are required prior to receiving the funds: Provided, That notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision, funding provided pursuant to section twelve, article two, chapter five-b is included within the term "state grant"; (H) retirement benefits; and (I) federal pass-through funds that are subject to the federal Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996, 31 U.S.C. 7501, et seq. The term "state grant" does not include formula distributions to volunteer and part-volunteer fire departments made pursuant to sections fourteen-d and thirty-three, article three, chapter thirty-three of this code and section seven, article twelve-c of said chapter.

(b) (1) Any person who receives one or more state grants in the amount of fifty thousand dollars or more in the aggregate in a state's fiscal year shall file with the grantor a report of the disbursement of the state grant funds. When the grantor causes an audit, by an independent certified public accountant, to be conducted of the grant funds, the audit is performed using generally accepted government auditing standards and a copy of the audit is available for public inspection, no report is required to be filed under this section. An audit performed that complies with Office of Management and Budget circular A-133, as published on the twenty-seventh day of June, two thousand three, and submitted within the period provided in this section may be substituted for the report.

(2) Any person who receives a state grant in an amount less than fifty thousand dollars or who is not required to file a report because an audit has been conducted or substituted as provided by subdivision (1) of this subsection shall file with the grantor a sworn statement of expenditures made under the grant.

(3) Reports and sworn statements of expenditures required by subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection shall be filed within two years of the end of the person's fiscal year in which the disbursement of state grant funds by the grantor was made. The report shall be made by an independent certified public accountant at the cost of the person receiving the state grant. State grant funds may be used to pay for the report if the applicable grant provisions allow. The scope of the report is limited to showing that the state grant funds were spent for the purposes intended when the grant was made.

(c) (1) Any person failing to file a required report or sworn statement of expenditures within the two-year period provided in subdivision (3), subsection (b) of this section for state grant funds disbursed after the first day of July, two thousand three, is barred from subsequently receiving state grants until the person has filed the report or sworn statement of expenditures and is otherwise in compliance with the provisions of this section.

(2) Any grantor of a state grant shall report any persons failing to file a required report or sworn statement of expenditures within the required period provided in subdivision (3), subsection (b) of this section for a state grant disbursed after the first day of July, two thousand three, to the Legislative Auditor for purposes of debarment from receiving state grants.

(d) (1) The state agency administering the state grant shall notify the grantee of the reporting requirements set forth in this section.

(2) All grantors awarding state grants shall, prior to awarding a state grant, take reasonable actions to verify that the person is not barred from receiving state grants pursuant to this section. The verification process shall, at a minimum, include:

(A) A requirement that the person seeking the state grant provide a sworn statement from an authorized representative that the person has filed all reports and sworn statements of expenditures for state grants received as required under this section; and

(B) Confirmation from the Legislative Auditor by the grantor that the person has not been identified as one who has failed to file a report or sworn statement of expenditures under this section. Confirmation may be accomplished by accessing the computerized database provided in subsection (e) of this section.

(3) If any report or sworn statement of expenditures submitted pursuant to the requirements of this section provides evidence of a reportable condition or violation, the grantor shall provide a copy of the report or sworn statement of expenditures to the Legislative Auditor within thirty days of receipt by the grantor.

(4) The grantor shall maintain copies of reports and sworn statements of expenditures required by this section and make the reports or sworn statements of expenditures available for public inspection, as well as for use in audits and performance reviews of the grantor.

(5) The Secretary of the Department of Administration has authority to promulgate procedural and interpretive rules and propose legislative rules for promulgation in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to assist in implementing the provisions of subsections (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this section.

(e) (1) Any state agency administering a state grant shall, in the manner designated by the Legislative Auditor, notify the Legislative Auditor of the maximum amount of funds to be disbursed, the identity of the person authorized to receive the funds, the person's fiscal year and federal employer identification number and the purpose and nature of the state grant within thirty days of making the state grant or authorizing the disbursement of the funds, whichever is later. If the state grant was awarded prior to the first day of October, two thousand five, the grantor shall provide the information required by this section by the first day of December, two thousand five.

(2) The State Treasurer shall provide the Legislative Auditor the information concerning formula distributions to volunteer and part-volunteer fire departments, made pursuant to sections fourteen-d and thirty-three, article three, chapter thirty-three of this code and section seven, article twelve-c of said chapter, the Legislative Auditor requests and in the manner designated by the Legislative Auditor.

(3) The Legislative Auditor shall maintain a list identifying persons who have failed to file reports and sworn statements required by this section. The list may be in the form of a computerized database that may be accessed by state agencies over the Internet.

(f) An audit of state grant funds may be authorized at any time by the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to be conducted by the Legislative Auditor at no cost to the grantee.

(g) (1) Volunteer and part-volunteer fire departments receiving formula distributions pursuant to sections fourteen-d and thirty-three, article three, chapter thirty-three of this code and section seven, article twelve-c of said chapter shall either:

(A) File a report, as defined in subdivision (3), subsection (a) of this section with the Legislative Auditor within the same time frames as are required for sworn statements of annual expenditures to be filed under this section. The report shall be made by an independent certified public accountant at the cost of the volunteer or part-volunteer fire department. The scope of the report is limited to showing that the funds distributed were spent for authorized purposes; or

(B) File a sworn statement of annual expenditures with the Legislative Auditor on or before the fourteenth day of February of each year. The sworn statement of expenditures shall be signed by the chief or director of the volunteer fire department and shall be made under oath and acknowledged before a notary public.

(2) If the sworn statement or report required by this subsection is not filed on or before the fifteenth day of May, unless the time period is extended by the Legislative Auditor, the Legislative Auditor may conduct an audit of the volunteer or part-volunteer fire department.

(3) If the sworn statement of annual expenditures or report required by this subsection is not filed with the Legislative Auditor by the first day of July, unless the time period is extended by the Legislative Auditor, the Legislative Auditor shall notify the State Treasurer who shall withhold payment of any amount that would otherwise be distributed to the fire department under the provisions of sections fourteen-d and thirty-three, article three, chapter thirty-three of this code and section seven, article twelve-c of said chapter until the report is complete. Moneys withheld pursuant to this subdivision are to be deposited in the special revenue account created in the State Treasury in subdivision (4) of this subsection.

(4) The Legislative Auditor may assign an employee or employees to perform audits or reviews at the direction of the Legislative Auditor of the disbursement of state grant funds to volunteer fire departments. The volunteer fire department shall cooperate with the Legislative Auditor, the Legislative Auditor's employees and the State Auditor in performing their duties under this section. If the Legislative Auditor determines a volunteer fire department is not cooperating, the Legislative Auditor shall notify the State Treasurer who shall withhold payment of any amount that would otherwise be distributed to the fire department under the provisions of sections fourteen-d and thirty-three, article three, chapter thirty-three of this code and section seven, article twelve-c of said chapter until the Legislative Auditor informs the Treasurer that the fire department has cooperated as required by this section. The State Treasurer shall pay the amount withheld into a special revenue account hereby created in the State Treasury and designated the "Volunteer Fire Department Audit Account". If, after one year from payment of the amount withheld into the special revenue account, the Legislative Auditor informs the State Treasurer of continued noncooperation by the fire department, the State Treasurer shall pay the amount withheld to the fund from which it was distributed to be redistributed the following year pursuant to the applicable provisions of those sections.

(5) Whenever the State Auditor performs an audit of a volunteer fire department for any purpose the Auditor shall also conduct an audit of other state funds received by the fire department pursuant to sections fourteen-d and thirty-three, article three, chapter thirty-three of this code and section seven, article twelve-c of said chapter. The Auditor shall send a copy of the audit to the Legislative Auditor. The Legislative Auditor may accept an audit performed by the Auditor in lieu of performing an audit under this section.

(6) If the Legislative Auditor is notified by a grantor that a fire department has failed to file a report or a sworn statement of expenditures for a state grant it received, the Legislative Auditor shall notify the Treasurer who shall withhold further distributions to the fire department in the same manner provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection.

(h) Any report submitted pursuant to the provisions of this section may be filed electronically in accordance with the provisions of article one, chapter thirty-nine-a of this code.

(i) Any person who files a fraudulent sworn statement of expenditures under subsection (b) or (g) of this section, a fraudulent sworn statement under subsection (d) of this section or a fraudulent report under this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars nor more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than five years, or both fined and imprisoned.

§12-4-14a. Workers' Compensation Subsidy for Volunteer Fire Departments; creation of program; Auditor to administer.
   (a) For the purposes of this section:

   (1) "Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of the state.

   (2) "Individual base year premium" means the workers' compensation insurance premium that became due and payable by a volunteer fire department after June 30, 2010 but before July 1, 2011.

   (3) "Individual premium" means the workers' compensation premium due and payable by a volunteer fire department in each twelve month period beginning on or after July 1, 2011.

   (4) "Total base year premium" means the aggregate workers' compensation insurance premium due and payable by all volunteer fire departments as determined by the Insurance Commissioner after June 30, 2010 but before July 1, 2011.

   (5) "Total premium" means the aggregate workers' compensation insurance premium due and payable by all volunteer fire departments in each twelve month period beginning on or after July 1, 2011.

   (b) In recognition of the burden of increasing workers' compensation insurance premiums on volunteer fire departments, the Legislature has determined that additional funding assistance should be made available to eligible departments to pay a portion of those premium increases beginning with invoices due and payable on or after July 1, 2011.

   (c) There is hereby established a special program which shall be known as the "Volunteer Fire Department Workers' Compensation Subsidy Program." The program shall be administered by the State Auditor from moneys that may be appropriated and designated for the program by the Legislature.

   (d) The State Auditor shall administer the distribution of moneys appropriated for Volunteer Fire Department Workers' Compensation Subsidy Program to volunteer fire departments to help defray workers' compensation insurance premium increases.

   (1) Volunteer fire departments shall request supplemental funds by submitting to the Auditor the following information:

   (A) The previous fiscal year's workers' compensation premium invoices with paid receipts;

   (B) The current fiscal year's workers' compensation premium invoices showing the amount due and due date and any applicable paid receipts; and

   (C) Any other information the Auditor deems necessary for administering the subsidy on forms and schedules as the Auditor directs. The Auditor is authorized to set up an electronic filing system at his or her discretion for filing of the aforementioned information.

   (2) After determining that there is a premium increase and the amount of the premium increase for the volunteer fire department requesting the subsidy, the Auditor shall make disbursements in the manner set forth in subsection (e) of this section subject to the following requirements:

   (A) The volunteer fire department must be in good standing with the State Fire Marshal;

   (B) The volunteer fire department must be registered with the Auditor's Office in a form and manner prescribed by the Auditor prior to being eligible for consideration of any subsidy, which registration must be completed no fewer than thirty days prior to the due date of the workers' compensation premium;

   (C) The volunteer fire department must agree that the subsidy for its workers' compensation insurance premium increase will be paid directly to its insurance carrier by the Auditor and that it will timely pay the balance of the premium due; and

   (D) Should a volunteer fire department fail to pay the balance of its workers' compensation insurance premium after a disbursement by the auditor and that insurance policy is subsequently cancelled, the premium paid by the Auditor shall be returned directly to him or her. If the Auditor does not receive a reimbursement for a cancelled policy, he or she shall seek reimbursement for the subsidy portion of the insurance premium from the State Treasurer when the treasurer makes the next quarterly payment to the volunteer fire department pursuant to sections thirty-three and fourteen-d, article three, chapter thirty-three of this code.

   (e) Beginning with the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2011, and continuing in each fiscal year thereafter, after the Auditor has verified that a volunteer fire department is eligible for a subsidy pursuant to this section, he or she shall pay on behalf of a volunteer fire department its subsidy, which is calculated by:

   (1) Dividing the total amount of premium subsidy allocated by the Legislature to the Volunteer Fire Department Workers' Compensation Subsidy Program by the total premium minus the total base year premium, which calculation produces the "total shortfall multiplier"; and

   (2) Multiplying the total shortfall multiplier determined in subdivision (1) of this subsection by the individual premium less the individual base year premium.

   (3) In no event shall a volunteer fire department receive a workers' compensation premium subsidy greater than one hundred percent of its premium increase.

   (f) For fiscal years after July 1, 2011, the Auditor shall consult with the Insurance Commissioner to determine the total amount of workers' compensation premium due by volunteer fire departments for any subsequent fiscal year. The Auditor may determine payment dates based upon information reasonably available for such a determination.

   (g) The Auditor may promulgate emergency rules and may propose for promulgation legislative rules, in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, as are necessary to provide for implementation and enforcement of the provisions of this section.

   (h) The volunteer fire departments' workers' compensation premium subsidy program shall undergo a review to assess its effectiveness after three years of operation. The Auditor shall submit a report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance not later than February 1, 2015, and provide details of the program operation including funds distributed and departments taking advantage of the subsidy. §12-4-15. Bank at school.
(a) The state treasurer may conduct a program in West Virginia public schools to educate students about banking activities and to encourage savings. Banking institutions under the jurisdiction of the West Virginia commissioner of banking may participate in the program by assisting the treasurer in developing and producing materials for use in the schools, opening savings accounts for students at the schools and receiving and accepting deposits at the schools.

(b) The state treasurer may not implement the banking program in any school in a county unless he or she obtains permission from the county board of education and the principal of the school; and

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any professional or service employee to perform additional duties as a result of the establishment of the banking program.

§12-4-16. Transfer of specified excess funds.
(a) The treasurer has authority to monitor all state funds and accounts created by the Legislature. The treasurer shall transfer, using the state's accounting system, the appropriate amount of excess funds whenever the Legislature has:

(1) Created a fund or account and provided that only a specified amount is allowed to remain in the fund or account from one fiscal year to another, or other specified period; and

(2) Required that excess amounts are to revert or be deposited into the general revenue fund, school fund or other specified fund or account.

(b)(1) If a statutory provision provides that only a specified amount is allowed to remain in a fund from one fiscal year to another, the treasurer shall transfer the excess amount, as of the date specified by the provision, no later than the fifteenth day of August of each year and give written notice of the transfer to all spending units that are authorized to use the fund or account.

(2) If a statutory provision provides for the transfer of excess amounts at a time other than the end of a fiscal year, the treasurer shall transfer the specified excess amounts within fifteen days of the time provided.

(c) The treasurer shall file quarterly reports with the joint committee on government and finance setting forth the accounts and funds from which excess funds were transferred and the amounts transferred.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session