§ 19-4-1306 - Procedures for monitoring agency expenditures and fiscal operations. - Arkansas Statutes

19-4-1306. Procedures for monitoring agency expenditures and fiscal operations.

(a) In addition to the powers and duties provided under this chapter and other fiscal laws of the state, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State shall invoke additional procedures to assure that all state agencies are operated on a planned and orderly basis of essential services within the limitations of funds available.

(b) In furtherance of the purposes of this subchapter, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State shall institute the following additional procedures and controls:

(1) At least thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of each fiscal year, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State shall make studies for the purpose of estimating the anticipated amount of general and special revenues to be made available for distribution under the provisions of the Revenue Stabilization Law, 19-5-101 et seq., and for the support of agencies which derive their support from special revenues, for such fiscal year or such fiscal quarter, or for any calendar month if he or she deems it necessary. In addition, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State shall compute the estimated amount of general revenues that will be available for distribution to the respective State Treasury accounts in accordance with the respective percentage distributions of general revenues authorized under the provisions of the Revenue Stabilization Law, 19-5-101 et seq. It shall be the duty of each agency head responsible for administering special revenues or federal funds to notify the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State of any unusual events which would adversely affect the estimate of the moneys received upon which the agency is operating. Such notification shall be given immediately upon knowing of the existence of such events by agency heads;

(2) Upon completion of revenue estimates for each fiscal year or each fiscal quarter, or monthly if deemed necessary, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State shall prepare schedules reflecting the estimated amount of general revenues to be available for distribution to the State Treasury funds and accounts for each of the agencies which share in the distribution of general revenue funds of the state, either in whole or in part. In addition, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State may require the preparation of estimates from the administering agency or prepare estimates of the anticipated amount of special revenues to be available for distribution to those agencies which receive support from special revenues, from both general and special revenues, or from cash funds or other sources;

(3) After preparing the estimates and schedules for each fiscal year, fiscal quarter, or month, the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State shall review the annual operations budgets of each agency. The Chief Fiscal Officer of the State shall institute such controls as he or she deems necessary to modify or restrict the level of approved expenditures that may be incurred by each agency to assure that sufficient funds will be available to maintain a minimum level of essential services and programs by each agency without undue interruption or curtailment of the level of programs and essential services provided for any extended period during each fiscal year or which might create circumstances that would institute deficit spending to meet the obligations or services in excess of the funds available for the support thereof, as provided by law; and

(4) If the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State, in reviewing the annual operations budgets of any state agency, determines that the level of operations thereof or the projected commitment thereof is being operated in a manner that would impose serious curtailment of essential services or would create circumstances of deficit spending, then he or she shall immediately notify the head of the agency responsible for the operation of such services as to the curtailments and controls that should be instituted to bring the level of operations or services within the necessary fiscal restraints recommended by the Chief Fiscal Officer of the State.

(c) A copy of each directive issued pursuant to subdivision (b)(4) of this section shall be furnished to the Governor, to the Legislative Council, and to the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.