Bill Text: CA SB292 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Counties: contract legal counsel: auditor-controller.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-09-01 - September 1 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. [SB292 Detail]
Download: California-2017-SB292-Amended.html
Amended
IN
Senate
April 05, 2017 |
Senate Bill | No. 292 |
Introduced by Senator Bates (Principal (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Brough and Daly) |
February 09, 2017 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
(1)Existing law holds any officer who authorizes the illegal payment of any claim or demand upon or against the treasury of any county personally liable to the person damaged by that illegal action, as specified.
This bill would provide that this provision does not apply to any person holding the position of elected auditor-controller who has made a decision related to a claim or charge in the course and scope of his or her duties.
(2)Existing law enumerates the officers of a county, including the office of the auditor, prescribes their duties, and permits a county board of supervisors to consolidate, separate, and reconsolidate their duties, as specified. Existing law generally prescribes the duties of the county auditor and requires the county auditor or
auditor-controller, as specified, to be the chief accounting officer of the county.
This bill would prohibit the county auditor-controller from drawing a warrant for an illegal claim or charge, including transfers, as specified. This bill would require the county auditor-controller to draw a warrant if a court has ordered payment pursuant to an order that has become effective, as specified.
The bill would authorize an elected county auditor to retain legal counsel to provide advice upon any matter upon which the elected county auditor is required to act or that falls within the duties of the elected county auditor. The bill would additionally authorize an elected county auditor to hire one or more executive assistants, as specified.
(3)Existing law provides that the necessary expenses incurred by the auditor and treasurer in the defense and prosecution of any
action brought by or against them to test the validity or constitutionality of any act of the Legislature or of the board of supervisors or of any order providing for the payment of any funds held in the county treasury are county charges.
This bill would provide that the necessary expenses incurred by the auditor or treasurer in the defense and prosecution of any action brought by or against them, based upon any decision to pay or not pay a claim or charge, are also county charges.
(4)Existing law provides for imprisonment in the state prison for a person responsible for public moneys who, among other offenses, willfully refuses or omits to pay over or transfer public money, as specified. Existing law further provides that a person convicted for any of these offenses is prohibited from holding office in this state.
This bill would, for certain of these
offenses, provide that those offenses are not punishable under current law by imprisonment and disqualification from holding any office in this state unless an order has been issued and is effective pursuant to a civil finding that the officer or other person had a duty to perform a specified action, and the officer or other person has refused to perform that action.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 31000.6 of the Government Code is amended to read:31000.6.
(a) Upon request of theSEC. 2.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.(a)Except as provided in subdivision (b), any officer authorizing, aiding to authorize, auditing, allowing, or paying any claim or demand upon or against the treasury of any county, or any fund thereof, in violation of law or of the constitution is liable personally and upon his official bond to the person damaged by that illegal action, to the extent of his
or her loss by reason of the nonpayment of his or her
claim.
(b)This section does not apply to any person holding the position of elected county auditor-controller who has made a decision related to a claim or charge in the course and scope of his or her duties.
(a)If an illegal claim or charge is made, the county auditor-controller shall not draw a warrant for that claim or charge. This section shall apply to a transfer, including, but not limited to, a transfer pursuant to Section 31582.
(b)This section shall apply regardless of whether the position of county auditor-controller is defined in that county as ministerial or discretionary.
(c)The county auditor-controller shall draw a warrant if a court has ordered payment pursuant to an order that has become effective as either a final order or pursuant to Section 1110b of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Notwithstanding Article 2 (commencing with Section 26520) of Chapter 1, an elected county auditor may retain legal counsel to provide advice upon any matter upon which the elected county auditor is required to act or that falls within the duties of the elected county auditor.
An elected county auditor may hire one or more executive assistants, pursuant to the procedures specified in Section 24102, who shall serve at the pleasure of the elected county auditor. Selection of any executive assistant shall not be subject to approval by the board of supervisors. An executive assistant shall be compensated at no more than the maximum amount authorized for executive assistants of the board of supervisors.
The necessary expenses incurred by the auditor and treasurer in the defense and prosecution of any action brought by or against them to test the validity or constitutionality of any act of the Legislature or of the board of supervisors, of any order providing for the payment of any funds held in the county
treasury, or based upon any decision to pay or not pay a claim or charge are county charges.
(a)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), each officer of this state, or of any county, city, town, or district of this state, and every other person charged with the receipt, safekeeping, transfer, or disbursement of public moneys, who does any of the following is punishable by imprisonment in the
state prison for two, three, or four years, and is disqualified from holding any office in this state:
(A)Without authority of law, appropriates the same, or any portion thereof, to his or her own use, or to the use of another.
(B)Loans the same or any portion thereof; makes any profit out of, or uses the same for any purpose not authorized by law.
(C)Knowingly keeps any false account, or makes any false entry or erasure in any account of or relating to the same.
(D)Fraudulently alters, falsifies, conceals, destroys, or obliterates any account.
(E)Willfully refuses or omits to pay over, on demand, any public moneys in his or her hands, upon the presentation of a draft, order, or warrant drawn upon these moneys by competent authority.
(F)Willfully omits to transfer the same, when transfer is required by law.
(G)Willfully omits or refuses to pay over to any officer or person authorized by law to receive the same, any money received by him or her under any duty imposed by law so to pay over the same.
(2)An offense described in subparagraph (E), (F), or (G) of paragraph (1) shall only be punishable by imprisonment in state prison
and disqualification from holding any office in this state pursuant to that paragraph if both of the following have occurred:
(A)A court has first filed an order in a civil proceeding finding that the officer or other person had a duty to act as specified in subparagraph (E), (F), or (G) of paragraph (1) and that order has become effective as either a final order or pursuant to Section 1110b of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(B)That officer or other person has refused to perform the act specified in subparagraph (E), (F), or (G) of paragraph (1), after the order has become effective as either a final order or pursuant to Section 1110b of the Code of Civil
Procedure.
(b)As used in this section, “public moneys” includes the proceeds derived from the sale of bonds or other evidence or indebtedness authorized by the legislative body of any city, county, district, or public agency.
(c)This section does not apply to the incidental and minimal use of public resources authorized by Section 8314 of the Government Code.