Committee advances bill to modernize county treasurer operations

Sen. Johnson presented Senate Bill 70 to the City, County & Local Affairs Committee as a cleanup and modernization measure recommended by county treasurers. "This bill was brought to me by the county treasurers and it's pretty much a cleanup bill and updating language to, to modern times," Johnson said, describing changes to recordkeeping and payment processes.

Johnson said the measure would give larger counties an option "based on savings and ... efficiency" to outsource payroll and jury checks, and would align statutory timing with modern banking practice: "The banking system, is 6 months, and our laws say a year. So it cleans that language up to match the banking." He also described provisions allowing county funds to be disbursed by electronic transfer for payments to federal or state governmental entities and amending requirements for prenumbered checks to treat electronic transfers as an exception.

Johnson added the bill "also allows the county government offices to accept payment through credit card or debit card," calling the change a modernization for county treasurers. Treasurer Terry McNatt attended the meeting in support, according to Johnson.

The committee offered no questions from members or public testimony. The chair called for a motion to pass the bill; after a voice vote in which members said "aye," the chair announced the bill had passed the committee. No individual roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript.

The committee proceeded to its next item and adjourned after completing the agenda.