Virginia Law

Article 1. General Provisions.

A. There is created a Department of the Treasury ("the Department"), which shall be under the direct control and supervision of the State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall be appointed by the Governor to serve at his pleasure or until a successor is appointed and qualified.

B. The State Treasurer shall, under the direction and control of the Governor, exercise the powers and perform the duties conferred or imposed by law upon him and shall perform such other duties as may be required by the Governor.

Code 1950, § 2-149; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-177; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 125; 1976, c. 728; 1984, c. 720; 2000, cc. 25, 275; 2001, c. 844.

A. The State Treasurer shall appoint the administrative assistants, deputies and clerks allowed by law.

B. The State Treasurer shall appoint administrative assistants, who shall have authority to act for and perform the duties of the State Treasurer under his direction, supervision and control, and in the absence of the State Treasurer to perform all the duties of the office. Of such absence, the others shall be informed. When the absence of the State Treasurer is to be for more than five days at a time, notice thereof shall be given to the Governor.

C. In the event the administrative assistant is incapacitated from performing his duties during the absence of the State Treasurer, the Governor shall designate some other administrative assistant n the office to act during the absence of the State Treasurer, and in the event of the removal, resignation or death of the State Treasurer, the administrative assistant shall perform all the duties of the office until the vacancy is filled in the manner prescribed by law.

D. Such officers and their sureties shall be liable for any default or breach of duty of their administrative assistants respectively during their absence.

1950, §§ 2-145, 2-146, 2-147, 2-148; 1966, c. 677, §§ 2.1-173, 2.1-174, 2.1-175, 2.1-176; 2001, c. 844.

Every state department, division, officer, board, commission, institution or other agency owned or controlled by the Commonwealth, whether at the seat of government or not, collecting or receiving public funds, or moneys from any source, belonging to or for the use of the Commonwealth, or for the use of any state agency, shall hereafter pay the same promptly into the state treasury. All fees of office and commissions accruing to the State Treasurer shall be paid into the state treasury.

Any state department, division, officer, board, commission, institution or other agency at the seat of government shall deposit such moneys to the credit of the State Treasurer upon communicating with him and receiving instructions from him as to what state depository may be used for the purpose. In every such case the depositor shall retain a deposit receipt or a deposit certificate form certified by the bank receiving the deposit for every such deposit to the State Treasurer and send to the Comptroller a copy of the deposit receipt, certificate, or other documentation supporting the deposit, as prescribed by the Comptroller.

Any state department, division, officer, board, commission, institution or other agency not at the seat of government, other than county and city treasurers and clerks of courts, depositing such moneys to its or his credit in local banks shall deposit such moneys to the credit of the State Treasurer in a state depository duly designated in accordance with this chapter, and in every such case the depositor shall retain a deposit receipt or a deposit certificate form certified by the bank receiving the deposit for every deposit to the State Treasurer and send to the Comptroller a copy of the deposit receipt, certificate, or other documentation supporting the deposit, as prescribed by the Comptroller. Moneys deposited into such state depositories shall be transferred to a concentration bank as prescribed by the State Treasurer.

Moneys paid into the state treasury that are not now payable into the general fund of the state treasury shall be placed to the credit of the respective accounts that are required by law to be kept on the books of the Comptroller or to the credit of new accounts to be opened on the books of the Comptroller with such agencies so paying such moneys into the state treasury, respectively.

This chapter shall not apply to the endowment funds or gifts to institutions owned or controlled by the Commonwealth, or to the income from such endowment funds or gifts, or to private funds belonging to the students or inmates of state institutions. The cash as well as the notes of student loan funds shall be held by the respective institutions.

Appropriations made by the government of the United States to or for the benefit of any state institution or agency, however, shall be paid into the state treasury and used for the purposes for which such appropriations were made.

Code 1950, §§ 2-150, 14-16; 1964, c. 386, § 14.1-15; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-180; 1988, c. 260; 1992, c. 326; 1998, c. 872; 2001, c. 844.

The State Treasurer may adopt regulations or other directives establishing procedures for depositing moneys in depository banks and for reporting the deposits. The regulations may address, by way of explanation and not limitation: (i) the form of the required reports; (ii) the frequency of reports and deposits; (iii) the disposition of checks; and (iv) the establishment of banking relationships. All agencies and entities depositing moneys to the credit of the Treasurer of Virginia, including judicial and legislative service agencies, clerks of court, local treasurers or other officials performing similar duties, and political subdivisions, shall comply with the State Treasurer's regulations or other directives.

1982, c. 109, § 2.1-180.1; 2001, c. 844.

Any public officer, or any firm or corporation, or any other person having to pay money into the treasury may make payment by delivering to the State Treasurer a check, draft or electronic transfer of funds, drawn or endorsed, payable to the State Treasurer, or his order, or may make payment by delivering to the State Treasurer the proper amount of lawful money. Should any check or draft not be paid on presentation, the amount thereof, with all costs, shall be charged to the person on whose account it was received, and his liability and that of his sureties, except the additional liability for costs, shall be as if he had never offered any such check, draft, or certificate of deposit.

Code 1950, § 2-152; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-182; 2001, c. 844.

A. The State Treasurer shall keep a record of every such check, draft, or electronic transfer of funds, and of all such moneys received by him, and upon receipt shall cause the same to be placed to the credit of the Commonwealth with some state depository. If any check or draft is not paid on presentation, the State Treasurer shall immediately notify the Comptroller, who shall proceed to collect the amount from the person from whom the same was received by the Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall daily transmit to the Comptroller a detailed record of all receipts.

B. The State Treasurer shall not collect any money on a check or draft; but the same shall, in every case, be properly endorsed as required and deposited with some state depository for the credit of the Commonwealth.

Code 1950, §§ 2-153, 2-154; 1966, c. 677, §§ 2.1-183, 2.1-184; 2001, c. 844.

The Governor and State Treasurer, acting jointly may whenever in their opinion there are funds in the state treasury in excess of the amount required to meet the current needs and demands of the Commonwealth, invest the excess funds in securities that are legal investments under the laws of the Commonwealth for public funds. The funds shall be invested in such of said securities as, in their judgment, will be readily convertible into money. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 2.2-1821 or any other provision relating to the withdrawal of state moneys in a state depository, withdrawals and transfers of state moneys to be so invested may be made by state depositories pursuant to oral including telephonic or electronic instructions of the State Treasurer or his duly authorized deputies. Written confirmations of the withdrawals and transfers shall be provided by the state depository no later than the close of business on the day following the withdrawal and transfer. Payment of state moneys pursuant to this procedure shall be valid against the Commonwealth.

Code 1950, § 2-154.1; 1956, c. 184; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-185; 1981, c. 36; 2001, c. 844.

The State Treasurer shall be charged with the custody of all investments and invested funds of the Commonwealth or in possession of the Commonwealth in a fiduciary capacity, and shall keep the accounts of such investments. The State Treasurer shall also be charged with the custody of all bonds and certificates of the state debts, whether unissued or canceled, and with the receipt and delivery of state bonds and certificates for transfer, registration or exchange.

Code 1950, § 2-155; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-186; 2001, c. 844.

The Treasurer may sell, transfer, and convey any notes, bonds, obligations or certificates of stock held in the general fund of the state treasury. The proceeds from any such sale or disposition shall immediately be paid into the general fund. This section shall apply to any present or future holdings.

Code 1950, p. 632, § 2-155.1; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-187; 1970, c. 687; 1989, c. 28; 1991, cc. 349, 366; 2001, c. 844.

The State Treasurer shall keep a list of all warrants drawn upon the state treasury, numbered consecutively.

No information contained in the list of warrants shall be released for any purpose except as a means of establishing the status of a claim previously reported as having been paid when a person legally entitled to the funds presents evidence that a previously submitted claim has not been paid.

Code 1950, § 2-156; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-188; 1993, c. 155; 2001, c. 844.

The State Treasurer shall keep accounts on the books of his office with the different depositories, on which accounts balances shall be struck monthly, showing the amount in bank to the credit of the State Treasurer at the end of each month.

Code 1950, § 2-157; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-189; 2001, c. 844.

The State Treasurer shall report and remit, pursuant to the provisions of §§ 55.1-2517 and 55.1-2524, all checks drawn by him on state depositories that have not been presented for payment within one year from the date of issuance.

Code 1950, § 2-158; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-190; 1983, c. 190; 2001, c. 844.

A. A reproduction of any check or draft or an enlargement of such reproduction drawn by the State Treasurer, when satisfactorily identified, shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding whether the original is in existence. The introduction of a reproduced check or draft or of an enlargement thereof shall not preclude admission of the original. Any such check or draft, reproduction or enlargement purporting to be sealed, sealed and signed, or signed alone by the State Treasurer or on his behalf by his designee, may be considered satisfactorily identified and admitted as evidence, without any proof of the seal or signature, or of the official character of the person whose name is signed to it.

B. The State Treasurer or his designee, when served with any summons, subpoena, subpoena duces tecum or order, directing him to produce any check or draft kept by or in the possession of any agency or institution of the Commonwealth, may comply by certifying a reproduction or enlargement in accordance with subsection A and mailing the reproduction or enlargement in a sealed envelope to the clerk of court. Upon good cause shown, any court may direct the Treasurer or his designee to appear personally, notwithstanding any other provision of this section.

1979, c. 173, § 2.1-190.1; 1994, c. 16; 2001, c. 844.