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Section 4. The board shall be provided with suitably furnished offices at the seat of government and may procure all books, blank books, stationery, and other office supplies required by the needs of the business entrusted to them. The board shall keep in its office a complete system of books and accounts with the institutions over which it has supervision, showing every expenditure authorized and made therefor and containing a separate account of every appropriation made by the Legislature therefor and every expenditure therefrom. The books and affairs of the board of control shall be open to examination by the examiners of public accounts and the governor may direct such an examination at any time in his discretion.

Section 5. That the expenditure of all monies appropriated for eleemosynary and charitable institutions of the State shall be expended by the State board of control; in planning improvements and buildings said board of control shall cooperate with the boards of the institutions respectively but the board of control shall not have control of private donations to such institutions unless the donor so directs, but such donations shall be used and expended by the boards of the institutions as directed by the donors.

Section 6. That the board of control shall require its officers and employees and those of institutions under its charge or control, who may be charged with the handling of any public monies to give bond to the State in a sum to be prescribed by the board, conditioned to faithfully account for all such monies and to disburse the same according to law, the said bond, to be signed by an approved surety company as surety to be approved by the board of control or the chairman thereof the premiums on the bonds of employees of any institution shall be paid by the institution by which they are employed, and the premium on the bonds of the employees of the board shall be paid by the State.

Section 7. That every member, agent or employee of the board who shall necessarily travel on official business shall be paid the actual expenses of travel by the nearest practicable route, but no expenses for travel to other states shall be incurred by any of the said persons or by any officers, employees or agents of any institution under control of the board unless authority therefor be first granted by resolutions of the board of control containing the reasons and purpose of the trip upon which the governor has endorsed his approval.

Section 8. That before any member, officer, agent or employee of the board, or any officer or employee of any institution under its control, shall be paid any expense account or be reimbursed any money claimed to have been expended in the performance of his duties, a statement showing the items thereof verified by affidavit of the claimant that the expense bill is just, accurate and true and is for cash expenditures actually made,

and that the money has been disbursed legally, and that the items claimed were necessary and were actually paid out and disbursed by the party claiming from the State, shall be presented to, and approved by the governor and then presented to the State auditor.

Section 9. That the board may adopt rules and regulations with the approval of the governor for conducting its business and may define the duties of and rules for the government of officers and employees of the institutions under its control as well as those of its own officers and employees not conflicting with this act. All contracts of the board shall be in writing, signed for the board by the chairman. The State board of control may prescribe rules and regulations with the approval of the governor for emergency purchases, without advertisements for bids.

Section 10. That the board may, with the approval of the governor, employ necessary clerical assistants for the efficient work of the board, and shall fix the salaries of such assistants.

Section 11. That the said board shall have authority to take charge of the business affairs of all charitable and eleemosynary institutions of the State or under the control of the State or to which the State appropriates money for support, to fix the salaries of the superintendents, managers and other employees of such institutions to purchase all supplies for such institutions as purchasing agent and do all things necessary to secure the efficient and business like management thereof.

Section 12. That the board of control shall purchase all supplies for all departments and activities of the State including all educational institutions and the convict department acting as the purchasing agent under rules and regulations which the board may adopt with the approval of the governor and which rules among other things shall require advertisements for written bids and allow an opportunity for competition among bidders and the award of contracts to the lowest responsible bidder and shall prescribe requirements to be observed by successful bidders to secure compliance with their bids and may require successful bidders to give bond with duly authorized surety company as surety to secure performance of contracts, under regulations which the board with the approval of the governor may prescribe.

Section 13. That the board of control shall also be the purchasing agent with like power for the purchase for the counties of the State, of stationery, books, blank books and office supplies and also shall be purchasing agent for blank books, stationery, office supplies and material for use in the several State offices, departments, commissions, bureaus and boards other than for the use of the supreme court, the court of appeals, and the State and supreme court libraries. Provided the said board of control

shall make purchases for the several counties of the State only when and only to the extent that it may be authorized to do so by the action of the court of county commissioners, board of revenue or other governing body of the county.

Section 14. That nothing in this act shall be construed to impair or abridge the right and power of the board of trustees of any strictly educational institution to select its officers and teachers and to fix their salaries and to direct and control the policies of such institution.

Section 15. That the State board of control shall fix the compensation of all officers and employees of charitable and eleemosynary institutions except those prescribed in section 14, but not of officers and teachers of purely educational institutions and may classify officers, employees and salaries of eleemosynary and charitable institutions as far as practicable which shall be uniform as far as practicable in those of like grade and such compensation shall be included in the monthly expenses in the same manner as other expenses.

Section 16. That the boards of charitable and eleemosynary institutions within the purview of this act shall select the superintendents, managers and other employees, and perform all other duties not in conflict with this act, but any such superintendent, manager or other employee of any charitable or eleemosynary institution may be removed by the board of control whenever in the opinion of said board, the interest of the institution requires it.

Section 17. That when the head of any department of state or the head of a board of directors or board of managers of any institutions within the scope of this act or the board of revenue or board of county commissioners of any county shall desire any office supplies or materials or other articles of use or necessity within the terms of this act written application shall be made therefor to the State board of control sworn to and stating by items the aricles desired and needed, showing out of what fund they are to be paid, that the articles are necessary, the amount of the requisition not excessive and that no part of same will be used except in conducting the public business and such application shall be kept on file in the office of the board of control.

Section 18. The board of control shall from time to time hold regular or stated meetings or call meetings as it may prescribe by rules and regulations, or as the governor may request or require and in case of emergency it may hold called meetings upon the written request of any of its members; and at all such meetings regular or called, the board may exercise all of its functions and perform any of its official duties and at such meetings, or when the members are present at any emergency call, or at their offices for official business, they may determine whether or not articles requisitioned, or what part of them shall be pur

chased and shall proceed in performance of their duties as purchasing agents as the board upon consideration may deem proper. Two members of the board shall constitute a quorum, but no supplies shall be purchased unless as many as two members shall vote in favor thereof and if only two members are present and they cannot agree, or if all are present and two cannot agree upon what action to take on an official matter, they shall call in the governor, who will consider the matter with them and who will vote upon the matter about which there is a difference and the vote of the governor and that of another member in such case agreeing on the same proposition will control the result. The board of control shall cause a full record of the proceedings and of all action taken by it at any meeting to be made and transcribed immediately following the meeting in a well bound book. All books, requisitions, bids, correspondence and other papers of the board of control, or of its members relating to official business, and of subordinates, employees, or agents of the board relating to its business, are declared to be public records and shall be carefully preserved and be at all reasonable times during office hours open to the inspection of any official or citizen of the State who may be allowed to make copies thereof.

Section 19. That when the board shall have determined to make purchases of articles and supplies under the powers hereby conferred, it shall make out an itemized list of the proposed purchases and it shall give notice by publication one or more times as deemed best in some daily newspaper published in Montgomery and may also in its discretion make publication in daily paper at Birmingham or Mobile, or both, that sealed written proposals to furnish such supplies will be opened by the board at its offices. at a time to be set in the notice, not less than ten nor more than twenty days thereafter. The notice need not contain an itemized list of the articles but shall state in a brief general way the nature thereof. The items listed must be kept on file in the office. of the board and be open to the inspection of any party who wishes to bid for the furnishing all or any part thereof. When bids are opened and considered the board shall not let a contract in excess of the lowest responsible bidder and shall award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder if the prices be reasonable and no greater than the prevailing market prices and all contracts for purchases shall be subject to the approval of the governor. The board shall not purchase any supplies from any person, firm or corporation, to whom or to which any member thereof is related in any manner or from any firm or corporation in which any member of the board has any pecuniary interest. If the board thinks best it may reject all bids submitted, stating on its record the reasons for such rejection.

Section 20. That the board of control shall keep on file in its office an inventory of all office furniture, fixtures and supplies of

any nature of all offices, departments, commissions, bureaus and boards of the State and of changes made in the offices thereof in the State capitol in respect to office furniture, fixtures and supplies, which inventory must be made and filed by the board before the first day of January of each year and when filed some employee or agent of the board of control designated for that purpose shall annually go into each office and check up all articles and supplies of every kind in each office specified not including books in libraries, and shall compare such inventory with the one filed the preceding year and the board shall require a strict account from every head of department of any discrepancy between such inventories and if the explanation is not satisfactory shall report the fact to the attorney general and the governor for such action as the case may call for. If any officer of the State thinks best to sell any furniture or other articles in his office or department he shall give notice in writing of such desire to the board of control with an itemized list of the articles and the reasons for selling and if in the opinion of the board of control with the approval of the governor, it is desirable that such articles be sold the sales thereof shall be conducted by the board of control which may prescribe rules and regulations with the approval of the governor in such cases to secure the best prices for the State and a faithful accounting to the State for the proceeds of sale.

Section 21. That this act is not intended to repeal sections 8 and 9 of an act approved September 10, 1915, in reference to the printing and binding of any supplies or publications desired by the head of any office or department but this act is intended to be a substitute for said act insofar as the purchasing agent is provided for therein and the authority conferred upon the secretary to the governor to act as purchasing agent and the duties of the governor, State auditor and treasurer as prescribed by the act of September 10, 1915 are hereby revoked and all laws or parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed.

Section 22. The said board may require the proper officer of any institution within the scope of this act to keep a book to be prepared for the purpose an account of the time and the number of hours of service of each and every employee; and when an appropriation is based on the number of inmates or persons at the institution said board shall require a daily record to be kept of the persons or inmates actually domiciled in such institution. The said board of committee thereof inspecting said institution and investigating its financial condition and management shall have power to summon witnesses, examine them under oath, reduce all testimony to writing and preserve the same in a record book to be kept in its office, together with all papers material to the investigation. Witnesses not in the employment of the State shall receive the same fees as in civil cases in the circuit court and witnesses may be required to testify to any fact within their knowledge but shall not be prosecuted or subject to any pen

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