Section 7-7-23 - Purchase orders; receipt of executed copies; electronically submitted purchase orders(1) Purchases of equipment, supplies, materials or services of whatever kind or nature for any department, officer, institution or other agency of the state, the cost of which is to be paid from funds in the State Treasury on State Fiscal Officer disbursement warrants, may be made only by written purchase orders duly signed by the official authorized so to do, on forms prescribed by the State Fiscal Officer. Purchases of such equipment, supplies, materials, or services, as specified herein, made without the issuance of such purchase orders shall not be deemed to be obligations of the state unless the State Fiscal Officer, by general rule or special order, permits certain purchases to be made without same. As many copies of each purchase order shall be prepared as may be prescribed by the State Fiscal Officer, but at least one (1) copy shall be furnished the vendor, one (1) copy shall be furnished the State Fiscal Officer, and one (1) copy shall be retained by the department or agency for whose benefit the purchase is made. The State Fiscal Officer, by general rule or special order, may allow for the submission of purchase orders in a format not requiring a signature. It shall be the duty of the proper official in each department or agency to forward the copy of each purchase order to the State Fiscal Officer on the same day the said order is issued. All purchase orders covering purchases to be paid for out of funds appropriated for any fiscal year shall be executed by June 30 of the fiscal year and shall be filed with and received for recording by the State Fiscal Officer within five (5) working days thereafter, and for electronically submitted purchase orders, the State Fiscal Officer shall issue regulations as to the last filing date required for purchase orders; otherwise, the same shall not be deemed to constitute valid obligations against the state within the meaning of Section 64 of the Constitution. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to contracts for services of investigators employed by any agency of the state government authorized by law to employ such investigators.(2) The State Fiscal Officer may approve electronically submitted purchase orders, thereby releasing such purchase orders and recording the encumbrances. For purposes of electronically submitted purchase orders, the State Fiscal Officer may exempt agencies from furnishing a copy of the purchase order to the State Fiscal Officer as required in subsection (1) above.Codes, 1942, § 3852-12; Laws, 1962, ch. 483, § 12; Laws, 1970, ch. 468, § 1; Laws, 1984, ch. 488, § 101; Laws, 1989, ch. 532, § 10; Laws, 1994, ch. 391, § 2, eff. 7/1/1994.