<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gsf" article_name="State Finance and Procurement" number="8-135" title_number="8" title_name="Debt" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="General Obligation Debt">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “financial institution” has the meaning stated in § 6-201 of this article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Treasurer may appoint any financial institution as a fiscal agent.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>During its agency, the fiscal agent shall be covered by a surety bond or an insurance policy of the type and in the amount of coverage determined by the State Treasurer under § 5–108 of the State Government Article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In accordance with the procedures that the Treasurer sets, a fiscal agent shall pay at the financial institution, from money advanced to the agent, the interest on State debt and, as the principal matures, the principal.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The fiscal agent shall keep a receipt for each payment.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>Each fiscal agent shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>allow the Treasurer to inspect the agent’s accounts at any time; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>provide copies of the accounts on request of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the Senate;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the House of Delegates;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>the Comptroller; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>the Treasurer.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>At least once every 6 months, each fiscal agent shall send to the Treasurer:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>an accounting of the State bonds and coupons that the agent has redeemed since the last accounting or transmittal under this subsection;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>a certificate that states the total number of those State bonds and coupons and that attests to the destruction of all of them by a method satisfactory to the Treasurer; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>if the Treasurer requires, the State bonds and coupons that the agent has redeemed since the last accounting or transmittal under this subsection;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>an accounting of the State bonds and coupons that have not been redeemed during any allowed redemption period that expired since the prior accounting provided under this subsection; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the total unredeemed principal and interest on any State bonds and coupons for which the redemption period has expired since the prior accounting provided under this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Treasurer shall examine, count, and record each State bond and coupon that a fiscal agent returns.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Once every 2 years, after the Legislative Auditor verifies the records of the Treasurer, the Comptroller and the Treasurer or their deputies shall destroy all State bonds and coupons that the fiscal agents returned before the close of the last fiscal year.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The State bonds and coupons shall be destroyed in the presence of the Legislative Auditor or a designee of the Auditor.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The Comptroller, Treasurer, and Legislative Auditor shall execute a certificate that states the total number of State bonds and coupons destroyed and that attests to the destruction of all of them.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>The Treasurer shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>keep all certificates of destruction; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>send copies of each certificate to the presiding officers of the General Assembly.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>The Treasurer shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>deposit unredeemed principal and interest into an unpresented bond and coupon account; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>dispose of unredeemed principal and interest as provided in Title 17 of the Commercial Law Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
