Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes 20.904

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Person: includes all partnerships, associations and bodies politic or corporate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • State: when applied to states of the United States, includes the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the several territories organized by Congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
   (1)    Clearing accounts permitted. Whenever for economy or convenience, any materials or services are purchased, or expense is incurred and the same is properly apportionable and chargeable to more than one appropriation, within a single state agency, the responsible state agency may, subject to the approval of the department of administration, direct payment of the same out of one of the appropriations chargeable with some part of such materials, services or expense or out of a separate clearing account.
   (2)   Reimbursement of clearing accounts. In any such case the state agency making the purchase or incurring the expense shall determine prior to the closing of the books for the fiscal year, and at such other times as may be determined by the secretary of administration, the amounts chargeable to the several appropriations and shall issue transfer vouchers, setting forth in each voucher the reason therefor. The department of administration shall credit the appropriation or account from which payment was originally made and shall debit the appropriation directed to be charged by the transfer voucher in the amount named therein.
   (3)   Penalty for improper use. Such charges and subsequent transfers shall not be construed as subjecting any person to the penalty provided in s. 20.903 (1), but in case the appropriation or account first charged is not fully reimbursed by such transfers, the penalty provided in s. 20.903 (1) shall be held to apply as in other cases.