Section 5-213 - Withholding or suspending payment of funds.

§ 5-213. Withholding or suspending payment of funds.
 

(a)  Suspension of payments upon noncompliance.- After notification from the State Superintendent that a county is not complying with the provisions of the State program of public education, the State Comptroller shall withhold any installment due the county from the General State School Fund. 

(b)  Withholding of installments due.-  

(1) If the Superintendent finds that a county is not complying with the maintenance of local effort provisions of § 5-202 of this subtitle or that a county fails to meet the requirements of Subtitle 4 of this title, the Superintendent shall notify the county of such noncompliance. 

(2) If a county disputes the finding within 30 days of the issuance of such notice, the dispute shall be promptly referred to the State Board of Education which shall make a final determination. 

(3) Upon receipt of certification of noncompliance by the Superintendent or the State Board, as the case may be, the Comptroller shall suspend, until notification of compliance is received, payment of any funds due the county for the current fiscal year, as provided under § 5-202 of this subtitle which are appropriated in the General State School Fund, to the extent that the State's aid due the county in the current fiscal year under that section in the Fund exceeds the amount which the county received in the prior fiscal year. 
 

[An. Code 1957, art. 77, § 131; 1978, ch. 22, § 2; 1984, ch. 85, § 1; 1985, ch. 10, § 3; 1986, ch. 484; 1996, ch. 10, § 16; 2001, ch. 29, § 6; 2002, ch. 288, § 1; 2003, ch. 21, § 7.]