§21A-8-11. Issuance and signing of warrants; forgery; penalty.

The commissioner shall issue his warrants for the payment of benefits solely from the benefit account. Expenditures of money in the benefit account and refunds from the clearing account shall not be subject to limitations imposed upon the release of public funds in the custody of state officers. All warrants when issued by the commissioner shall bear his signature, personally signed by him or by such employees as are, in writing, authorized by him to make his signature thereto, or bear a facsimile of the commissioner's signature. Such signature of the commissioner may be made, however, by means of such mechanical or electrical device as the commissioner may select, after the same shall have been approved by the Governor and the Attorney General; any such mechanical or electrical device, as so selected, to be safely kept in the office of the commissioner so that no one shall have access thereto except the commissioner and such of his employees, as may be authorized to sign warrants as hereinabove provided. If any person, other than the commissioner, or his employees duly and respectively authorized by him so to do, as above provided, shall sign the name of the commissioner by the use of any mechanical or electrical device, or otherwise, or use the facsimile of the signature of the commissioner on any warrant, or utter or attempt to employ as true such forged warrant, knowing the same to be forged, he shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction shall be confined in the penitentiary not less than two nor more than ten years.