(a) The Legislative Services Committee is authorized to employ a legislative fiscal officer for the legislative branch of government, and the fiscal officer and personnel to assist him shall be a part of the Office of Legislative Counsel. The fiscal officer shall act as the bookkeeper-comptroller for the legislative branch of government and shall maintain an account of legislative expenditures and commitments. He shall maintain an inventory of the equipment, furnishings, and nonexpendable items belonging to the legislative branch. He shall prepare and sign vouchers pertaining to the expenditure of legislative funds. He shall prepare and sign all warrants for the expenditure of funds appropriated to and available to the legislative branch of government. Such warrants shall be paid by the fiscal officer, and it shall not be necessary that they be countersigned by the Comptroller General. All payments from funds appropriated to the legislative branch of government shall be made by the fiscal officer, and reference in any other law to any other official or person in connection with any duties pertaining to such payments shall be deemed to refer to the fiscal officer; all duties of any such other official or person in connection therewith are transferred to the fiscal officer. The fiscal officer shall be under such bond as the Legislative Services Committee shall prescribe, and the premium thereon shall be paid from funds appropriated to the legislative branch of government. The fiscal officer shall have such other duties as shall be prescribed by the committee.

(a.1) The legislative fiscal officer is authorized on behalf of the legislative branch to pay any properly authorized invoice which does not exceed $5,000.00. Any invoice which exceeds $5,000.00 may not be paid by such fiscal officer without prior approval from the committee. The committee may provide for such approval to be given at meetings of the committee, or in writing between meetings by a majority of the members of the committee, or in such other manner as the committee may establish. All invoices shall contain in detail a description of the work performed, materials used or purchased, and any other information pertinent to the obligation. Before the fiscal officer may pay any invoice, a requisition or purchase order covering such invoice and signed by the person or persons authorized by the Legislative Services Committee to do so plus evidence of delivery must have been submitted to the fiscal officer. A list of all invoices which have been paid shall be submitted by the fiscal officer to the committee on a monthly basis.

(b) The Legislative Services Committee is authorized to employ a legislative budget analyst to assist the General Assembly and its committees in connection with appropriations and budgetary matters. The legislative budget analyst shall render assistance and give advice to the appropriations committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives. He is authorized to request information and material from all state departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, committees, authorities, and agencies in connection with his duties; and all such departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, committees, authorities, and agencies are directed to furnish such information and material as he shall request. The legislative budget analyst shall perform such other duties as the General Assembly, the Legislative Services Committee, and the appropriations committees shall prescribe. (c) A majority vote of the total membership of the Legislative Services Committee shall be necessary to employ the legislative fiscal officer and the legislative budget analyst.