17-8-303. Warrants -- presentation and cancellation. (1) State warrants must be presented for payment within the time limits specified as follows:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), all warrants drawn by the state treasurer on the state treasury must be presented for payment within 6 months after the date of issue.

(b) Warrants issued for the department of public health and human services that are funded to any extent with federal money must be presented for payment within 180 days after the date of issue.

(2) If the payee or legal holder of any warrant fails to present it for payment within the time specified in subsection (1), the state treasurer shall record the warrant as stale-dated and the amount must be credited to a separate private purpose trust fund account administered by the treasurer. If the payee or legal owner of a stale-dated warrant presents it for payment or presents a claim for payment within 1 year from the date of issue, the state treasurer may, upon proper showing by affidavit, issue a new warrant in lieu of the stale-dated warrant.

(3) Six months after being stale-dated, the warrant must be classed as unclaimed property subject to the provisions of Title 70, chapter 9, part 8. If the payee or legal owner of a stale-dated warrant presents it for payment or presents a claim for payment, the presentation must be to the department of revenue as provided in 70-9-815.