(a) The executive director of the district public defenders conference shall:

(1) Work under the supervision and direction of the executive committee of the district public defenders conference;

(2) Assist the district public defenders throughout the state in coordinating the efforts of such district public defenders to perform their duties. Such assistance shall include, but is not limited to:

(A) Obtaining, preparing and supplementing indexes to the unreported decisions of the criminal court of appeals and the supreme court of Tennessee relating to criminal matters;

(B) Preparation of a basic defenders' manual and educational materials; and

(C) Preparation and distribution of uniform appropriate forms;

(3) Initiate conference calls between district public defenders and coordinate efforts of district public defenders involved in defending cases and crimes crossing district lines;

(4) Serve in a liaison capacity among the various branches of state government and the divisions thereof, including, but not limited to, the courts, the general assembly, the executive department and the office of attorney general and reporter;

(5) Administer the accounts of the judicial branch of government which relate to the offices of the district public defenders and prepare, approve and submit budget estimates and appropriations necessary for the maintenance and operation of the offices of district public defenders and make recommendations with respect thereto;

(6) Draw and approve all requisitions for the payment of public moneys appropriated for the maintenance and operation of the judicial branch of government which relate to the offices of the district public defenders, and shall audit claims and prepare vouchers for presentation to the department of finance and administration, including payroll warrants, expense warrants, and warrants covering the necessary costs of supplies, materials and other obligations by the various offices with respect to which fiscal responsibility is exercised;

(7) Have authority, within budgetary limitations, to provide the district public defenders with minimum law libraries, the nature and extent of which shall be determined in every instance by the executive director on the basis of need. All books thus furnished shall remain the property of the state, and shall be returned to the custody of the executive director by each district public defender upon the retirement or expiration of the official duties of each such officer; and

(8) Manage the operations and administer the accounts that relate to the appellate division.

(b) All functions performed by the executive director which involve expenditures of state funds shall be subject to the same auditing procedures by the commissioner of finance and administration and the comptroller of the treasury as required in connection with the expenditure of all other state funds.