$rtncd = InitStatVars();

sub InitStatVars{
# this sub reads the lookup directory and returns a list of files present
    my $rtncd = 0;
    my @tmp01 = ();

# get list of statute hash file
# strip of ext and sort alphanumerically
    @tmp01 = sort map{ substr(File::Basename::basename($_),0,-4) }
                                                    glob($$cfg{basedir}.$$cfg{statdir}."*.pag");
    if(scalar @tmp01 == 0){
# if there are no stat files return error
        $rtncd = 2;
        $logstr = "$cnty;$procdte;$fname;$module;1;error;[0003]Unable to intialize statute hash tables".
                  ";InitStatVars(); ; ; ";
        UpdtMetaLog($$cfg{logdir},$logfile,$logstr);
    }else{
        unshift @tmp01, MINDATE;
# recs before this date have no equiv file
    }
    
    /_exc$/ || push @statfilelst, $_ foreach (@tmp01);
# load statute file names to list
    
                                                            
    for (0..$#statfilelst){
#initialize file handle arrays
        $statute[$_] = undef;
# one for each statute file
        $statexc[$_] = undef;
    }
    
    return $rtncd;

} #end InitStatVars();


$fhidx = SetFileHandleIdx($event_dt);

sub SetFileHandleIdx{
# this sub crosses the date index to the correct array index
    my $event_dt = shift;
    my $fhidx    = $#statfilelst;
# use most recent file as default

    if(IsDateOK($event_dt)){
# determine which stat file
        for (0..$#statfilelst){
            $fhidx = $_ if($event_dt ge $statfilelst[$_]);   
        }
    }else{
# if date is not valid use most current
        $fhidx = $#statfilelst;
    }

    return $fhidx;

} #end SetFileHandleIdx();


$rtncd = OpenFileHandle($fhidx) unless(defined($statute[$fhidx]));

sub OpenFileHandle{
# this sub loads the tied hash reference
    my $fhidx = shift;
    my $rtncd = 0;

    $statute[$fhidx] = {};
    $rtncd = (tie(%{$statute[$fhidx]},
                  "SDBM_File",
                  $$cfg{basedir}.$$cfg{statdir}.$statfilelst[$fhidx],
                  O_RDONLY,
                  0666))
           ? 0 : 2;
    if($rtncd == 2){
        $statute[$fhidx] = undef;
        $logstr = "$cnty;$procdte;$fname;$module;1;error;[0201]Could not tie hash files ".
                  "$statfilelst[$fhidx];OpenFileHandle(); ; ; ";
        UpdtMetaLog($$cfg{logdir},$logfile,$logstr);
    }

    unless($rtncd){
        if(-e "$$cfg{basedir}$$cfg{statdir}$statfilelst[$fhidx]"."_exc.pag"){
            $statexc[$fhidx] = {};
            $rtncd = (tie(%{$statexc[$fhidx]},
                          "SDBM_File",
                          $$cfg{basedir}.$$cfg{statdir}.$statfilelst[$fhidx].'_exc',
                          O_RDONLY,
                          0666))
                   ? 0 : 2;
        }
        if($rtncd == 2){
            $statexc[$fhidx] = undef;
            $logstr = "$cnty;$procdte;$fname;$module;1;error;[0201]Could not tie hash files ".
                      "$statfilelst[$fhidx];OpenFileHandle(); ; ; ";
            UpdtMetaLog($$cfg{logdir},$logfile,$logstr);
        }
    }

    return $rtncd;
} #end OpenFileHandle();


if(exists($statute[$fhidx]->{$testval})) { do things ...}