PRINTER'S NO. 1731
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
333
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY WARD, EICHELBERGER, TEPLITZ, RAFFERTY, VOGEL,
BARTOLOTTA, VANCE, VULAKOVICH, STEFANO, WAGNER, AUMENT AND
BAKER, APRIL 20, 2016
REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, APRIL 20, 2016
A RESOLUTION
Amending the Financial Operating Rules of the Senate, further
providing for meals and lodging.
RESOLVED, That Rule 3 of the Financial Operating Rules of the
Senate be amended to read:
Rule 3. Meals and lodging.
(a) General.--A Senator may receive payments attributable to
ordinary and necessary expenses for meals, lodging and
incidental items provided that the Senator is engaged in the
performance of legislative duties. [Depending on the nature and
location of the activity, as explained below, payments may be
made in one of the following forms: per diem allowance or
reimbursement for actual costs incurred.]
(b) [Per diem allowance.--
(1) A per diem allowance is an allowance for meals and
lodging expenses incurred in the course of a Senator's
duties. It is paid in lieu of reimbursement for actual
expenses. A Senator is entitled to receive a full or partial
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per diem allowance for each day the Senator is in the
performance of legislative duties while in the Harrisburg
area (defined as within Dauphin County or otherwise within a
10-mile radius of the Capitol) or elsewhere in the
Commonwealth but away from home. Specific legislative duties
include attendance at sessions of the Senate, attendance at
official committee meetings and participation in all other
activities necessary or appropriate to the carrying out of
the responsibilities of the Senator. Payment of a per diem
allowance is authorized only when the legislative duties
performed by the Senator occur more than 50 miles from the
Senator's residence.
(2) Types of per diem allowance.--
(i) A full per diem allowance not to exceed such
amount as may be established by the Senate Committee on
Management Operations may be claimed as an allowance for
meals and lodging and is in lieu of reimbursement for
actual expenses.
(ii) When the per diem entitlement derives from the
performance in the Harrisburg area of the specified
legislative duties set forth in paragraph (1), a Senator
may receive a partial per diem allowance in accordance
with policy established by the Senate Committee on
Management Operations for meals and incidentals.]
(Reserved).
(c) Actual costs.--A Senator may claim actual costs for
lodging, meals and other incidental items incurred in the
performance of legislative duties [in lieu of a per diem
allowance]. Expense claims for costs of lodging, meals and other
incidental expenses incurred in the performance of legislative
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duties outside of the Commonwealth may be reimbursed on an
actual expense basis [or through a per diem allowance].
(d) Employees' travel.--If an employee is engaged in travel
away from the normally assigned place of work necessary for the
performance of official business, the employee may be reimbursed
for ordinary and necessary actual expenses for lodging, meals
and other incidental items. For rules regarding out-of-State
travel, see Rule 11.
(e) Payment From one source.--If a Senator is entitled to a
meal and lodging claim from more than one source for legislative
business performed on behalf of more than one committee or
group, payments shall be received from only one source.
(f) Review.--All authorized and approved meals and lodging
claims shall be reviewed for inadvertent duplication by the
Office of the Chief Clerk prior to processing and payment.
(g) Record keeping.--Where [a per diem allowance or]
reimbursement is paid by a legislative service agency cofunded
between both Houses of the General Assembly, a copy of the
approved claim shall be furnished to the Office of the Chief
Clerk.
(h) Documentation.--
[(1) Per diem allowance.--For payment of a per diem
allowance, a Senator must submit a voucher showing the date,
the legislative activity in which the Senator was engaged on
that date, the location of the activity and an affirmative
statement that the Senator incurred overnight lodging
expense.
(2) Actual expenses of a Senator or an employee.--]For
payment of actual expenses, a Senator or employee must submit
a voucher showing the date, amount, place and the legislative
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activity in which the Senator or employee was engaged and
must submit a vendor or credit card receipt or invoice for
each item exceeding $10. Tips for meals may not exceed 20% of
the value of the meal.
(i) Authorized accounts.--
[(1) Payments shall be made from the Incidental Expense
Account for authorized Per Diem Allowances only for sessions
of the Senate during which a Senator is recorded as present
on any roll call vote.
(2)] Payment may be made from the following accounts for
other authorized per diem, meal and lodging claims:
[(i)] (1) Appropriations Committee Accounts.
[(ii)] (2) Senators' Legislative Accountable Expense
Accounts.
[(iii)] (3) Incidental Expense Account.
[(iv)] (4) Caucus Operations Accounts.
[(v)] (5) Committee and Contingent Expenses
Accounts.
[(vi)] (6) Computer Services Accounts for actual
expenses only.
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