PRINTER'S NO. 2730
No. 224 Session of 1986
INTRODUCED BY IRVIS, MANDERINO, RYAN, O'DONNELL AND HAYES,
JANUARY 22, 1986
ADOPTED, JANUARY 22, 1986
A RESOLUTION
1 Amending House Rule 14 to provide for public inspection of all
2 vouchers and requisitions relating to all expenditures,
3 expenses, disbursements and other obligations out of all
4 appropriated funds.
5 RESOLVED, That House Rule 14 be amended to read:
6 RULE 14
7 Members' and Employees' Expenses
8 A member who attends a duly called meeting of a standing or
9 special committee of which he is a member when the House is not
10 in session or who is summoned to the State Capitol or elsewhere
11 by the Speaker, or the Majority or Minority Leader of the House,
12 to perform legislative services when the House is not in session
13 shall be reimbursed per day for each day of service, plus
14 mileage to and from his residence, at such rates as are
15 established from time to time by the Committee on Rules but not
16 in excess of the applicable maximum per diem and mileage rate
17 authorized by the Federal Government for travel. These expenses
18 shall be paid by the Chief Clerk from appropriation accounts
1 under his exclusive control and jurisdiction, upon a written
2 request approved by the Speaker of the House, or the Majority or
3 the Minority Leader of the House.
4 An employee of the House summoned by the Speaker or the
5 Majority or Minority Leader of the House to perform legislative
6 services outside of Harrisburg shall be reimbursed for actual
7 expenses and mileage to and from his residence. Such expenses
8 may be paid by the Speaker, Majority or Minority Leader, if they
9 agree to do so, or shall be paid by the Chief Clerk from
10 appropriation accounts under his exclusive control and
11 jurisdiction, upon a written request approved by the Speaker of
12 the House, or the Majority or the Minority Leader of the House.
13 Members and employees traveling outside the Commonwealth of
14 Pennsylvania who receive any reimbursement for expenses or
15 travel which reimbursement is from public funds shall file with
16 the Chief Clerk a statement containing his name and the name,
17 place, date and the purpose of the function.
18 Money appropriated specifically to and allocated under a
19 specific symbol number for allowable expenses of members of the
20 House of Representatives shall be reimbursed to each member upon
21 submission of vouchers and any required documentation by each
22 member on forms prepared by the Chief Clerk of the House. No
23 reimbursement shall be made from this account where a member is
24 directly reimbursed for the same purpose from any other
25 appropriation account.
26 Such allowable expenses of members may be used for any
27 legislative purpose or function, including but not limited to
28 the following:
29 (1) Travel expense on legislative business.
30 (a) Mileage on session or nonsession days at a rate as
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1 may be approved from time to time by the Committee on Rules,
2 but not in excess of the maximum mileage rate authorized by
3 the Federal Government for travel; voucher only.
4 (b) Miscellaneous transportation on legislative business
5 (taxi, airport limousine parking, tolls), and expenses of a
6 similar nature; voucher only for any single expense not in
7 excess of $10.
8 (c) Travel on legislative business by common carrier
9 other than taxi and airport limousine; voucher and receipt
10 from common carrier.
11 (d) Car rental; voucher and receipt from rental agency
12 but reimbursement not to exceed in any month an amount as may
13 be approved from time to time by the Committee on Rules. Any
14 amount in excess of the said amount shall be paid by the
15 person renting the car. In no event shall other than American
16 manufactured cars be rented.
17 (e) Lodging, restaurant charges and other miscellaneous
18 and incidental expenses while away from home. Vouchers only
19 for per diem allowance approved from time to time by the
20 Committee on Rules, but not in excess of the applicable
21 maximum per diem rate authorized by the Federal Government or
22 for actual expenses not in excess of such per diem rate.
23 (2) Administrative, clerical and professional services for
24 legislative business, except for employment of spouses or any
25 relatives, by blood or marriage.
26 (a) Administrative and clerical services; voucher and
27 receipt from person employed.
28 (b) Professional services; voucher and receipt and copy
29 of agreement or contract of employment.
30 (3) Rent for legislative office space; purchase of office
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1 supplies; postage; telephone and answering services; printing
2 services and rental only of office equipment; voucher and
3 vendor's receipt, except for postage expense. No reimbursement
4 or expenditure shall be made out of any appropriation account
5 for any mass mailing including a bulk rate mailing made at the
6 direction or on behalf of any member which is mailed or
7 delivered to a postal facility within 60 days immediately
8 preceding any primary or election at which said member is a
9 candidate for public office.
10 Mass mailing shall mean a newsletter or similar mailing of
11 more than 50 pieces in which the content of the matter is
12 substantially identical. Nothing in this rule shall apply to any
13 mailing which is in direct response to inquiries or requests
14 from persons to whom matter is mailed, which is addressed to
15 colleagues in the General Assembly or other government officials
16 or which consists entirely of news releases to the
17 communications media.
18 (4) Official entertainment--restaurant and beverage charges;
19 voucher only for expenses. Receipts for entertainment expenses,
20 together with a statement of the reason for the expense, shall
21 be submitted with the request for reimbursement.
22 (5) Purchase of flags, plaques, publications, photographic
23 services, books, and other similar items in connection with
24 legislative activities; voucher and vendor's receipt.
25 (6) Communications and donations in extending
26 congratulations or sympathy of illness or death; voucher only on
27 expenses not in excess of $35.
28 No money appropriated for members' and employees' expenses
29 shall be used for contributions to political parties or their
30 affiliated organizations or to charitable organizations or for
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1 charitable advertisements.
2 All disbursements made, debts incurred or advancements paid
3 from any appropriation account made to the House or to a member
4 or nonmember officer under a General Appropriation Act or any
5 other appropriation act shall be recorded in a monthly report
6 and filed with the Chief Clerk by the person authorized to make
7 such disbursement, incur any debt or receive any advancement on
8 a form prescribed by the Chief Clerk.
9 The Chief Clerk shall prescribe the form of all such reports
10 and make such forms available to those persons required to file
11 such reports. Such report form shall include:
12 (1) As to personnel:
13 (a) The name, home address, social security number, job
14 title, brief description of duties and where they are
15 performed, department or member or members to whom assigned,
16 the name of immediate supervisor and minimum hours of
17 employment per week of each employee.
18 (b) The appropriation account from which such employee
19 is compensated, the amount of compensation and whether such
20 person is on salary, per diem or contract.
21 (2) As to all other expenditures:
22 (a) To whom it was paid, the amount thereof, and the
23 nature of the goods, services or other purpose for which the
24 expenditure was made.
25 (b) The appropriation account from which the expenditure
26 was made and the name or names of the person or persons
27 requesting and/or authorizing the same.
28 A copy of each such report shall also be filed with the
29 Special Committee on Internal Affairs and House Administration
30 for use in the performance of its duties under Rule 47(a).
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1 The reporting requirements as to personnel may be fulfilled
2 by the maintenance in the Office of the Chief Clerk of the House
3 of an alphabetized file containing the current information for
4 each employee as set forth above. In such event, however, the
5 Chief Clerk shall supply annually, on or before February 1, a
6 list of all employees appearing in said file together with the
7 required information as to each as of January 1 of such year to
8 the Special Committee on Internal Affairs and House
9 Administration. The committee shall also be supplied with copies
10 of all payroll changes as they occur.
11 All monthly reports filed on disbursements made or debts
12 incurred by any officer or member or employee from
13 appropriations made to the House under any General Appropriation
14 Act shall be public information and shall be available for
15 public inspection during regular business hours in the office of
16 the Chief Clerk. The Chief Clerk shall prescribe reasonable
17 rules and regulations for inspection of such reports but in no
18 case shall inspection be denied to any person for a period
19 exceeding 48 hours (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) from the
20 time a written request has been submitted to the Chief Clerk.
21 Photocopies of such reports shall be made available upon request
22 to a member at no charge or to the public for a duplication fee
23 as may be fixed by the Chief Clerk. Such reports shall be made
24 available to a member or to the public on or before the last day
25 of the month next succeeding the month in which the report was
26 filed.
27 All vouchers and requisitions relating to all expenditures,
28 expenses, disbursements and other obligations out of all
29 appropriated funds of the House shall be available for public
30 inspection during regular business hours in the office of the
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1 Chief Clerk or at such other location within the Capitol as the
2 Chief Clerk shall prescribe.
3 All requests to review payroll and independent contractor
4 records of the House or any other vouchers or requisitions for
5 funds appropriated to the House shall be made to the Chief
6 Clerk, in writing, at least three working days prior to the date
7 on which the review is requested. The request shall be signed by
8 the party who will be making the review and it shall indicate
9 the name of the organization or entity employing such
10 individual. The Chief Clerk shall establish a time during normal
11 business hours for the review to occur and he shall provide that
12 the review shall not interfere with the necessary functioning of
13 the Chief Clerk's office.
14 All requests for reimbursement out of any appropriation shall
15 be accompanied by a voucher, or other documents where required,
16 evidencing payment or approval. The voucher form shall be
17 approved and supplied by the Chief Clerk. Receipts or
18 documentation of every expenditure or disbursement which is in
19 excess of the maximum amount as set forth herein shall be
20 attached to the voucher. Where a request for payment is made in
21 advance of an expense actually incurred, the Chief Clerk, before
22 making such advance payment shall require a description
23 satisfactory to the Chief Clerk of the item or service to be
24 purchased or the expense to be incurred, and a receipt or other
25 documentation shall be given to the Chief Clerk after the item
26 or service has been purchased or expense incurred as evidence
27 that such advancement was in fact expended for such purpose.
28 All reports, vouchers and receipts from which reports are
29 prepared and filed shall be retained by the Chief Clerk, officer
30 or member, as the case may be, for such period of time as may be
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1 necessary to enable the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission
2 created pursuant to the act of June 30, 1970 (P.L.442, No.151)
3 to conduct, through certified public accountants appointed by
4 it, annual audits to assure that such disbursements made or
5 debts incurred were in accordance with Legislative Audit
6 Advisory Commission guidelines and standards as approved by the
7 Committee on Rules, or for a minimum of three years, whichever
8 is longer. All annual audit reports shall be available for
9 public inspection. Photocopies of such reports shall be
10 available for a fee established by the Chief Clerk not to exceed
11 the cost of duplication.
12 All expenditures of funds appropriated to the House or to a
13 member or nonmember officer shall be subject to the expenditure
14 guidelines established by the Rules Committee; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That this amendment to Rule 14 take effect
16 immediately.
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