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Committee adopts amendment to align state mileage and lodging rules with GSA rates; raises legislative monthly lodging to 75% of GSA
Summary
The committee amended Senate Bill 2084 to use the federal General Services Administration (GSA) mileage rate in place of a fixed cents-per-mile figure and to change legislators' monthly lodging allowance to 75% of the GSA monthly rate. The amendment passed and the bill was re-referred to appropriations, 6-0.
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to amend Senate Bill 2084 to reference federal General Services Administration (GSA) rates for travel reimbursement instead of maintaining the state-specific cents-per-mile figure and to set the legislative monthly lodging allowance at 75% of the applicable GSA monthly rate.
Senator Wallen moved the amendment to replace the 45¢ per-mile fixed rate with the GSA mileage rate and to change the legislative monthly lodging rate from 70% to 75% of the GSA rate; Senator Barta seconded. The committee approved the amendment by roll call and then recorded a due-pass recommendation on SB 2084 as amended; both votes were unanimous (6-0) and the bill was re-referred to Appropriations.
Members said referencing GSA rates would simplify administration because the federal rates update on a fixed schedule and could avoid repeated code updates. The committee discussed possible fiscal effects of increasing the legislators' monthly lodging allowance from the current 70% of the state rate to 75% of the federal rate; members described that change as a modest adjustment to address rising lodging costs. Senator Wallen and others said the amendment would permit the Office of Management and Budget to include a relief provision for unusually high local hotel costs.
Ending: The amended bill will move to Appropriations for consideration of any fiscal impacts and language finalization.
