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Senate committee hears bill to simplify mileage reimbursement for legislators
Summary
A bill sponsored by Sen. Ken Bogner would eliminate a 3-cent-per-mile reduction for travel beyond 1,000 miles, reimbursing all legislative mileage at the same flat rate to reduce staff processing time.
Sen. Ken Bogner introduced Senate Bill 26 to the Senate Transportation Committee, asking the panel to allow legislators to be reimbursed at a single flat mileage rate rather than applying a 3-cent reduction on mileage beyond 1,000 miles.
The measure, presented by Bogner and explained by Senate page Ella Hogan, would remove the current statutory step that reduces reimbursement by 3 cents per mile for any miles claimed above 1,000 in a month. Hogan told the committee, “This bill … allows for the reimbursement of legislators at a flat rate.”
Legislative financial director Angie Carter appeared as an informational witness and described the administrative burden the current rule creates. Carter said the IRS rate is currently 70¢ per mile, but “if a legislator in a given month travels over a 1,000 miles, we have to reduce every mile over a 1,000 by 3¢ a mile,” lowering those miles to 67¢. Carter said the office must track monthly mileage for each legislator and sometimes review claims submitted months after travel occurred. “We average about 5 minutes a claim. And for the this last year, my office processed probably more than 3,000 claims,” she said, and estimated roughly 250 staff hours annually spent on this reconciliation.
Committee members asked technical questions about the fiscal note and whether the cost would be absorbed in the legislative services budget. Carter and other staff indicated the change would be a small financial impact but a net efficiency gain for legislative services. After discussion, a committee member moved a due-pass recommendation on SB 26; the motion was carried by voice vote.
The hearing record shows the committee closed the hearing on SB 26 with a due-pass recommendation. No proponents or opponents registered in the record beyond informational witnesses and the page presentation.
With the committee’s due-pass motion carried by voice vote, the bill will move forward for further consideration in the Legislature.
