Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ethics Transparency topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee holds bill that would require legislators to disclose travel paid by outside groups
Summary
House Bill 320 would require legislators to disclose travel paid by outside groups; the committee held the bill subject to the chair after discussion about scope, cost reporting and whether disclosure should apply to executive and judicial branches.
Rep. Stephanie Mickelson (R‑Bonneville County) introduced House Bill 320, describing it as a transparency measure requiring legislators to disclose where they travel and who pays when travel is paid for by outside groups.
"If you're spending your own money going to conferences and things you would not be required to disclose," Mickelson said. "If you're having it paid for by outside groups that are basically wanting to influence it and you're going on their dime then you need to report." She said campaign-paid travel would continue to be disclosed through campaign finance reports.
Committee members asked how specific the cost reporting should be. Representative Barbieri said she opposed itemizing travel expenses and described challenges of obtaining exact receipts; Mickelson responded that a general range (for example, "about $2,500") should be sufficient. Other members raised fairness concerns about wealth differences among legislators: Representative Scott asked whether wealthier legislators who self‑fund travel would avoid disclosure while others would not; Mickelson said campaign expenditures remain separately disclosed and that the bill targets outside-party paid travel.
Lawmakers also proposed expanding the requirement beyond legislators. Several members urged adding the executive branch (and possibly judicial and legislative staff) to avoid holding legislators to a higher standard than other branches. Mickelson said she was open to revising the bill or reworking it to include other officials.
Representative Polhonka moved to send HB 320 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation. Representative Crane offered a substitute motion to hold House Bill 320 subject to the call of the chair so the sponsor could rework language; the substitute motion to hold carried by voice vote. The committee did not record a roll‑call tally; members expressed both support for disclosure and concerns about requiring precise cost itemization.
