Bill to require legislators to disclose travel paid by outside groups held for redraft

Representative Stephanie Mickelson introduced House Bill 320, which would require legislators to disclose travel paid for by outside entities and to state the destination and purpose of the trip. Mickelson said the goal is transparency for taxpayers about who is paying for travel that might influence policy.

"People that are legislators that are travelling will have to disclose where they're going, what the purpose of their travel was," Mickelson said, adding that the bill would not require disclosure for trips paid entirely with a legislator's personal funds. She said campaign-funded travel would be disclosed through existing campaign-finance reporting.

Committee members raised practical questions about scope and enforcement. Representative Polhonka moved the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation earlier in the hearing, but members later discussed redrafting. Representative Barbieri asked how lawmakers would determine the cost if an outside group paid for travel; Mickelson said an approximate amount would be sufficient and she would be open to adding a formal definition of "travel".

Members debated fairness, whether campaign-funded travel should be treated differently, and whether the rule should extend to executive-branch employees and the judiciary. Several members recommended expanding the bill to include executive and legislative staff; Mickelson said she would accommodate committee direction and could refile or rework the draft.

Representative Jaren Crane moved to hold HB 320 subject to the call of the chair so the sponsor could redraft; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.