STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4258 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE February 7, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sen. ASHBY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern- ment Operations AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to eliminating the ability of legislators to earn certain perks The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 5 of the legislative law, as added 2 by section 7 of part CC of chapter 56 of the laws of 2015, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 2. [(a)] Each member of the legislature[, upon verification of attend- 5 ance, which shall be by electronic verification when practicable, in 6 compliance with the policies set forth by the speaker of the assembly 7 and the temporary president of the senate for their respective bodies,] 8 shall [be eligible to] receive payment of actual and necessary [travel 9 expenses] transportation expenses and a per diem equivalent to the most 10 recent federal per diem rates published by the general services adminis- 11 tration as set forth in 41 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 301, 12 App. A, [for the time in which the member was] while in travel status in 13 the performance of his or her duties [during the months in which the 14 legislature is scheduled to be in regular session. During the months 15 when the legislature is not scheduled to be in regular session, members 16 shall receive such actual and necessary travel expenses and per diems, 17 in compliance with verification policies and in accord with standards 18 and limits for reimbursable events set forth by]; and such other reason- 19 able expenses as may be necessary for the performance of the member's 20 responsibilities as determined by the speaker of the assembly and the 21 temporary president of the senate for their respective [bodies] houses; 22 provided, however, that any perks associated with such transportation, 23 including, but not limited to frequent-flier miles, or reward points for 24 hotel stays, shall be either donated to the state to lower travel costs EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06244-01-3
S. 4258 2 1 or donated to charity. The per diem allowances including partial per 2 diem allowances shall be made pursuant to regulations promulgated by the 3 temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly for 4 their respective houses, on audit and warrant of the comptroller on 5 vouchers approved by the temporary president of the senate or his or her 6 designee and speaker of the assembly or his or her designee for their 7 respective houses. The temporary president of the senate or his or her 8 designee and the speaker of the assembly or his or her designee shall 9 promulgate any rules necessary for the elimination and control of any 10 perks associated with transportation expenses. 11 [(b) Each house shall make available on its website all documentation 12 otherwise available to the public pursuant to section eighty-eight of 13 the public officers law related to the payment of travel expenses and 14 per diems.] 15 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.