GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 127

Short Title:  Up State Emp. Travel Rates.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Thompson; Buchanan, Cansler, Easterling, Hensley, Insko, Justus, Kiser, Russell, Sherrill, Smith, and Yongue.

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Referred to:  Public Employees, if favorable, Appropriations.

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February 13, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO INCREASE THE RATES OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR LODGING AND MILEAGE EXPENSES INCURRED BY STATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES IN CONNECTION WITH TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 138-6(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Travel on official business by the officers and employees of State departments, institutions and agencies which operate from funds deposited with the State Treasurer shall be reimbursed at the following rates:
(1)	For transportation by privately owned automobile, irrespective of the number of miles travelled, the State business standard mileage reimbursement rate per mile of travel is established at thirty-one and one-half cents (31.5¢) per mile and the actual cost of tolls paid. No reimbursement shall be made for the use of a personal car in commuting from an employee's home to his duty station in connection with regularly scheduled work hours.  Any designation of an employee's home as his duty station by a department head shall require prior approval by the Office of State Budget and Management on an annual basis.
(2)	For bus, railroad, Pullman, or other conveyance, actual fare.
(3)	For expenses incurred for subsistence, payment of eighty-one dollars ($81.00) per day when traveling in-state or  ninety-three dollars ($93.00) per day when traveling out-of-state.  When travel involves less than a full day (24-hour period), a reasonable prorated amount shall be paid in accordance with regulations and criteria which shall be promulgated and published by the Director of the Budget.  Reimbursement to State employees for lunches eaten while on official business may be made only in the following circumstances:
a.	When an overnight stay is required reimbursement is allowed while an employee is in travel status;
b.	When the cost of the lunch is included as part of a registration fee for a formal congress, conference, assembly, or convocation, by whatever name called.  Such assembly must involve the active participation of persons other than the employees of a single State department, institution, or agency and must be necessary for conducting official State business; or
c.	When the State employee is a member of a State board, commission, committee, or council which operates from funds deposited with the State Treasurer, and the lunch is preplanned as part of the meeting for the entire board, commission, committee, or council.
(4)	For convention registration fees not to exceed thirty dollars ($30.00) per convention."
Section 2.  Effective upon the convening of the 1999 Regular Session of the General Assembly, G.S. 120-3.1(a)(2) reads as rewritten:
"(2)	A travel allowance at the rate which is the State business standard mileage reimbursement rate set by G.S. 138-6, whenever the member travels, whether in or out of session, as a representative of the General Assembly or of its committees or commissions, with the approval of the Legislative Services Commission."
Section 3.  The Office of State Budget and Management shall revise the schedule used for reporting allowable subsistence expenses incurred by State officers and employees while traveling on State business by allocating to lodging the increase provided in Section 1 of this act.
Section 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1997, except that Section 2 of this act shall become effective upon the convening of the 1999 Regular Session of the General Assembly.