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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
regional councils; expenses; reimbursement
Purpose
Prescribes reimbursement requirements for a person covered under a federal transportation contract.
Background
Each public officer, deputy or employee of the state or any department, institution or agency and each member of a board, commission or other state agency is eligible to receive travel expenses when traveling on necessary public business away from the person's designated post of duty and when issued a proper travel order. The public officer, deputy or employee may be allowed reimbursement of the expenses incurred for that travel if they are required to travel from the public officer's, deputy's or employee's designated post of duty (A.R.S. §§ 38-621 and 38-622).
The Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) must set rates of reimbursement for state travel by motor vehicle and by airplane and must consider amounts established by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as acceptable for income tax purposes without further documentation. The rates determined by ADOA must be approved by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. A state employee while traveling on authorized state business must be reimbursed for actual lodging expenses incurred not to exceed a predetermined amount, as established by the Director of ADOA (A.R.S. §§ 38-623 and 38-624).
As determined annually by the U.S. General Services Admission (U.S. GSA), federal per diem reimbursement rates consist of a maximum lodging allowance component and a meals and incidental expense (M&IE) component. The standard lodging federal per diem rate for FY 2022 is $96 and the M&IE rates range from $59 to $79 (U.S. GSA).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires, notwithstanding state travel and incidental reimbursement rates, any person who is covered by reimbursement under a federal transportation contract of a metropolitan planning organization or council of governments to be reimbursed for:
a) travel at the federal mileage reimbursement rate as determined annually by the U.S. GSA; and
b) lodging, meal and incidental expenses at the federal per diem reimbursement rate as determined annually by the U.S. GSA.
2. Requires all claims for reimbursement to be accompanied by expense receipts.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
TRANS 2/17/22 W/D
GE 2/17/22 W/D
APPROP 2/21/22 DPA 8-4-0-1
3rd Read 2/23/22 38-21-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 3, 2022
RA/JM/sr