AB645: Bill Text

LRB-2351/1

PJD:kmg:jf

2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE

2003 Assembly BILL 645

November 10, 2003 - Introduced by Representatives Balow, Ziegelbauer, Plouff and Van Akkeren, cosponsored by Senator Reynolds. Referred to Committee on Government Operations and Spending Limitations.

AB645,1,2 An Act to amend 13.123 (1) (a) 1. and (c) and 13.45 (3) (c) of the statutes; relating to: days on which legislators may claim allowances and expenses.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under present law, legislators may claim an allowance for expenses incurred for food and lodging for each day that he or she is in Madison on legislative business, but not including any Saturday or Sunday unless the legislator is in actual attendance on such day at a session of the legislature or a meeting of a standing committee of which the legislator is a member. This bill limits the days for which the per diem allowance may be claimed to days on which the legislator is in actual attendance on such days at a session of the legislature or a meeting of a standing committee of which the legislator is a member.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB645, s. 1 Section 1. 13.123 (1) (a) 1. and (c) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB645,2,15 13.123 (1) (a) 1. Any member of the legislature who has signified, by affidavit filed with the department of administration, the necessity of establishing a temporary residence at the state capital for the period of any regular or special legislative session shall be entitled to an allowance for expenses incurred for food and lodging for each day that he or she is in Madison on legislative business, but not including any Saturday or Sunday unless the legislator is in actual attendance on such day at a session of the legislature or a meeting of a standing committee of which the legislator is a member. The amount of the allowance for each biennial session shall be 90% of the per diem rate for travel for federal government business within the city of Madison, as established by the federal general services administration. For the purpose of determining the amount of the allowance, the secretary of employment relations shall certify to the chief clerk of each house the federal per diem rate in effect on December 1, or the first business day thereafter if December 1 is not a business day, in each even-numbered year. Each legislator shall file an affidavit with the chief clerk of his or her house certifying the specific dollar amount within the authorized allowance the member wishes to receive. Such affidavit, when filed, shall remain in effect for the biennial session.

AB645,2,24 (c) Each member shall certify to the chief clerk of the house in which the member serves, as promptly as may be following the 1st first of each month, the number of days during the previous calendar month on which the member was in Madison on legislative business and for which the member seeks the allowance provided by this subsection. Such allowances shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.765 (1) (a) or (b) within one week after each calendar month; and shall be paid, upon the filing with the department of administration, the chief clerk's affidavit stating the number of days in Madison on legislative business for which all members of the chief clerk's house seek the allowance provided by this subsection.

AB645, s. 2 Section 2. 13.45 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB645,3,6 13.45 (3) (c) Unless otherwise provided by law, any member of a committee under this chapter and not covered by par. (a) or (b) shall be reimbursed from the appropriation of the committee on which the member serves for the actual and necessary expenses incurred by the member in the performance of duties as a committee member while in actual attendance at a meeting of a standing committee of which the legislator is a member.

AB645,3,7 (End)