HR 47 — A Resolution amending House Rule 14, further providing for members' and employees' expenses.

PRINTER'S NO.   412

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 47
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, KENYATTA, HILL-EVANS, VENKAT, HANBIDGE,
        MADSEN, HADDOCK, FREEMAN AND GREEN, JANUARY 31, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JANUARY 31, 2025


                               A RESOLUTION
 1   Amending House Rule 14, further providing for members' and
 2      employees' expenses.
 3      RESOLVED, That House Rule 14 be amended to read:
 4                               RULE 14
 5                   Members' and Employees' Expenses
 6      A member who attends a duly called meeting of a standing or
 7   special committee of which he or she is a member when the House
 8   is not in session or who is summoned to the State Capitol or
 9   elsewhere by the Speaker, or the Majority or Minority Leader of
10   the House, to perform legislative services when the House is not
11   in session shall be reimbursed per day for each day of service,
12   plus mileage to and from the member's residence, at such rates
13   as are established from time to time by the Committee on Rules
14   but not in excess of the applicable maximum mileage rate
15   authorized by the Federal Government. For travel to any location
16   for committee meetings or for travel to the State Capitol for
17   any reason, members cannot receive reimbursement in excess of
18   the applicable maximum per diem rate authorized by the Federal
 1   Government. These expenses shall be paid by the Chief Clerk from
 2   appropriation accounts under the Chief Clerk's exclusive control
 3   and jurisdiction, upon a written request approved by the Speaker
 4   of the House, or the Majority or the Minority Leader of the
 5   House.
 6      An employee of the House summoned by the Speaker or the
 7   Majority or Minority Leader of the House to perform legislative
 8   services outside of Harrisburg shall be reimbursed for actual
 9   expenses and mileage to and from the employee's residence. Such
10   expenses may be paid by the Speaker, Majority or Minority
11   Leader, if they agree to do so, or shall be paid by the Chief
12   Clerk from appropriation accounts under the Chief Clerk's
13   exclusive control and jurisdiction, upon a written request
14   approved by the Speaker, or the Majority or the Minority Leader.
15   District office employees are only permitted to be reimbursed
16   from an account under the control of the Chief Clerk when
17   traveling to Harrisburg for a training program sponsored by
18   either caucus or for travel to a legislative conference approved
19   by the Speaker, the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader. All
20   other travel by district office employees may be reimbursed from
21   the member's accountable expenses or an account under the
22   control of the Speaker, the Majority Leader or the Minority
23   Leader.
24      Members and employees traveling outside the Commonwealth of
25   Pennsylvania who receive any reimbursement for expenses or
26   travel which reimbursement is from public funds shall file with
27   the Chief Clerk a statement containing their name and the name,
28   place, date and the purpose of the function.
29      Money appropriated specifically to and allocated under a
30   specific symbol number for allowable expenses of members of the

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 1   House of Representatives shall be reimbursed to each member upon
 2   submission of vouchers and any required documentation by each
 3   member on forms prepared by the Chief Clerk of the House. No
 4   reimbursement shall be made from this account where a member is
 5   directly reimbursed for the same purpose from any other
 6   appropriation account. The amount of money appropriated to
 7   members shall be published on a publicly accessible Internet
 8   website managed and maintained by the Office of the Chief Clerk.
 9      Such allowable expenses of members may be used for any
10   legislative purpose or function, including but not limited to
11   the following:
12      (1)   Travel expense on legislative business.
13            (a)   Mileage on session or nonsession days at a rate as
14      may be approved from time to time by the Committee on Rules,
15      but not in excess of the maximum mileage rate authorized by
16      the Federal Government for travel; voucher with documented
17      travel details.
18            (a.1)   Actual expenses incurred for travel on session or
19      nonsession days by public transportation; voucher with
20      documented travel details and receipt.
21            (b)   Miscellaneous transportation on legislative business
22      (taxi, airport limousine, parking, tolls), and expenses of a
23      similar nature; voucher and receipt with a statement of the
24      legislative reason for the expense; voucher only for any
25      single expense not in excess of $10.
26            (c)   Travel on legislative business by common carrier
27      other than taxi and airport limousine; voucher and receipt
28      from common carrier.
29            (d)   Car rental; voucher and receipt from rental agency
30      but reimbursement not to exceed in any month an amount as may

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 1      be approved from time to time by the Committee on Rules. Any
 2      amount in excess of the said amount shall be paid by the
 3      person renting the car. In no event shall other than American
 4      manufactured cars be rented.
 5            (e)   Lodging, restaurant charges and other miscellaneous
 6      and incidental expenses while away from home. Vouchers only
 7      for per diem allowance approved from time to time by the
 8      Committee on Rules, but not in excess of the applicable
 9      maximum per diem rate authorized by the Federal Government or
10      for actual expenses not in excess of such per diem rate.
11      (2)   Administrative, clerical and professional services for
12   legislative business, except for employment of spouses or any
13   relatives, by blood or marriage.
14            (a)   Administrative and clerical services; voucher and
15      receipt and copy of agreement or contract.
16            (b)   Professional services; voucher and receipt and copy
17      of agreement or contract.
18      (3)   Rent for legislative office space; purchase of office
19   supplies; postage; telephone landline and answering services;
20   cellular phone legislative air time only; printing services and
21   rental only of office equipment; voucher and vendor's receipt,
22   except for postage expense.
23      (4)   Restaurant and beverage charges for business meetings;
24   voucher and itemized vendor receipt, together with a statement
25   of the legislative reason for the expense, shall be submitted
26   with the request for reimbursement.
27      (5)   Purchase of flags, plaques, publications, photographic
28   services, books, and other similar items in connection with
29   legislative activities; voucher and vendor's receipt.
30      (6)   Communications and donations in extending

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 1   congratulations or sympathy of illness or death; voucher only
 2   for any single expense not in excess of $75.
 3      No money appropriated for members' and employees' expenses
 4   shall be used for contributions to political parties or their
 5   affiliated organizations.
 6      No money appropriated for members' and employees' expenses
 7   shall be used for contributions to charitable organizations or
 8   for charitable advertisements. This paragraph shall not prevent
 9   a de minimis use of legislative resources, in connection with
10   legislative activities, to benefit a bona fide charitable
11   organization that serves a member's district.
12      Members and employees shall not request reimbursement for the
13   private lease of vehicles leased on a long-term basis. The Chief
14   Clerk is no longer authorized to enter into a master lease
15   agreement with the Department of General Services for the long-
16   term lease of additional automobiles for the use of members.
17   Members may not use Commonwealth funds to purchase an automobile
18   for official purposes. The Chief Clerk may not assign
19   automobiles leased or owned by the Commonwealth to members, but
20   may maintain automobiles previously assigned to members. A
21   member with a previously assigned automobile shall not be
22   required to surrender the automobile unless the Chief Clerk
23   determines that it is no longer practical or cost effective for
24   the automobile to remain in service to a member due to age or
25   high mileage of the automobile or needed repairs or damage to
26   the automobile. A member who is required to surrender an
27   automobile by the Chief Clerk may not receive a replacement
28   automobile.
29      All disbursements made, debts incurred or advancements paid
30   from any appropriation account made to the House or to a member

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 1   or nonmember officer under a General Appropriation Act or any
 2   other appropriation act shall be recorded in a monthly report
 3   and filed with the Chief Clerk by the person authorized to make
 4   such disbursement, incur any debt or receive any advancement on
 5   a form prescribed by the Chief Clerk.
 6      The Chief Clerk shall prescribe the form of all such reports
 7   and make such forms available to those persons required to file
 8   such reports. Such report form shall include:
 9      (1)   As to personnel:
10            (a)   The name, home address, job title, brief description
11      of duties and where they are performed, department or member
12      or members to whom assigned, the name of immediate supervisor
13      and minimum hours of employment per week of each employee.
14            (b)   The appropriation account from which such employee
15      is compensated, the amount of compensation and whether such
16      person is on salary, per diem or contract.
17      (2)   As to all other expenditures:
18            (a)   To whom it was paid, the amount thereof, and the
19      nature of the goods, services or other purpose for which the
20      expenditure was made.
21            (b)   The appropriation account from which the expenditure
22      was made and the name or names of the person or persons
23      requesting and/or authorizing the same.
24      The reporting requirements as to personnel may be fulfilled
25   by the maintenance in the Office of the Chief Clerk of the House
26   of an alphabetized, electronic file containing the current
27   information for each employee as set forth above.
28      All monthly reports filed on disbursements made or debts
29   incurred by any officer or member or employee from
30   appropriations made to the House or to a member or nonmember

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 1   officer under any General Appropriation Act, and the
 2   documentation for each disbursement, shall be public information
 3   and shall be available in accordance with the act of February
 4   14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law.
 5      All vouchers and requisitions relating to all expenditures,
 6   expenses, disbursements and other obligations out of all
 7   appropriated funds of the House, and the documentation
 8   evidencing payment of the vouchers and requisitions, shall be
 9   available in accordance with the Right-to-Know Law.
10      All requests for reimbursement out of any appropriation shall
11   be accompanied by a voucher, or other documents where required,
12   evidencing payment or approval. All requests for reimbursement
13   out of any appropriation payable to a member, nonmember officer
14   or employee shall be void if not submitted within 90 days of the
15   date that the otherwise allowable expense is incurred for any
16   and all otherwise allowable expenses, including without
17   limitation, per diem, mileage and actual expenses incurred. Any
18   such void request for reimbursement may not be paid except
19   pursuant to a motion to suspend this rule for good cause
20   specific to the voided request for reimbursement. The voucher
21   form shall be approved and supplied by the Chief Clerk. Receipts
22   or documentation of every expenditure or disbursement which is
23   in excess of the maximum amount as set forth herein shall be
24   attached to the voucher. Where a request for payment is made in
25   advance of an expense actually incurred, the Chief Clerk, before
26   making such advance payment shall require a description
27   satisfactory to the Chief Clerk of the item or service to be
28   purchased or the expense to be incurred, and a receipt or other
29   documentation shall be given to the Chief Clerk after the item
30   or service has been purchased or expense incurred as evidence

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 1   that such advancement was in fact expended for such purpose.
 2      All reports, vouchers and receipts from which reports are
 3   prepared and filed shall be retained by the Chief Clerk, officer
 4   or member, as the case may be, for such period of time as may be
 5   necessary to enable the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission
 6   created pursuant to the act of June 30, 1970 (P.L.442, No.151),
 7   entitled "An act implementing the provisions of Article VIII,
 8   section 10 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, by designating
 9   the Commonwealth officers who shall be charged with the function
10   of auditing the financial transactions after the occurrence
11   thereof of the Legislative and Judicial branches of the
12   government of the Commonwealth, establishing a Legislative Audit
13   Advisory Commission, and imposing certain powers and duties on
14   such commission," to conduct, through certified public
15   accountants appointed by it, annual audits to assure that such
16   disbursements made or debts incurred were in accordance with
17   Legislative Audit Advisory Commission guidelines and standards
18   as approved by the Committee on Rules, or for a minimum of three
19   years, whichever is longer. All annual audit reports shall be
20   available for public inspection. Photocopies of such reports
21   shall be available for a fee established by the Chief Clerk not
22   to exceed the cost of duplication.
23      Except as specifically prohibited by law or limited by this
24   rule, all expenditures of funds appropriated to the House or to
25   a member or nonmember officer shall be subject to the
26   expenditure guidelines established by the Rules Committee. The
27   Rules Committee shall establish standards regarding
28   documentation evidencing payment out of any appropriations
29   account made to the House or to a member or nonmember officer.
30      The Bipartisan Management Committee shall receive and review

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1   suggestions from the Comptroller on ways to reduce costs and
2   improve the fiscal operations of the House. The Comptroller,
3   following authorization by the Bipartisan Management Committee,
4   shall implement cost-reducing and other new measures to improve
5   the fiscal operations of the House.




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