Brief(1)
The bill repeals the existing requirement that mileage reimbursement rates for state officers and employees be established in rules and regulations adopted by the Secretary of Administration. The Secretary would continue to establish mileage reimbursement rates, but they would no longer be set through rules and regulations. The bill specifies that any rates established could not exceed the lowest of the rate: (1) allowed by the IRS; (2) used to prepare the Governor's budget; or (3) specified in an appropriation act.
The bill also makes the Secretary of Administration's duty to establish subsistence payment rates by rule and regulation discretionary instead of mandatory.
The bill would become effective upon publication in the Kansas Register.
Background
The bill was supported at the hearing before the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs by a representative of the Division of Accounts and Reports of the Department of Administration. The representative stated that the time involved in the adoption of regulations made it difficult to adjust reimbursement rates as quickly as is sometimes necessary. No opponents testified before the House Committee.
The House amended the bill to include a provision authorizing legislators to receive reimbursement for attendance at Post Audit Committee meetings to hear the report of an audit requested by the legislator and to make the bill effective upon publication in the Kansas Register.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee amended the bill to remove the House amendment on reimbursement for attendance at Post Audit Committee meetings.
The fiscal note prepared by the Division of the Budget states that the introduced version of the bill would result in staff time in a number of agencies being available for other tasks and reduced expenditure of approximately $400 of publication fees.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html