legislators; per diem; rate increase

HB2470 - legislators; per diem; rate increase

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Mariana Sandoval, Anna Abeytia, Cesar Aguilar, Lorena Austin, Seth Blattman, Janeen Connolly, Lupe Contreras, Patty Contreras, Brian Garcia, Sarah Liguori, Elda Luna-Nájera, Aaron Márquez, Christopher Mathis, Mae Peshlakai, Stephanie Simacek, Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, Myron Tsosie, Betty J Villegas, Lela Alston, Denise “Mitzi” Epstein, Rosanna Gabaldón, Lauren Kuby, Analise Ortiz, Priya Sundareshan
Last action: 2026-01-21
Official status: House second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not specify an effective date; it only states the session year is 2026.

HB2470: Changes to Legislator Daily Pay Rates

This bill updates how much money Arizona lawmakers receive for travel and daily living expenses while working in Phoenix.

What This Bill Does

Sets the travel reimbursement rate at the federal mileage amount decided by the U.S. General Services Administration.
Pays legislators whose permanent residence is inside Maricopa County $35 per day during sessions.
Pays legislators whose permanent residence is outside Maricopa County an amount equal to 100% of the average highest six months of federal rates for that county, including lodging.
Limits full subsistence pay to the first 120 days of a regular session.
Reduces daily payments after day 120 to $10 for members living in Maricopa County and half the calculated rate for those living outside the county.
Allows legislators to choose not to receive these daily expense payments.

Who It Names or Affects

Members of the Arizona House of Representatives
Members of the Arizona Senate

Terms To Know

Per diem: A daily payment given to cover food and other living costs while working away from home.
Subsistence: Money provided for basic needs like meals during a legislative session or when acting on legislative matters outside of sessions.
Maricopa County: The county in Arizona that contains the state capital, Phoenix.

Limits and Unknowns

The exact dollar amount for legislators living outside Maricopa County depends on future federal rates determined annually.
This law applies to regular and special sessions, as well as days when members act on legislative matters with prior approval from their presiding officer.

Bill History

2026-01-21 House
House second read
2026-01-20 House
House Rules: None
2026-01-20 House
House Government: None
2026-01-20 House
House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2470 - legislators; per diem; rate increase

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2470 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
legislators; per diem; rate increase

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2470

Introduced by

Representatives
Sandoval: Abeytia, Aguilar, Austin, Blattman, Connolly, Contreras L,
Contreras P, Garcia, Liguori, Luna-N�jera, M�rquez, Mathis, Peshlakai,
Simacek, Stahl Hamilton, Tsosie, Villegas;� Senators Alston, Epstein,
Gabald�n, Kuby, Ortiz, Sundareshan

AN
ACT

Amending section 41-1104, Arizona Revised
Statutes; relating to the legislature.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 41-1104, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
41-1104.

Travel reimbursement and subsistence for members of legislature;
claim required

A. Notwithstanding section
38-624
38-623
, each member of the legislature shall be reimbursed for
travel at the federal mileage reimbursement rate as determined annually by the
United States general services administration, and such reimbursement shall
include travel from the temporary or permanent residence of the member to the
state capitol.

B. Each member of the legislature shall be paid for
each day of subsistence during a regular or special session and for each day of
subsistence when the member acts on a legislative matter, other than in a
regular or special session, on the prior approval of the presiding officer of
the house of which that member is a member
.

in an amount as follows:

1. For a member whose permanent
residence is within Maricopa county, $35.

2. For a member whose permanent
residence is outside Maricopa county,

Each member shall
receive
one hundred percent of the average of the six highest months of
the annual federal per diem rate for Maricopa county, including lodging, as
determined by the United States general services administration. The
director of the department of administration shall determine this amount
annually.

C. Subsistence allowed to each member of the
legislature during the regular session as provided in subsection B of this
section
shall be
is
limited to the
first one hundred twenty days of a regular session. After the first
one hundred twenty days of a regular session, each member of the legislature
whose permanent residence is within Maricopa county shall be paid the
sum of $10 for subsistence for each day of the regular session beyond the first
one hundred twenty days.� Each member whose permanent residence is outside of
Maricopa county
shall receive fifty percent of the amount determined
annually by the director of the department of administration pursuant to
subsection B of this section for each day beyond the first one hundred twenty
days of a regular session as subsistence.

D. Each member of the legislature may elect to opt
out of receiving subsistence payments prescribed by subsections B and C of this
section.

E. Each member of the legislature, for authorized
travel out of state, shall receive travel and subsistence expenses as
prescribed by law for state officers.

F. For payment of travel expenses and subsistence,
as prescribed by the terms of this section, each member of the legislature
shall submit a claim for travel expenses and subsistence that is countersigned
by the presiding officer of the respective body.
END_STATUTE