Legislator conference travel.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the funding limits for legislators attending out-of-state conferences.

Legislator Conference Travel Reimbursement

The bill allows legislators to be reimbursed for attending out-of-state conferences related to legislative service and sets rules for the reimbursement process.

What This Bill Does

• Creates a law that lets legislators get money back for going to out-of-state meetings about their work as lawmakers, with funds available from the Legislative Service Office.
• Limits the number of such meetings to two per year, with conferences needing to be within the United States or Canada and aimed at improving legislative skills or knowledge.
• Gives the Management Council power to make rules for calculating travel costs.

Who It Names or Affects

• Legislators who want to attend out-of-state conferences related to their work
• The Legislative Service Office, which manages the funds and reimbursement process

Terms To Know

Management Council

A group that can make rules about how travel costs are calculated for legislators attending out-of-state conferences.

Biennial period

A two-year time frame, often used in budgeting and legislative planning.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill only applies to conferences within the United States or Canada.
• It is unclear how many legislators will actually attend such conferences due to funding limits.
• This bill was marked as inactive by Wyoming, meaning it did not move forward in its current session.

Current Bill Text

21LSO-0494
2021
STATE OF WYOMING
21LSO-0494
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0123

Legislator conference travel.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Laursen, Baker and Zwonitzer and Senator(s) Biteman, Hicks and Steinmetz

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the legislature; providing for reimbursement of legislators to attend out of state conferences as specified; authorizing the management council to adopt policies; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 28
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5
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107 is created to read:

28
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5
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107.

Reimbursements for attending conferences.

(a)

If the legislative service office is appropriated funds during a biennial period to reimburse legislators for out of state travel and to the extent those funds are available, the legislative service office shall reimburse legislators for registration fees and reasonable, actual travel expenses to attend not more than two (2) out of state regional or national conferences in any one (1) year. To qualify for reimbursement, the conference shall relate to legislative service and shall be located within the United States or Canada. The management council may establish policies to govern the calculation of reasonable, actual travel expenses to regional or national conferences within the United States or Canada.

(b)

For a conference to relate to legislative service under this section, the conference shall seek to improve legislative skills and knowledge, assist with the consideration of policy questions or help develop a legislator's relationships with other legislators or individuals and entities that work with legislatures.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(END)

1
HB0123