Continuing his push for ethics reform and greater transparency, Speaker Carl Heastie today announced revisions to the travel policy which will bring greater accountability to the New York State Assembly.

"Transparency and accountability in government are essential to earning the public's trust," said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. "This new policy provides clear and strong guidelines. These changes will make the process for applying for travel reimbursements more transparent. The use of electronic forms of verification will make the verification more reliable and at the same time allow the members of the Assembly to focus on the issues that matter most to the people of New York."

Revisions to the travel policy will require dated verification of presence in Albany for members of Assembly during the days for which they claim a per diem. Acceptable forms of verification include:

• electronic systems, including voting in committee, inclusion in the database that records members' presence in session, and a swipe machine in the Assembly's Legislative Office Building;
• recorded presence at an Assembly-sponsored hearing or roundtable;
• travel documentation, such as E-Z Pass records or toll records; or
• dated receipts from hotels, restaurants, or other vendors indicating presence in the Albany region.

The new revisions to the existing Assembly travel policy will allow for better enforcement and verification of travel reimbursement and per diem claims, building upon Speaker Heastie's continued commitment to making state government more open and accountable to New Yorkers.