Eliminates ability of legislators to earn certain perks associated with transportation, including, but not limited to, frequent-flier miles and reward points for hotel stays.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1887
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. ASHBY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
ment Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to eliminating the
ability of legislators to earn certain perks
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 5 of the legislative law, as added
2 by section 7 of part CC of chapter 56 of the laws of 2015, is amended to
3 read as follows:
4 2. [(a)] Each member of the legislature[, upon verification of attend-
5 ance, which shall be by electronic verification when practicable, in
6 compliance with the policies set forth by the speaker of the assembly
7 and the temporary president of the senate for their respective bodies,]
8 shall [be eligible to] receive payment of actual and necessary [travel
9 expenses] transportation expenses and a per diem equivalent to the most
10 recent federal per diem rates published by the general services adminis-
11 tration as set forth in 41 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Part 301,
12 App. A, [for the time in which the member was] while in travel status in
13 the performance of [his or her] each such member's duties [during the
14 months in which the legislature is scheduled to be in regular session.
15 During the months when the legislature is not scheduled to be in regular
16 session, members shall receive such actual and necessary travel expenses
17 and per diems, in compliance with verification policies and in accord
18 with standards and limits for reimbursable events set forth by]; and
19 such other reasonable expenses as may be necessary for the performance
20 of the member's responsibilities as determined by the speaker of the
21 assembly and the temporary president of the senate for their respective
22 [bodies] houses; provided, however, that any perks associated with such
23 transportation, including, but not limited to frequent-flier miles, or
24 reward points for hotel stays, shall be either donated to the state to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03605-01-5
S. 1887 2
1 lower travel costs or donated to charity. The per diem allowances
2 including partial per diem allowances shall be made pursuant to regu-
3 lations promulgated by the temporary president of the senate and the
4 speaker of the assembly for their respective houses, on audit and
5 warrant of the comptroller on vouchers approved by the temporary presi-
6 dent of the senate or [his or her] the temporary president of the
7 senate's designee and speaker of the assembly or [his or her] the speak-
8 er of the assembly's designee for their respective houses. The temporary
9 president of the senate or the temporary president of the senate's
10 designee and the speaker of the assembly or speaker of the assembly's
11 designee shall promulgate any rules necessary for the elimination and
12 control of any perks associated with transportation expenses.
13 [(b) Each house shall make available on its website all documentation
14 otherwise available to the public pursuant to section eighty-eight of
15 the public officers law related to the payment of travel expenses and
16 per diems.]
17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
