HB1302 (2010) Detail

Relative to mileage for members of the general court.


HB 1302-FN – AS INTRODUCED

2010 SESSION

10-2075

10/03

HOUSE BILL 1302-FN

AN ACT relative to mileage for members of the general court.

SPONSORS: Rep. Robertson, Ches 3

COMMITTEE: Legislative Administration

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes one rate of mileage for members of the general court for attendance at the state house.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

10-2075

10/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten

AN ACT relative to mileage for members of the general court.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Mileage for Members of the General Court. RSA 14:15-a is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

14:15-a Mileage Payment for Members. A member of the general court shall be allowed mileage pursuant to part 2, article 15 of the New Hampshire constitution for the round trip to and from the member’s home and the state house in Concord for each day of attendance at the rate of $.55 per mile. In the computation of mileage under this section, “day” shall be deemed to be a calendar day; and, whenever a legislative session shall be continued beyond 12 o'clock midnight, the members present shall be entitled to additional mileage for another day's attendance; provided, however, that any member of the general court absent for any cause from such attendance shall not be allowed mileage for the day the member is so absent.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.

LBAO

10-2075

11/17/09

HB 1302-FN - FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to mileage for members of the general court.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Legislative Branch states the proposed bill will increase state expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2011 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local expenditures or state, county, and local revenue.

METHODOLOGY:

    The Legislative Branch states this bill replaces the two options from which general court members may currently choose for mileage reimbursement with a single option. The Branch states existing law allows members to receive mileage for the number of miles round-trip between the member’s home and the state house in Concord. The first option is $0.38 per mile for the first 45 miles and $0.19 per mile for all miles in excess of 45 for each day of attendance, with sessions lasting past midnight counting as two separate days. The Branch states this option is typically chosen by members not actually driving to the state house themselves, instead receiving mileage for attendance. The second option is the current IRS mileage reimbursement rate, presently set at $0.55 per mile, and represents an estimation of actual travel expenses incurred. The Branch states this option is usually chosen by members who drive to the state house and who must sign an affidavit attesting to their actual miles driven. Members must choose one of these options prior to the first mileage payment of the term. The Branch states the proposed bill replaces these options with a single method, by which all members are paid round-trip mileage between their homes and the state house at a constant rate of $0.55 per mile for each day of attendance. The Branch states the majority of members currently choose the second option under existing law, and so are already being paid at a rate of $0.55 per mile; however, the proposed bill will lead to higher mileage costs in two cases. The first case involves those members who have chosen the first option under current law. In FY 2009, a typical year for mileage, the Branch states these members were reimbursed for attendance at $44,285 for 146,697 miles at the split rate of $0.38 per mile for the first 45 miles (86,382 miles) of each round-trip and $0.19 per mile for all miles greater than 45 (60,315 miles). The Branch estimates the annual cost differential between the proposed bill and existing law for those members in this first case to be $36,398 ((86,382 miles X $0.17 per mile increase) + (60,315 miles X $0.36 per mile increase)). The second case involves those members being paid the IRS rate of $0.55 per mile for actual miles driven under current law. The Branch states that there are instances of these members driving to the state house on a Tuesday morning, staying in Concord for sessions or other legislative business, and driving home Thursday. In these instances, current law would reimburse these members at $0.55 per mile for one round-trip only; however, the proposed bill would increase mileage costs by reimbursing these members at $0.55 per mile for 3 round-trips (i.e. 3 days of attendance). The Branch cannot estimate the total number of occurrences similar to this situation, so it cannot estimate the related cost differential; however, it assumes an additional increase in mileage payments of an immaterial and indeterminate amount.