1Amending House Rule 14.

2RESOLVED, That House Rule 14 be amended to read:

3RULE 14

4Members' and Employees' Expenses

5A member who attends a duly called meeting of a standing or
6special committee of which he or she is a member when the House
7is not in session or who is summoned to the State Capitol or
8elsewhere by the Speaker, or the Majority or Minority Leader of
9the House, to perform legislative services when the House is not
10in session shall be reimbursed per day for each day of service,
11plus mileage to and from the member's residence, at such rates
12as are established from time to time by the Committee on Rules
13but not in excess of the applicable maximum mileage rate
14authorized by the Federal Government. For travel to any location
15for committee meetings or for travel to the State Capitol for
16any reason, members cannot receive reimbursement in excess of
17the applicable maximum per diem rate authorized by the Federal

1Government. These expenses shall be paid by the Chief Clerk from
2appropriation accounts under the Chief Clerk's exclusive control
3and jurisdiction, upon a written request approved by the Speaker
4of the House, or the Majority or the Minority Leader of the
5House. All per diem payments made by the Chief Clerk's office 
6shall be made for actual expenses under the General Services 
7Administration/Actual Expenses Method as prescribed by rules 
8promulgated by the Internal Revenue Service. No other option 
9shall be utilized for payments of per diems or expenses. The 
10Comptroller's Office shall develop formulas and procedures on 
11calculating actual expenses for rental dwellings used by members 
12of the House of Representatives.

13An employee of the House summoned by the Speaker or the
14Majority or Minority Leader of the House to perform legislative
15services outside of Harrisburg shall be reimbursed for actual
16expenses and mileage to and from the employee's residence. Such
17expenses may be paid by the Speaker, Majority or Minority
18Leader, if they agree to do so, or shall be paid by the Chief
19Clerk from appropriation accounts under the Chief Clerk's
20exclusive control and jurisdiction, upon a written request
21approved by the Speaker, or the Majority or the Minority Leader.
22District office employees are only permitted to be reimbursed
23from an account under the control of the Chief Clerk when
24traveling to Harrisburg for a training program sponsored by
25either caucus or for travel to a legislative conference approved
26by the Speaker, the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader. All
27other travel by district office employees may be reimbursed from
28the member's accountable expenses or an account under the
29control of the Speaker, the Majority Leader or the Minority
30Leader.

1Members and employees traveling outside the Commonwealth of
2Pennsylvania who receive any reimbursement for expenses or
3travel which reimbursement is from public funds shall file with
4the Chief Clerk a statement containing his or her name and the
5name, place, date and the purpose of the function.

6Money appropriated specifically to and allocated under a
7specific symbol number for allowable expenses of members of the
8House of Representatives shall be reimbursed to each member upon
9submission of vouchers and any required documentation by each
10member on forms prepared by the Chief Clerk of the House. No
11reimbursement shall be made from this account where a member is
12directly reimbursed for the same purpose from any other
13appropriation account.

14Such allowable expenses of members may be used for any
15legislative purpose or function, including but not limited to
16the following:

17(1) Travel expense on legislative business.

18(a) Mileage on session or nonsession days at a rate as
19may be approved from time to time by the Committee on Rules,
20but not in excess of the maximum mileage rate authorized by
21the Federal Government for travel; voucher only.

22(b) Miscellaneous transportation on legislative business
23(taxi, airport limousine parking, tolls), and expenses of a
24similar nature; voucher only for any single expense not in
25excess of $10.

26(c) Travel on legislative business by common carrier
27other than taxi and airport limousine; voucher and receipt
28from common carrier.

29(d) Car rental; voucher and receipt from rental agency
30but reimbursement not to exceed in any month an amount as may

1be approved from time to time by the Committee on Rules. Any
2amount in excess of the said amount shall be paid by the
3person renting the car. In no event shall other than American
4manufactured cars be rented.

5(e) Lodging, restaurant charges and other miscellaneous
6and incidental expenses while away from home. Vouchers only
7for per diem allowance approved from time to time by the
8Committee on Rules, but not in excess of the applicable
9maximum per diem rate authorized by the Federal Government or
10for actual expenses not in excess of such per diem rate.

11(2) Administrative, clerical and professional services for
12legislative business, except for employment of spouses or any
13relatives, by blood or marriage.

14(a) Administrative and clerical services; voucher and
15receipt from person employed.

16(b) Professional services; voucher and receipt and copy
17of agreement or contract of employment.

18(3) Rent for legislative office space; purchase of office
19supplies; postage; telephone and answering services; printing
20services and rental only of office equipment; voucher and
21vendor's receipt, except for postage expense.

22(4) Official entertainment-restaurant and beverage charges;
23voucher only for expenses. Receipts for entertainment expenses,
24together with a statement of the reason for the expense, shall
25be submitted with the request for reimbursement.

26(5) Purchase of flags, plaques, publications, photographic
27services, books, and other similar items in connection with
28legislative activities; voucher and vendor's receipt.

29(6) Communications and donations in extending
30congratulations or sympathy of illness or death; voucher only on

1expenses not in excess of $35.

2No money appropriated for members' and employees' expenses
3shall be used for contributions to political parties or their
4affiliated organizations.

5No money appropriated for members' and employees' expenses
6shall be used for contributions to charitable organizations or
7for charitable advertisements. This paragraph shall not prevent
8a de minimis use of legislative resources, in connection with
9legislative activities, to benefit a bona fide charitable
10organization that serves a member's district.

11Members and employees shall not request reimbursement for the
12private lease of vehicles leased on a long-term basis. No
13payments will be made with respect to private, long-term lease
14vehicle expenses incurred by members or employees except with
15respect to private, long-term lease arrangements entered into by
16a member prior to March 13, 2007, payments for which will be
17made in accord with the rules in place on March 12, 2007. The
18Chief Clerk is authorized to enter into a master lease agreement
19with the Department of General Services for the long-term lease
20of automobiles.

21All disbursements made, debts incurred or advancements paid
22from any appropriation account made to the House or to a member
23or nonmember officer under a General Appropriation Act or any
24other appropriation act shall be recorded in a monthly report
25and filed with the Chief Clerk by the person authorized to make
26such disbursement, incur any debt or receive any advancement on
27a form prescribed by the Chief Clerk.

28The Chief Clerk shall prescribe the form of all such reports
29and make such forms available to those persons required to file
30such reports. Such report form shall include:

1(1) As to personnel:

2(a) The name, home address, job title, brief description
3of duties and where they are performed, department or member
4or members to whom assigned, the name of immediate supervisor
5and minimum hours of employment per week of each employee.

6(b) The appropriation account from which such employee
7is compensated, the amount of compensation and whether such
8person is on salary, per diem or contract.

9(2) As to all other expenditures:

10(a) To whom it was paid, the amount thereof, and the
11nature of the goods, services or other purpose for which the
12expenditure was made.

13(b) The appropriation account from which the expenditure
14was made and the name or names of the person or persons
15requesting and/or authorizing the same.

16The reporting requirements as to personnel may be fulfilled
17by the maintenance in the Office of the Chief Clerk of the House
18of an alphabetized file containing the current information for
19each employee as set forth above.

20All monthly reports filed on disbursements made or debts
21incurred by any officer or member or employee from
22appropriations made to the House or to a member or nonmember
23officer under any General Appropriation Act, and the
24documentation for each disbursement, shall be public information
25and shall be available in accordance with the act of February 
2614, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law.

27All vouchers and requisitions relating to all expenditures,
28expenses, disbursements and other obligations out of all
29appropriated funds of the House, and the documentation
30evidencing payment of the vouchers and requisitions, shall be

1available in accordance with the Right-to-Know Law.

2All requests for reimbursement out of any appropriation shall
3be accompanied by a voucher, or other documents where required,
4evidencing payment or approval. All requests for reimbursement
5out of any appropriation payable to a member, nonmember officer
6or employee shall be void if not submitted within 60 days of the
7date that the otherwise allowable expense is incurred for any
8and all otherwise allowable expenses, including without
9limitation, per diem, mileage and actual expenses incurred. Any
10such void request for reimbursement may not be paid except
11pursuant to a motion to suspend this rule for good cause
12specific to the voided request for reimbursement. In no event 
13shall any payment or reimbursement be made for any otherwise 
14allowable expense incurred on or before March 12, 2007. The
15voucher form shall be approved and supplied by the Chief Clerk.
16Receipts or documentation of every expenditure or disbursement
17which is in excess of the maximum amount as set forth herein
18shall be attached to the voucher. Where a request for payment is
19made in advance of an expense actually incurred, the Chief
20Clerk, before making such advance payment shall require a
21description satisfactory to the Chief Clerk of the item or
22service to be purchased or the expense to be incurred, and a
23receipt or other documentation shall be given to the Chief Clerk
24after the item or service has been purchased or expense incurred
25as evidence that such advancement was in fact expended for such
26purpose.

27All reports, vouchers and receipts from which reports are
28prepared and filed shall be retained by the Chief Clerk, officer
29or member, as the case may be, for such period of time as may be
30necessary to enable the Legislative Audit Advisory Commission

1created pursuant to the act of June 30, 1970 (P.L.442, No.151),
2entitled "An act implementing the provisions of Article VIII,
3section 10 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, by designating
4the Commonwealth officers who shall be charged with the function
5of auditing the financial transactions after the occurrence
6thereof of the Legislative and Judicial branches of the
7government of the Commonwealth, establishing a Legislative Audit
8Advisory Commission, and imposing certain powers and duties on
9such commission," to conduct, through certified public
10accountants appointed by it, annual audits to assure that such
11disbursements made or debts incurred were in accordance with
12Legislative Audit Advisory Commission guidelines and standards
13as approved by the Committee on Rules, or for a minimum of three
14years, whichever is longer. All annual audit reports shall be
15available for public inspection. Photocopies of such reports
16shall be available for a fee established by the Chief Clerk not
17to exceed the cost of duplication.

18Except as specifically prohibited by law or limited by this
19rule, all expenditures of funds appropriated to the House or to
20a member or nonmember officer shall be subject to the
21expenditure guidelines established by the Rules Committee. The
22Rules Committee shall establish standards regarding
23documentation evidencing payment out of any appropriations
24account made to the House or to a member or nonmember officer.

25The Bipartisan Management Committee shall receive and review
26suggestions from the Comptroller on ways to reduce costs and
27improve the fiscal operations of the House. The Comptroller,
28following authorization by the Bipartisan Management Committee,
29shall implement cost-reducing and other new measures to improve
30the fiscal operations of the House.