SB 549

Abstract

Travel expenses; local officials. Provides that any travel expense of a local official, as defined in the bill, to be paid from public funds, as defined in the bill, that is anticipated to exceed $5,000 shall be subject to approval in advance by a vote of the local governing body in an open meeting. The bill specifies that if the final travel expense exceeds the previously approved amount, such expense shall be reported to the governing body and noted in the meeting agenda or meeting minutes within 60 days of the determination. The bill requires a local official to repay to the locality any travel expense that the governing body determines such local official misappropriated within 10 days and to furnish a copy of any receipts for such expense at the next public meeting. The bill allows a locality to adopt more stringent standards for local officials' travel expenses.

Travel expenses; local officials. Providesthat any travel expense of a local official, as defined in the bill,to be paid from public funds, as defined in the bill, that is anticipatedto exceed $2,500 shall be subject to approval in advance by a vote of the local governing body in an open meeting. The bill specifiesthat if the final travel expense exceeds the previously approvedamount, such expense shall be reported to the governing body and noted in the meeting agenda or meeting minutes within 60 days of the determination. The bill requires a local official to repay to the locality anytravel expense that the governing body determines such local officialmisappropriated within 10 days and to furnish a copy of any receiptsfor such expense at the next public meeting. The bill allows a localityto adopt more stringent standards for local officials' travel expenses.