Two Republican Pennsylvania state senators this week proposed requiring lawmakers to submit receipts before collecting per diems.
If a legislator incurs food or lodging costs when traveling more than 50 miles from his or her residence to perform official duties, he or she can claim per-diem payments of as much as $202 per day. Unlike in the private sector, that lawmaker doesn’t need to show receipts. He or she must only turn in a voucher with the date, the legislative activity being performed, the location of that activity, and an affirmation that the official paid an overnight lodging expense.
State Senator Patrick Stefano (R-Connellsville) (pictured above, right), who is sponsoring the receipt requirement along with State Senator John DiSanto (R-Harrisburg) (pictured above, left), wrote in a memorandum describing his bill that he believes overuse of per diems has been evident.
“Over the years, many instances of high per diem claims have been reported,” Stefano wrote. “Our legislation would provide for transparency and consistency by simply requiring receipts in order to obtain reimbursement.”
Stefano noted that discussions around such a reform began many years ago. The Senate Government Management and Cost Reduction Commission in 2010 suggested the commonwealth generate “a comprehensive review of the current per diem reimbursement system for legislators to determine if a receipt-based system would result in taxpayer savings.”
Stefano and DiSanto introduced receipt legislation last session. They counted both Republicans and Democrats among its cosponsors, but the bill did not receive a vote in the Senate State Government Committee. Should the measure pass, it would bring state policy on per diems into line with the private sector, in which almost every business directs employees to precisely document their reimbursable expenses.
Lawmakers’ mere ability to collect per diems has long been controversial, with some reformers opposing them on the grounds that Pennsylvania legislators get some of the highest state legislative salaries in the nation. The base salary for a Pennsylvania state lawmaker is $95,432.
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Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Pennsylvania Daily Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Senator John DiSanto” by Senator John DiSanto.
