Arrs~xiw ,&TEXAS
October 6, 1965
Honorable Robert S. Calvert Opinion No. C-522 Comptroller of Public Accounts Austin, Texas Re: Whether a rooming house qualifies as a commercial lodging establishment as that term is used in Section 15 of Article V of the General Appropriation Act of 1965 and related ques- Dear Mr. Calvert: tions.
Your request for an opinion on the above subject matter asks the following questions, in view of the provisions of para- graph (a) of Section 15 of the General Appropriation Act of the 59th Legislature:
"1. Does a rooming house qualify as a commercial establishment?
"2. Does an apartment qualify as a com- mercial establishment?
"3. If you hold that the renting of an apartment follows within the definition of 'commercial lodging', what would two or more ... State employees renting and living in the same apartment be entitled to for reimbursement on a per diem basis?
"4. At what rate of per diem would an em- ployee.'beentitled to who secures lodging at YMCA, YWCA, and membership clubs?
"5. Would a statement or billing received as a result of the use of a credit card from a company other than a commercial hotel, motel, or other coannerciallodging establishment, entitle the employee to qualify under the $12.00 per day per diem rate?" -. .
Hon..Robert S. Cslvert, page,2 (Ce522 1
.,. ,,This office in Opinion,~NoVo. C-472 defined .a,"comer&aP .~ ; ~eatabliahxaantt' aa~followa: :
"In i&w of ~the foq*goiig,, .it iS ciar op+lon that thb phrase 'comnerciai .h'otelr mot,el,or other cokaarcial lodging eatabliahment,~ refers to.thoae' puqtia, firm,' corporations;,aaaocfati~ona or ., -'eatabliahmatitar engagsd in the buaineaa of furnish- inglodging to the public gazketallyfor pay, '* D .'I : .~,' ~, ,' ~A8 p&nted'.out in .theabo+o$inion, UArtlcle 4596, Raviaod~.Civil~Statutea.of Texaa, 1925,.deftneaa hotel or inn as *&place'whereItha,buaineaeis.,@ furnish f&d and lodgin4 or of&d; to 'allwho,kp~l~ and.wy theragor."' (EnWaai? added.) ,100l.uch, ra8trlction.I8placed on the.tem Wnmercia1 lodging aatabli9hmaRt"; The only roQaireuunti ,of the latter are that > tli~.~mfurriiali lodg,ingto,the.vublicasnerallv for MY 0I4 '.(Nmphaaiaadded,)
",Applyingthe,above.definitfonto questions 1, 2,.and 4, rooming houaea,'apartmanta,and YMCAla~and YWCA's fail within tha .definitionof "cokercial loQq.ing~establishment". Conae- .q~~tlf,c~any State employae who mat remain out of town in order ~to~perfbrm his,duties for either a .dayor,aeveralmonths and .,+18&a .to. stay at one ,ofthe above,:18entltled'to~ twelve dollars (S&2) pur 'diem.
.Quaationnumber 4 doaa',notreveal the typa membership .. cl&~ to'which you ark referring. '.Ifmeaberahip~is~bothlimited and la d pre~aquiaitefor.using tha facilitiea,ofthe club, its is ,not' R,,Comaaklaleatabliahmnt~open to the.Q&UC even though it my 'requireiemReration.frm, tha individualmember who stays overnight.''For example, a 'socialfraternitywould be a amber- tih,ip .clubwhich w.ould.furniah -lodging, to its itinerant'mcmbera for pay'buttiould'notbe a coma~oiel establishmentyithin the ~.above hef inition. .~ :. '. .In a&wer.to queatiofinun&et 3,~paragraph (e) of ..'...'&ioR~ i5 of.~Aiticle,'Vof~the general Appropriatfou~,Act of the 59th LugUlatutr. ptoyldea: .,
.'~~, 'IRateabf ,allcwance.:Nach employee traveling .o@ #t$te buainaaa.inside the bouudRri& of me Hon. Robert S. Calvert, page 3 (C-522 )
State of Texas shall be allowed, in ,lieu of actual expenses incurred for meals and lodging, a flat per diem rate not to exceed twe~&vedollars ($12)