Prohibiting the use of the Members' Representational Allowance for the payment of the costs of first-class airline accommodations.

Bill: 113-hres-558
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL-8]
Introduced: 2014-04-29
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Aviation and airports

House of Representatives

Members of Congress

Transportation costs

Travel and tourism
Latest action: action_date: 2014-04-29
text: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-04-29
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Requires the House Committee on House Administration to promulgate revisions to the regulations governing the use of the Members' Representational Allowance to ensure that it is not used to pay the costs of first-class airline accommodations for domestic travel.</p> <p> Authorizes a Member to use his or her Allowance for such a payment if he or she certifies in writing to the Committee that any of the following applies:</p> <ul> <li>the use is necessary to accommodate a medical disability or other special need, as demonstrated by such documentation as the Committee may require;</li> <li>no accommodations other than first-class are reasonably available given the timing of the travel, but only if the travel is urgent and its purpose may not be carried out on alternative dates;</li> <li>the use is necessary because of exceptional security circumstances or other exceptional circumstances;</li> <li>it will result in an overall cost savings by avoiding additional subsistence costs, overtime, or lost productive time while awaiting coach-class accommodations; or</li> <li>the length of the flight is five hours or greater.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: IV 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 558 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 29, 2014 Ms. Duckworth submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration RESOLUTION Prohibiting the use of the Members’ Representational Allowance for the payment of the costs of first-class airline accommodations.

1. Prohibiting use of Members’ Representational Allowance for first-class airline accommodations (a) Revision of Regulations Governing the Use of the MRA The Committee on House Administration shall promulgate revisions to the regulations governing the use of the Members’ Representational Allowance to ensure that the Allowance is not used for the payment of the costs of first-class airline accommodations for domestic travel except as provided under subsection (b). (b) Exceptions Under the revisions promulgated by the Committee on House Administration under subsection (a), a Members’ Representational Allowance may be used for the payment of the costs of first-class airline accommodations for domestic travel if the Member whose Allowance will be used for such payment certifies in writing to the Committee that any of the following applies: (1) The use of first-class accommodations is necessary to accommodate a medical disability or other special need, as demonstrated by such documentation as the Committee may require. (2) No accommodations other than first-class accommodations are reasonably available given the timing of the travel, but only if the travel is urgent and the purpose of the travel may not be carried out on alternative dates. (3) The use of first-class accommodations is necessary because of exceptional security circumstances or other exceptional circumstances. (4) The use of first-class accommodations will result in an overall cost savings by avoiding additional subsistence costs, overtime, or lost productive time while awaiting coach-class accommodations. (5) The length of the flight is 5 hours or greater. (c) Domestic Travel Defined For purposes of this resolution, domestic travel means travel within the continental United States.