[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2519 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2519
To provide a per diem allowance for Members of Congress for the costs
of lodging, meals, and incidental expenses incurred because of travel
to and from the Washington Metropolitan Area in order to cast votes in
Congress, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 31, 2025
Mr. Rogers of Alabama introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on House Administration
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A BILL
To provide a per diem allowance for Members of Congress for the costs
of lodging, meals, and incidental expenses incurred because of travel
to and from the Washington Metropolitan Area in order to cast votes in
Congress, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PER DIEM ALLOWANCES FOR MEMBERS INCURRING COSTS IN TRAVEL TO
AND FROM WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA IN ORDER TO CAST
VOTES IN CONGRESS.
(a) Entitlement to Per Diem Allowances.--A Member of Congress who
travels on official and representational business to and from the
Member's designated residence to the Washington Metropolitan Area in
order to cast votes in Congress is entitled to--
(1) a per diem allowance for lodging in the Washington
Metropolitan Area in accordance with subsection (b)(1); and
(2) a per diem allowance for meals and incidental expenses
in the Washington Metropolitan Area in accordance with
subsection (b)(2).
(b) Exceptions.--
(1) Members residing in washington metropolitan area.--A
Member of Congress is not entitled to a per diem allowance
under this section if the Member's designated residence is
within the Washington Metropolitan Area.
(2) Expenses paid under other allowances.--A Member of
Congress is not entitled to a per diem allowance under this
section with respect to lodging, meals, and incidental expenses
for which payment is made--
(A) in the case of a Member of the House of
Representatives, under the Members' Representational
Allowance; and
(B) in the case of a Senator, under the Senators'
Official Personnel and Office Expense Account.
(c) Per Diem Allowances Described.--
(1) Lodging.--A Member of Congress may receive a per diem
allowance for lodging with respect to a day if--
(A) the House of Congress in which the Member
serves holds votes on that day; and
(B) the Member records a vote in person in the
chamber of that House of Congress on each vote held on
that day.
(2) Meals and incidental expenses.--A Member of Congress
may receive a per diem allowance for meals and incidental
expenses with respect to the following days:
(A) A day for which the Member receives a per diem
allowance for lodging under paragraph (1).
(B) The day before a day described in subparagraph
(A), but only if the Member travels to the Washington
Metropolitan Area on the day described in subparagraph
(A).
(C) The day after a day described in subparagraph
(A), but only if the Member travels from the Washington
Metropolitan Area on the day described in subparagraph
(A).
(3) Use of gsa rates.--The amount of the per diem allowance
to which a Member of Congress is entitled under this section
shall be the amount to which the Member would be entitled under
regulations prescribed by the Administrator of General Services
if the Member were an employee entitled to a per diem allowance
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code.
(d) Regulations.--
(1) In general.--This section shall be carried out in
accordance with regulations promulgated by--
(A) the Committee on House Administration of the
House of Representatives, with respect to the per diem
allowances for Members of the House of Representatives
and the Delegates and Resident Commissioner to the
Congress; and
(B) the Committee on Rules and Administration of
the Senate, with respect to the per diem allowances for
Senators.
(2) Ensuring allowances are not treated as earned income
for tax purposes.--In promulgating regulations to carry out
this section, the Committee on House Administration and the
Committee on Rules and Administration shall follow to the
greatest extent practicable the regulations each such Committee
promulgates with respect to payments for lodging, meals, and
incidental expenses incurred by Members of Congress under the
Members' Representational Allowance or the Senators' Official
Personnel and Office Expense Account, respectively, including
the provisions of such regulations which ensure that the
payment of such an allowance is not treated as income earned by
the Member for purposes of paying Federal, State, or local
taxes.
(3) Effect on existing regulations.--The regulations
promulgated under paragraph (1) shall supersede any regulations
of the Committee on House Administration or the Committee on
Rules and Administration governing the reimbursement of travel
expenses incurred by a Member of Congress which are in effect
at the time the regulations are promulgated.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The ``designated residence'' of a Member of Congress
is--
(A) in the case of a Member of the House of
Representatives, a residence in the congressional
district the Member represents (or, in the case of a
Member who does not reside in the congressional
district the Member represents, a residence in the
State in which the congressional district is located),
as designated by the Member in a statement the Member
provides to the Committee on House Administration; and
(B) in the case of a Senator, a residence in the
State the Senator represents, as designated by the
Senator in a statement the Senate provides to the
Committee on Rules and Administration.
(2) The term ``Member of the House of Representatives''
includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress.
(2) The term ``Washington Metropolitan Area'' means the
District of Columbia; the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church
and Fairfax, and the counties of Arlington and Fairfax, in
Virginia; and the counties of Montgomery and Prince George's in
Maryland.
(f) Treatment of Delegates.--In this section, the term ``Member of
the House of Representatives'' includes a Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to the Congress.
(g) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect to the
One Hundred Nineteenth Congress and each succeeding Congress.
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