Current
law mandates all governing bodies that receive state appropriations to follow
strict travel expense guidelines. However, because the Massachusetts
Gaming Commission does not receive such appropriations, the commission has
interpreted that the regulations do not apply. The bill authored by the
Senate Republican Caucus, which is also available for co-sponsorship by the
members of the legislature, eliminates the wording of “state appropriations” to
make the regulation all-inclusive.
“Our
state’s expense rules need to be clear, understandable, and even-handed,” said
Senator Tarr. “These commonsense reforms achieve those goals and go
a long way toward preventing abuses and extreme expenses.”
With
unclear travel spending regulations, which were originally codified in 2004,
outrageous expenditures may occur if left unchecked. Recently, the Boston
Business Journal found employees of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to be
lavishly spending during business trips nationally and internationally.
Their review of over 700 credit card charges and expense reimbursements from
May 2012 to the end of 2013 found employees of the commission spent nearly
$85,000 on airfare, $61,000 on hotel accommodations, and $37,000 on meals.
Compelled
to address a number of problems with the current law, the bill seeks to resolve
the ambiguity of the state employee travel reimbursement regulations by:
• clarifying the reimbursement rules regarding lodging, entertainment, airfare,
and other travel expenses;
• applying the state reimbursement rules to every state employee; and
• removing the current distinction between managers and employees.
“These
loopholes, if left unchanged, would at the very least create a cloud of
impropriety, and at the very worst, allow widespread abuse,” said Senator Tarr. “With state government continuing to evolve, this measure aims to
instill confidence by removing speculation to ensure state employees are
spending precious dollars appropriately.”
