By Finnell H.B. No. 497 75R3287 JRD-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the use of frequent flyer bonuses awarded to certain 1-3 state officers and employees. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 2171, Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 2171.057 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 2171.057. FREQUENT FLYER BONUSES. (a) In this 1-8 section, "frequent flyer bonus" means a credit: 1-9 (1) that is given to a person by an airline in return 1-10 for that person or another person using the airline for air travel; 1-11 and 1-12 (2) that can be used as payment for other air travel, 1-13 automobile rentals, hotel or motel accommodations, or other 1-14 services or items. 1-15 (b) Each officer or employee of a state agency shall report 1-16 to the person in the agency responsible for administering the 1-17 agency's travel any frequent flyer bonus to which the officer or 1-18 employee becomes entitled as a result of the officer's or 1-19 employee's air travel that is paid for from state agency funds. 1-20 The officer or employee shall deliver to the person in the agency 1-21 responsible for administering the agency's travel any validations, 1-22 coupons, certificates, or other documents required to use or 1-23 acquire the bonus. The state agency shall keep a record of the 1-24 reported bonuses. 2-1 (c) The person in the agency responsible for administering 2-2 the agency's travel shall credit a bonus to an account to be 2-3 maintained for the officer or employee to whom the bonus was given. 2-4 The bonuses in an officer's or employee's account may only be used, 2-5 with the approval of the state agency and in accordance with rules 2-6 adopted by the commission, to pay for air travel or other items 2-7 needed by that officer or employee in an official capacity. 2-8 (d) Each state agency shall report to the central travel 2-9 office the acquisition and use of bonuses by its officers and 2-10 employees. The central travel office shall compute the amount of 2-11 travel costs saved by the state through the use of bonuses. 2-12 (e) The central travel office shall inform state agencies of 2-13 the requirements of this section, including rules adopted under 2-14 this section. The state agencies shall assist the commission in 2-15 gaining the compliance of the agencies' officers and employees with 2-16 the requirements. 2-17 (f) The commission by rule may change the manner in which 2-18 frequent flyer bonuses are administered under this section as 2-19 necessary to conform to regulations of an airline or as necessary 2-20 to ensure that the bonuses are used in a manner most advantageous 2-21 to the state. 2-22 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. The 2-23 changes in law made by this Act apply only to frequent flyer 2-24 bonuses that a state officer or employee becomes entitled to 2-25 receive, because of official travel, on or after that date. 2-26 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.