BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1020
87R6099 MTB-D	By: Hughes
	Business & Commerce
	4/9/2021
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 1020 amends Section 660.113(c), Government Code, to allow state agencies to reimburse state employees for groceries purchased within an employee's designated headquarters prior to traveling (i.e., day before or day of) and consumed during official travel. The bill requires agencies to establish a policy for authorizing such expenses prior to issuing any employee reimbursements. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the inability to purchase groceries in advance of state-required travel and often causes agency employees to instead purchase groceries from unfamiliar locations with potentially higher or unknown risk of exposure.

Agencies would be required to develop a new policy or revise the existing travel policy to identify processes, conditions, and necessary documentation for authorizing reimbursement of groceries purchased within an employee's designated headquarters prior to travel. This bill would potentially result in cost savings to the agency, because agency policy would be more flexible in that it allows for staff to more easily purchase groceries for business travel rather than staff solely relying on spending funds at eating establishments.

Furthermore, if staff have the ability to shop for groceries in their own designated headquarters, agencies would likely see savings in cost and time.

As proposed, S.B. 1020 amends current law relating to the reimbursement of state employees for groceries consumed while traveling on official state business.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 660.113(c), Government Code, to create an exception under Section 660.1135, to the prohibition of a state agency from reimbursing a state employee for a meal expense incurred within the employee's designated headquarters unless the expense is mandatory and connected with training, a seminar, or a conference.

SECTION 2. Amends Subchapter F, Chapter 660, Government Code, by adding Section 660.1135, as follows:

Sec. 660.1135.� REIMBURSEMENT FOR GROCERIES PURCHASED WITHIN EMPLOYEE'S DESIGNATED HEADQUARTERS. (a) Defines "groceries."

(b)� Authorizes a state agency to reimburse a state employee as provided by Subsections (c) and (d) for groceries purchased within the employee's designated headquarters if:

(1)� the purchase is made the day before or the day the employee travels to conduct official state business; and

(2)� the groceries are consumed by the employee while the employee is away from the employee's designated headquarters traveling for official state business.

(c)� Authorizes a state agency to only reimburse a state employee under this section for the prorated portion of groceries consumed each day by the state employee while traveling for official state business.

(d)� Provides that a purchase made under this section is considered a meal expense for purposes of determining the limit established by the travel provisions of the General Appropriations Act for meal expenses under Section 660.112 (Amount of Reimbursement).

(e)� Requires a state agency to develop a policy for authorizing reimbursements under this section before the agency is authorized to reimburse a state employee under this section.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.