119-hr2519

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2519 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 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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