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Bill 4077

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      4077
Type of Legislation:              Joint Resolution JR
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  19990511
Primary Sponsor:                  Quinn
All Sponsors:                     Quinn
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\bbm\9314som99.doc
Residing Body:                    Senate
Current Committee:                Finance Committee 06 SF
Subject:                          Travel regulations for state employees, 
                                  Budget and Control Board to study; Public 
                                  Officers and Employees


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
Senate  19990602  Introduced, read first time,           06 SF
                  referred to Committee
House   19990602  Read third time, sent to Senate
House   19990601  Read second time
House   19990526  Recalled from Committee                30 HWM
House   19990511  Introduced, read first time,           30 HWM
                  referred to Committee


                             Versions of This Bill
Revised on May 26, 1999 - Word format

RECALLED

May 26, 1999

H. 4077

S. Printed 5/26/99--H.

Read the first time May 11, 1999.

DIRECTING THE STATE BUDGET AND CONTROL BOARD TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE TRAVEL REGULATIONS FOR STATE EMPLOYEES, TO RECOMMEND CHANGES IN THE POLICIES TO ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STATE'S EXPENDITURES ON THE TRAVEL FOR ITS EMPLOYEES; TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT POLICIES WITHOUT CHANGE WHILE THE STUDY IS BEING CONDUCTED; AND TO REPORT THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY JANUARY 15, 2000.

Whereas, a study conducted by the Legislative Audit Council in 1992, entitled "Cost Savings for State Government: A Special Report" stated that the Budget and Control Board estimated state government spent $46.6 million in travel expenditures in Fiscal Year 1989-90; and

Whereas, the estimated expenditures in Fiscal Year 1990-91 were $56 million, of which thirty-two percent came from the state's general fund, according to the same Legislative Audit Council study; and

Whereas, these expenditures are surely higher in this fiscal year, seven years after the completion of the Legislative Audit Council study; and

Whereas, no single authority or state office is responsible for monitoring travel by South Carolina agencies to ensure the costs are minimized; thus, it is difficult for the state to use its volume of travel to realize savings; and

Whereas, while other states and the federal government have central travel coordinators or management programs, in South Carolina the process is decentralized with the Budget and Control Board setting travel regulations, individual agency directors determining if travel and the amounts spent on each trip are justified, the responsibility for pre-audit and approval of travel vouchers resting with the Comptroller's Office, and the State Auditor's Office reviewing travel expenditures; and

Whereas, South Carolina does not collect travel data on a statewide basis and this lack of centralized information can limit the state's ability to minimize travel expenditures. Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. The Budget and Control Board is directed to conduct a study on the travel policies of the State and to make recommendations on the most efficient and cost effective methods of using state funds for the travel of the state's employees. The board may conduct this study with existing personnel, it may hire additional employees, or it may contract with a private firm. The study shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) collecting travel data on a statewide basis on the frequency and cost of air travel by state employees to specific destinations;

(2) exploring the possibility of recommending a policy of contracting with air carriers for government discounts on airfares;

(3) developing a system to monitor and control state government travel expenditures and to collect travel information;

(4) collecting information on the cost of the lodging obtained by state employees while traveling on government business; and

(5) exploring the possibility of recommending a policy of setting a limit on the amount of lodging reimbursement for both in-state and out-of-state travel which could reflect price differentials among cities.

During the period of this study, the travel policies and regulations of the State must not change but must remain the same. All relationships between individual state agencies and travel agencies must not be affected by this study. The Budget and Control Board shall report the findings and conclusions of the study to the General Assembly no later than January 15, 2000.

SECTION 2. The Budget and Control Board is directed to immediately begin monitoring the accumulation of frequent flyer points by state employees traveling on state business. The Budget and Control Board shall develop a policy which requires frequent flyer premiums earned while on state business be used for subsequent government travel.

SECTION 3. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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