Amended in Senate July 7, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 22, 2015

Amended in Assembly March 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 229

Introduced by Assembly Member Chang

( begin delete Coauthor: end delete begin insert Coauthors: end insert Assembly begin delete Member end delete begin insert Members Brough, Kim, Low, and end insert Olsen)

February 4, 2015

An act to add Section 19822.4 to the Government Code, relating to public employment.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 229, as amended, Chang. State employees: travel reimbursement.

Under existing law and bargaining agreements, the state reimburses employees for all necessary and actual expenses they incur when they travel on official state business.

This bill would prohibit a state agency from prohibiting state employees traveling on official state business from using transportation provided by a transportation network company or lodging in a short-term rental, as defined. The bill would require a state agency to reimburse the actual and necessary expenses of a state employee using a transportation network company or a short-term rental consistent with the agency’s standard reimbursement policies. The bill would request and encourage the University of California to adopt travel reimbursement policies begin delete consistent end delete begin insert in accordance end insert with that prohibition. The bill would define terms for those purposes.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 19822.4 is added to the Government
Code, to read:

19822.4.  

(a) As used in this section:

(1) “Short-term rental” means a residential property that is rented
to a visitor for fewer than 30 days through a centralized online
platform whereby the rental is advertised and payments for the
rental are securely processed. For purposes of travel
reimbursement, a short-term rental shall be considered a
commercial lodging establishment.

(2) “Transportation network company” has the same meaning
as defined in Section 5431 of the Public Utilities Code.

(b) (1) A state agency shall not prohibit state employees
traveling on official state business from using transportation
provided by a transportation network company or lodging in a
short-term rental.

(2) Reimbursement shall be provided for necessary and actual
expenses, consistent with the agency’s policies for reimbursement
of other lodging establishments or other vehicles for hire.

(c) The Legislature requests and encourages the University of
California to adopt travel reimbursement policies begin delete consistent end delete begin insert in
accordance end insert with this section.