Amended in Senate July 16, 2015

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 BillNo. 229


Introduced by Assembly Member Chang

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Brough, Kim, Low, and Olsen)

February 4, 2015


An act to addbegin insert and repealend insert Section 19822.4begin delete toend deletebegin insert ofend insert 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 billbegin delete wouldend deletebegin insert would, until January 1, 2019,end insert 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 in accordance 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:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 19822.4 is added to the Government
2Code
, to read:

3

19822.4.  

(a) As used in this section:

4(1) “Short-term rental” means a residential property that is rented
5to a visitor for fewer than 30 days through a centralized online
6platform whereby the rental is advertised and payments for the
7rental are securely processed. For purposes of travel
8reimbursement, a short-term rental shall be considered a
9commercial lodging establishment.

10(2) “Transportation network company” has the same meaning
11as defined in Section 5431 of the Public Utilities Code.

12(b) (1) A state agency shall not prohibit state employees
13traveling on official state business from using transportation
14provided by a transportation network company or lodging in a
15short-term rental.

16(2) Reimbursement shall be provided for necessary and actual
17expenses, consistent with the agency’s policies for reimbursement
18of other lodging establishments or other vehicles for hire.

19(c) The Legislature requests and encourages the University of
20California to adopt travel reimbursement policies in accordance
21with this section.

begin insert

22(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019,
23and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
24is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.

end insert


O

    95