WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 398

PUBLIC OFFLS/EMPS: Prohibits payment for meals and incidental expenses for state public officials and employees from exceeding amounts for such expenses established by the U.S. General Services Administration

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jerome Zeringue

Louisiana would cap state travel reimbursements for lodging, meals, and incidentals at the GSA rates, with a narrow exception for conference-related lodging.

Effective date: 07/01/2026.
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 398

Summary of HB 398 (2026, Louisiana)

Purpose and intent

HB 398 would limit reimbursement for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses by state public officials and employees to the rates established by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The bill applies to expenditures incurred by agencies and entities within the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, with targeted exceptions for certain conference-related lodging arrangements.

Key goal: ensure travel-related reimbursements do not exceed GSA rates, promoting consistency and potential cost savings across state government.

Key provisions and changes

  • Scope of applicability

    • Applies to all agencies and entities within:
    • Executive Branch (R.S. 39:231 and related provisions)
    • Legislative Branch (R.S. 24:1 et seq.)
    • Judicial Branch (R.S. 13:1 et seq. via amendments)
    • Covers lodging, meals, and incidental expenses for state officers and employees.

  • General cap on reimbursements

    • Reimbursements for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses cannot exceed the rates set by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). This aligns Louisiana reimbursements with federal rate schedules.

  • Exceptions for conference/meeting lodging

    • If lodging is reserved or recommended near a conference or meeting facility, an officer or employee may be reimbursed at the full reserved or recommended lodging rate, even if it exceeds the local GSA rate.
    • A documentation requirement applies: the employee must show that staying at the reserved/recommended lodging would cost less than alternative accommodations, allowing reimbursement at the full reserved rate in such cases.

  • Implementation timeline

    • The bill would take effect on July 1, 2026.
    • Reimbursements for expenses incurred on or after July 1, 2026, would be subject to the new rules.
    • Reimbursements incurred before July 1, 2026, but submitted after that date, would be reimbursed at the rate in effect for the paying organization at the time the expense was incurred.

  • Administrative adjustments

    • The bill adds cross-references to implement the new standard across the three branches (executive, legislative, judicial).
    • Includes amendments to align various sections (R.S. 39:231, R.S. 13:6, R.S. 24:16) with the new policy.

Who is affected

  • State agencies and entities within:
    • Executive Branch (including the commissioner of administration’s travel policy)
    • Legislative Branch
    • Judicial Branch
  • State officials and employees who submit travel expense reimbursements for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses.

Procedural and timeline considerations

  • Amendments to existing law: The bill proposes updating multiple statutes to impose the GSA-rate cap while preserving specific exceptions.
  • Effective date: July 1, 2026.
  • Documentation and compliance: Agencies must maintain documentation supporting any increased lodging reimbursement under the conference exception and submit it to the appropriate administrator within 60 days after a disaster/emergency period ends (as added in the emergency provision amendments).

Notable nuances

  • The bill’s emergency/disaster proviso (amendment language) allows for up to a 75% increase in lodging/meals/incidental reimbursements within declared disaster/emergency areas, but this appears to be a separate, temporary provision tied to emergencies, subject to specified conditions and documentation.

This summary highlights the bill’s core aim: standardizing travel expense reimbursements to GSA rates across Louisiana state government, with a narrowly defined exception for conference-related lodging and a defined implementation timeline.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.