SB257 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Paul Sanford

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

State employees, compensation and benefits, longevity pay repealed, subsistence allowance for certain law enforcement officers repealed, daily expense allowance repealed, Sec. 36-7-20 am'd; Secs. 36-6-11, 36-21-2 repealed

Summary

SB257 would repeal state employee longevity pay and certain law enforcement subsistence allowances, and overhaul in-state travel per diem rules for state employees.

What This Bill Does

It repeals annual longevity compensation for state employees and the daily subsistence allowance for certain law enforcement officers. It rewrites travel allowances for state employees traveling on state business by setting a minimum $75 daily rate, removing allowances for trips under six hours, and detailing meal and per diem rules for trips not requiring an overnight stay, including a possible reduction in per diem after two consecutive months in the same location; it also outlines various exceptions and approvals for special cases. It adds exemptions and options such as allowing representational expenses to be reimbursed with advance approval, clarifies exemptions for certain insurance examiners, and lets agencies handle travel payments directly in some circumstances; it also adjusts Legislature-related travel rules, including who determines state travel and when per diem applies.

Who It Affects

• State employees who travel on state business would see revised travel allowances, including a mandatory minimum daily rate, new meal/per diem calculations for trips without overnight stays, and potential reductions after long assignments.
• Recipients of longevity pay and subsistence allowances (state employees in longevity programs and certain law enforcement officers) would lose those benefits; legislators and certain travel scenarios have tailored rules, while some examiners are exempt from per diem rules and agencies may pay facilities directly in some cases.

Key Provisions

• Repeals Section 36-6-11: eliminates annual longevity compensation for state employees.
• Repeals Section 36-21-2: eliminates daily subsistence allowance for certain law enforcement officers.
• Amends Section 36-7-20: sets in-state travel allowances at a minimum of $75 per day, removes travel allowances for trips under six hours, and establishes meal allowances for trips not requiring overnight stay (15% of per diem for 6-12 hours; one meal plus 1/4 of per diem for more than 12 hours).
• Per diem rules: if an employee remains in the same location for two consecutive months, per diem is reduced to 75% of the regular rate, with certain exceptions for representation and official duties approved in advance.
• Representational/trade promotion exception: allows actual expenses to be reimbursed if approved in writing by the Governor or Director of Finance.
• Exemption for insurance examiners: the per diem requirements do not apply to examiners when expenses are paid by the corporations examined.
• Agency discretion: employing agencies may choose to pay meals/per diem directly to contracted facilities, within in-state travel limits.
• Legislature-specific provisions: defines travel as departing from a legislator's residence, outlines per diem applicability on session and interim days, and assigns travel determinations to the presiding officer of the relevant house.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

State Employees