A bill for an act relating to the payment of per diem to members of the general assembly.(See SF 2389.)
Summary
Senate File 2209 proposes to shorten the period during which Iowa legislators receive per diem payments for expenses of office during regular legislative sessions. Under current law, members receive per diem for the first 110 calendar days of the first regular session and the first 100 calendar days of the second regular session; this bill would reduce those limits to 55 days and 50 days, respectively. The bill does not change the base annual salary for most legislators, the special compensation rules for leadership positions, or the monthly district allowance for postage, travel, telephone, and other expenses.
The measure also leaves intact the existing travel reimbursement rules for trips to and from the seat of government and the special reduced per diem for members from Polk County. Its practical effect would be to reduce state spending on legislative per diem by limiting the number of days eligible for payment during each regular session, while preserving other elements of legislative compensation.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend Iowa Code section 2.10 governing legislative compensation and per diem. It would reduce the statutory per diem eligibility window for general assembly members, thereby lowering the amount of per diem paid from state funds during regular sessions. The bill would affect members of the general assembly generally, with existing exceptions and special rules for leadership positions and Polk County members remaining in place.
Sentiment
The available record shows little direct debate or recorded vote activity on the bill, and no committee transcript is provided. The bill was reported out of committee and renumbered as SF 2389, which suggests it received at least procedural support. Overall, the measure appears to be a cost-reduction or compensation-limiting proposal rather than a broadly controversial policy change, though the absence of discussion makes it difficult to gauge broader sentiment.
Contention
The main point of contention inherent in the bill is compensation for legislators: supporters would likely view the reduction in per diem eligibility as a restraint on public spending, while opponents could argue it reduces reimbursement for the time and expenses associated with legislative service. Because the bill changes only the duration of per diem payments and not salaries or other allowances, any disagreement would likely center on whether the reduced payment window is fair and whether it could discourage participation or impose additional out-of-pocket costs on members.
A bill for an act relating to the payment of dues by the general assembly for membership in professional organizations by members of the general assembly, and including effective date provisions.