Bill To Increase Wyoming Lawmaker Per Diem Rates Beats Deadline

A bill that would increase the amount of money allotted to lawmakers to cover daily expenses beat a legislative deadline for committee approval on Monday morning.

House Bill 227 would also apply to members of state boards and commissions.

The House Minerals, Business, and Economic Development Committee voted 7-2 in favor of the bill, sending it on to the full Wyoming House for further consideration. The vote narrowly beat a Monday deadline for bills to be reported out of committee in their house of origin.

Had the committee not acted on the bill ahead of the deadline, the measure would have died for this session. An identical Senate Bill, Senate File 49, failed a Senate Introductory vote on Feb. 11, so House Bill 227 represents the last chance for a per diem increase to be approved by lawmakers on this session.

If it becomes law, the measure would increase the current legislative per diem of $109 per day to $151 per day, effective in 2021.

The state auditor's office would then automatically adjust the per diem July 1 of every year to match the United States general services administration rate for travel in Wyoming.