§ 58. Mail, telegraph, telephone, stationery, office supplies, and home State office and travel expenses for Senators

(a) Authorization for payment from Senate contingent fund

The contingent fund of the Senate is made available for payment (including reimbursement) to or on behalf of each Senator, upon certification of the Senator, for the following expenses incurred by the Senator and his staff:

(1) telecommunications equipment and services subject to such regulations as may be promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate;

(2)

(A) stationery and other office supplies procured for use for official business, and

(B) metered charges for use of copying equipment provided by the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate;

(3) [

(A) Repealed. Pub. L. 101–520, title I, § 11, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 2260]

(B) postage on, and fees and charges in connection with official mail matter sent through the mail other than the franking privilege upon certification by the Senate Sergeant at Arms and subject to such regulations as may be promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration, and

(C) costs incurred in the preparation of required official reports, and the acquisition of mailing lists to be used for official purposes, and in the mailing, delivery, or transmitting of matters relating to official business;

(4) official office expenses incurred (other than for equipment and furniture and expenses described in paragraphs (1) through (3)) for an office in his home State;

(5) expenses incurred for publications printed or recorded in any way for auditory and visual use (including subscriptions to books, newspapers, magazines, clipping, and other information services);

(6) subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by the Senator and employees in his office;

(7) expenses incurred for additional office equipment and services related thereto (but not including personal services), in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate;

(8) charges officially incurred for recording and photographic services and products; and

(9) such other official expenses as the Senator determines to be necessary.

Payment under this section shall be made only upon presentation of itemized vouchers for expenses incurred and, in the case of expenses paid or reimbursed under paragraphs (6) and (9), only upon presentation of detailed itemized vouchers for such expenses. Vouchers presented for payment under this section shall be accompanied by such documentation as is required under regulations promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate. No payment shall be made under paragraph (4) or (9) for any expense incurred for entertainment or meals.

(b) Limits for authorized expenses; recalculation formula

(1)

(A) Except as is otherwise provided in the succeeding paragraphs of this subsection and subject to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the total amount of expenses authorized to be paid to or on behalf of a Senator under this section shall not exceed for calendar year 1977 or any calendar year thereafter an amount equal to one-half of the sum of the amounts authorized to be paid under this section on the day before August 5, 1977, to or on behalf of both of the Senators from the State which he represents, increased by an amount equal to twenty percent thereof and rounded to the next higher multiple of $1,000.

(B) In the event that the term of office of a Senator begins after the first month of any such calendar year or ends (except by reason of death, resignation, or expulsion) before the last month of any such calendar year, the aggregate amount available to such Senator for such year shall be the aggregate amount computed under paragraph (1) of this subsection, divided by 12, and multiplied by the number of months in such year which are included in the Senator’s term of office, counting any fraction of a month as a full month.

(2)

(A) In the case of the period which commences January 1, 1988, and ends September 30, 1988, the total of—

(i) the expenses paid to or on behalf of a Senator under this section for such period, plus

(ii) the aggregate amount of gross compensation which is paid to employees in the office of such Senator for such period (as determined for purposes of section 61–1 (d) of this title),

shall not exceed the aggregate of—

(iii) subject to subparagraph (B), an amount equal to 75 percent of the amount of the authorized expenses under this section for the calendar year ending December 31, 1987, as determined in the case of a Senator, who represents the State which such Senator represents, whose term of office included all of such calendar year, plus

(iv) the amount by which

(I) the aggregate of the gross compensation which may be paid to employees in the office of such Senator for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1988, pursuant to the limitations imposed by section 61–1 (d) of this title (as determined without regard to paragraph (1)(B) thereof), exceeds

(II) the aggregate amount of gross compensation which is paid to employees in the office of such Senator for that part of such fiscal year which precedes January 1, 1988.

(B) In the event that the term of office of a Senator begins after the first month of the period which commences January 1, 1988, and ends September 30, 1988, or ends (except by reason of death, resignation, or expulsion) before the last month of such period, the amount computed pursuant to subparagraph (A)(iii) of this paragraph (but before application of this subparagraph) shall be recalculated as follows: such amount, as computed under subparagraph (A)(iii) of this paragraph, shall be divided by 9, and multiplied by the number of months in such period which are included in the Senator’s term of office, counting any fraction of a month as a full month.

(3)

(A) In the case of the fiscal year beginning October 1, 1988, or any fiscal year thereafter, the total of—

(i) the expenses paid to or on behalf of a Senator under this section for such fiscal year, plus

(ii) the aggregate amount of gross compensation which is paid to employees in the office of such Senator for such fiscal year (as determined for purposes of section 61–1 (d) of this title),

shall not exceed the aggregate of—

(iii) subject to subparagraph (B)—

(I) in case the Senator represents Alabama, $116,300, Alaska, $221,600, Arizona, $128,975, Arkansas, $118,250, California, $168,950, Colorado, $124,100, Connecticut, $105,575, Delaware, $95,825, Florida, $120,200, Georgia, $116,300, Hawaii, $245,000, Idaho, $128,000, Illinois, $138,725, Indiana, $116,300, Iowa, $119,225, Kansas, $119,225, Kentucky, $115,325, Louisiana, $120,200, Maine, $110,450, Maryland, $100,700, Massachusetts, $114,350, Michigan, $124,100, Minnesota, $120,200, Mississippi, $118,250, Missouri, $121,175, Montana, $128,000, Nebraska, $120,200, Nevada, $129,950, New Hampshire, $106,550, New Jersey, $110,450, New Mexico, $125,075, New York, $145,550, North Carolina, $112,400, North Dakota, $119,225, Ohio, $129,950, Oklahoma, $123,125, Oregon, $132,875, Pennsylvania, $128,975, Rhode Island, $104,600, South Carolina, $110,450, South Dakota, $120,200, Tennessee, $116,300, Texas, $149,450, Utah, $128,000, Vermont, $105,575, Virginia, $106,550, Washington, $135,800, West Virginia, $105,575, Wisconsin, $119,225, Wyoming, $123,125, plus

(II) the amount that is equal to the Senator’s share for the fiscal year, as determined in accordance with regulations of the Committee on Rules and Administration, of the amount made available within the Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account in the contingent fund of the Senate for official mail expenses of Senators, plus

(iv) the aggregate of the gross compensation which may be paid to employees in the office of such Senator for such fiscal year, under the limitations imposed by section 61–1 (d) of this title, but without regard to the provisions of paragraph (1)(C)(iv) thereof.

(B) In the event that the term of office of a Senator begins after the first month of any such fiscal year or ends (except by reason of death, resignation, or expulsion) before the last month of any such fiscal year, the amount referred to in subparagraph (A)(iii)(I) shall be recalculated as follows: such amount, as computed under subparagraph (iii), shall be divided by 12, and multiplied by the number of months in such year which are included in the Senator’s term of office, counting any fraction of a month as a full month; and the amount referred to in subparagraph (A)(iii)(II) shall be recalculated in accordance with regulations of the Committee on Rules and Administration.

(d) Repealed. Pub. L. 93–371, § 101(3)(e), Aug. 13, 1974, 88 Stat. 429

(e) Transportation, essential travel-related expenses, and per diem expenses; coverage; limitations; amounts

Subject to and in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, a Senator and the employees in his office shall be reimbursed under this section for travel expenses incurred by the Senator or employee while traveling on official business within the United States. The term “travel expenses” includes actual transportation expenses, essential travel-related expenses, and, where applicable, per diem expenses (but not in excess of actual expenses). A Senator or an employee of the Senator shall not be reimbursed for any travel expenses (other than actual transportation expenses) for any travel occurring during the sixty days immediately before the date of any primary or general election (whether regular, special, or runoff) in which the Senator is a candidate for public office (within the meaning of section 431 (b) ^[1] of this title), unless his candidacy in such election is uncontested. For purposes of this subsection and subsection (a)(6) of this section, an employee in the Office of the President pro tempore, Deputy President pro tempore, Majority Leader, Minority Leader, Majority Whip, Minority Whip, Secretary of the Conference of the Majority, or Secretary of the Conference of the Minority shall be considered to be an employee in the office of the Senator holding such office.

(f) Omitted

(g) Closing of deceased Senator’s State offices

In the case of the death of any Senator, the chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administration may certify for such deceased Senator for any portion of such sum already obligated but not certified to at the time of such Senator’s death, and for any additional amount which may be reasonably needed for the purpose of closing such deceased Senator’s State offices, for payment to the person or persons designated as entitled to such payment by such chairman.

(h) Individuals serving on panels or other bodies recommending nominees for Federal judgeships, service academies, United States Attorneys, or United States Marshals

For purposes of subsections (a) and (e) of this section, an individual who is selected by a Senator to serve on a panel or other body to make recommendations for nominees to one or more Federal judgeships or to one or more service academies or one or more positions of United States Attorney or United States Marshal shall be considered to be an employee in the office of that Senator with respect to travel and official expenses incurred in performing duties as a member of such panel or other body, and shall be reimbursed

(A) for actual transportation expenses and per diem expenses (but not exceeding actual travel expenses) incurred while traveling in performing such duties within the Senator’s home State or between that State and Washington, District of Columbia, and each of the service academies,

(B) for official expenses incurred in performing such duties. For purposes of this subsection and subsection (a) of this section, “official expenses” means expenses of the type for which reimbursement may be made to an employee in the office of a Senator when traveling on business of a committee of which that Senator is a member, and, for accounting purposes, such expenses shall be treated as expenses for which reimbursement may be made under subsection (a)(4) of this section.

(i) Authorization of Secretary of Senate to pay reimbursable expenses

Whenever a Senator or an employee in his office has incurred an expense for which reimbursement may be made under this section, the Secretary of the Senate is authorized to make payment to that Senator or employee for the expense incurred, subject to the same terms and conditions as apply to reimbursement of the expense under this section.

(j) Advances from Senate contingent fund for travel expenses for official business trips; vouchers; settlement

Whenever a Senator or employee of his office plans an official business trip with respect to which reimbursement for travel expenses is authorized under the preceding provisions of section (a), the Senator (or such an employee who has been designated by the Senator to do so) may, prior to the commencement of such trip and in accordance with applicable regulations of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, obtain from any moneys in the contingent fund of the Senate which are available to him for purposes specified in subsection (a)(6) of this section, such advance sum as he shall certify (and be accountable for), to the Secretary of the Senate, to be necessary to defray some or all of the expenses to be incurred on such trip which expenses are reimbursable under the preceding provisions of this section. The receipt by any Senator for any sum so advanced to him or his order out of the contingent fund of the Senate by the Secretary of the Senate shall be taken and passed by the accounting officers of the Government as a full and sufficient voucher; but it shall be the duty of such Senator (or employee of his office, as the case may be), as soon as practicable, to furnish to the Secretary of the Senate a detailed voucher of the expenses incurred for the travel with respect to which the sum was so advanced, and make settlement with respect to such sum.

[1] So in original. Probably should be section “431(2)”.

U.S. Code

§ 58. Mail, telegraph, telephone, stationery, office supplies, and home State office and travel expenses for Senators