TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT
DIVISION 7: PLANNING, BUDGETING AND AUDITING
§ 7407. Restrictions on Government Paid Travel Outside of the Commonwealth. (a) Every government travel authorization shall contain a statement under penalty of perjury that the travel is for official business purposes and undertaken to benefit the people of the Commonwealth. (b) Within 15 days after completion of government travel, the traveler shall submit a detailed trip report and documented travel expenditures to the approving authority. The submissions shall be a public record. A person who has failed to make a timely submission shall not receive travel advances until his untimely submission is remedied. (c) Governmental agencies, departments, public corporations, boards or commissions shall not conduct any official board or commission meeting outside of the Commonwealth. (d) Official board or commission activities outside the Commonwealth must be reported to the Governor and to the chairman of Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee within 30 days of completion of such activities. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) The name(s) of the board or commission members and staff. (2) Purpose of the travel or activity. (3) Itemized actual expenses for the following: (a) Transportation costs. (i) Air fare. (ii) Ground transportation. (b) Per diem and subsistence covering meals and lodging. (c) Other itemized expenses not covered above. (e) Per diem allotments. Per diem allotments shall be made in accordance with a uniform government policy applicable to all branches, departments, divisions, agencies, and autonomous agencies of the Commonwealth Government. The Secretary of Finance shall develop and implement the policy by regulation and shall set the per diem rates for government travel. (f) Airfare restriction. The Commonwealth Government shall not purchase or furnish for or reimburse to any employee, contractor, board member, or other person required to travel on behalf of the Government, its departments, divisions, agencies, and autonomous agencies, an airline ticket for travel in first class, business class, or any other premium class designation. Travel agents issuing tickets for government travel shall only be paid at the regular economy fare or its equivalent. Any government employee who causes an airline ticket to be issued in violation of this section shall pay a civil fine of one-thousand dollars. Source: PL 5-9, § 312; amended by PL 5-31, § 414; PL 6-5, § 311; (e) and (f) added by PL 15-86, § 2, modified. Commission Comment: Subsection (c) originally contained the qualification “unless such meeting was included, and approved by the legislature, in the
TITLE 1: GOVERNMENT
DIVISION 7: PLANNING, BUDGETING AND AUDITING annual appropriation for the agency, department, public corporation, board or commission.” PL 6-5, § 311 implicitly repealed that qualification. The Commission deleted figures that repeated words pursuant to its authority in 1 CMC § 3806(e). PL 15-86 was enacted on September 26, 2007, and contained the following purpose provision in addition to severability and savings clauses. Section 1. Purpose. The purposes of this Act are to establish uniform per diem policies for government travel and to prohibit the purchase of first class, business class, or other premium airline tickets by the Commonwealth Government.