H.B. No. 472 amends the Government Code to allow state agencies to reimburse employees for grocery expenses incurred while traveling on official state business. The bill introduces a new section, 660.1135, which defines "groceries" and outlines the conditions under which reimbursement is permitted. Specifically, employees can be reimbursed for groceries purchased within their designated headquarters if the purchase occurs the day before or the day of travel for official business, and the groceries are consumed while away from their headquarters. Additionally, reimbursement is limited to the prorated portion of groceries consumed each day during travel and is considered a meal expense for the purposes of the General Appropriations Act.

The bill also stipulates that state agencies must develop a policy for authorizing these reimbursements before they can be issued. The existing law is amended to clarify that state agencies cannot reimburse employees for meal expenses incurred at their designated headquarters unless certain conditions are met, specifically related to training, seminars, or conferences. This legislation is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 660.113 (Government Code 660)