S. 103: A bill to require disclosure and payment of noncommercial air travel in the Senate.

111th Congress · introduced 2009-01-06 · Congress · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-01-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to require disclosure and payment of noncommercial air travel in the Senate.

Plain summary

Amends Rule XXXV (Gifts) of the Standing Rules of the Senate to require a Member, officer, or employee of the Senate to: (1) disclose a flight taken in connection with official duties on an aircraft that is not licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate for compensation or hire (unless it is owned, operated, or leased by a governmental entity); (2) reimburse the aircraft's owner or lessee for the pro rata share of the flight's fair market value; and (3) report to the Secretary of the Senate specified information about the trip, including its purpose and the persons on it (other than the pilot). Declares that the fair market value of noncommercial air travel is the fair market value of the normal and usual charter fare or rental charge for a comparable plane of appropriate size. Amends Rule XXXVIII (Prohibition of Unofficial Office Accounts) to prescribe the value for reimbursement purposes of the use of an aircraft that is not licensed by the FAA to operate for compensation or hire. Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) to require a principal campaign committee disclosure report of such a flight by a federal office candidate (other than one for President or Vice President). Excludes from the FECA definition of "contribution" any travel expense for such a flight if within seven days the candidate (or the candidate's authorize committee) pays the owner, lessee, or other individual providing the airplane the pro rata share of the flight's fair market value.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to require disclosure and payment of noncommercial air travel in the Senate.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s103.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s103 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111