NATIONAL GAMBLING IMPACT STUDY COMMISSION

ADMINISTRATIVE BRIEFING

CHAIRPERSON JAMES:

Mark Bogdan?

MR. BOGDAN: Madam Chair, members of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mark Bogdan. I'm here to discuss the administrative information needed at this point.

As Mr. Snowden had mentioned, each of you has a blue packet. I would request that if you could to please complete the forms that are in there today if possible. Then, I can collect them from you and get you started as actual members in the government at this point.

In addition to that, I want to go over how you're going to handle your travel expenses for this meeting. Okay?

According to the law that set up this Commission, the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter 1 of Chapter 57 of Title V, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of service for this Commission.

What this means in terms of this meeting we're at now -- the actual cost of your air fare will be reimbursed up to the cost of coach seating. In addition, you will also be reimbursed for your costs of travel to the airports, hotel, meetings, and back to your residences. This can be costs incurred in either vehicles for hire or use of your own personal vehicle. And if you use your own personal vehicle, the reimbursement is at 33 cents per mile, plus any parking that you incur.

For your expenses for lodging, Federal Travel Regulations permit reimbursement for actual cost up to a maximum of $207 per night of necessary lodging expense for this meeting.

Additionally, for your expenses related to meals and incidentals, Federal Travel Regulations permit per diem reimbursement up to $42 for a full day on this meeting, and on partial days, a quarterly breakdown of that. And these expenses are related for the D.C. area. For other meetings, the dollars would be different.

Additionally, for future meetings, we are hoping to establish a centralized billing account, whereby the air fare and lodging expenses will be handled separately by the Commission, rather than personally by yourselves as at this meeting.

CHAIRPERSON JAMES: And for that, we are all truly grateful.

MR. BOGDAN: Basically, at this point, that's all I really have to mention administratively for you. If anyone has any questions --

MR. SNOWDEN: Let me just add to Mark, you don't have to remember the quarter days and how much -- just send everything to Mark, and he'll figure it out. The only thing that he needs to know is what time you left home and what time you arrived, and he needs to know any ground transportation costs. And we'll figure the rest out. You don't need to do the math. And we need tickets and hotel receipts. You don't need receipts for meals or any of that.

COMMISSIONER LANNI: How about taxicabs?

MR. SNOWDEN: No. We need receipts for anything above $75. So if you incur ground transportation or meals that exceed -- if you have a meal of $75, I hope you enjoyed it, because you're only going to get $42.

(Laughter.)

You can enjoy that.

And again, just to -- I mean, the government will only allow you to fly coach. That doesn't mean you can't fly first class. That is not to say that the government restricts you. We just won't pay for it.

But just send your receipts to Mark, and we'll get that taken care of.

CHAIRPERSON JAMES: Any questions from the Commissioners for this panel?

Yes, Mr. Wilhelm?

COMMISSIONER WILHELM: I just want to say, Mr. Snowden and the group -- everybody dumps on the government and government employees -- I really appreciate the competence and clarity of you and your group.

MR. SNOWDEN: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON JAMES: And again, I would like to personally thank you. I have expressed to each of the Commissioners how grueling it has been preparing for this meeting, and it could not have been done without the competent staff and GSA, their advice, their counsel, and their hard work.

And so we would like to acknowledge that today, and I would ask the Commission to join me in thanking them for their service to us up to this point and for the future. And we do, indeed, thank you for what you have done.

COMMISSIONER LANNI: Madam Chair?

COMMISSIONER LANNI: I think the Commission should also thank you for your leadership in working with GSA to make this an effective transition.

CHAIRPERSON JAMES: Well, thank you, and I do appreciate that.

Well, the Chair is going to exercise a prerogative at this point. And you know that break that we skipped a little earlier? How about it now? Let's take a 10-minute break.

(Whereupon, the proceedings in the

foregoing matter went off the record at

10:33 a.m. and went back on the record at

CHAIRPERSON JAMES: The Commission is going to go into Executive Session to discuss some personnel matters. When we come out of that Executive Session, we will have a discussion and hopefully draw some conclusions on some personnel issues.

So it's at this point that I would request that members of the press and the public excuse themselves. I would anticipate, although I can't guarantee, that this should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes, so I wouldn't go too far.

I would also say that it is the intention of the Commission to have a working lunch. And so when we come back together, we're going to work right through. The Commissioners will be provided some sandwiches and snacks, so you may want to grab a quick bite to eat while we are in Executive Session, if you want to stay with us for the rest of the afternoon. Please feel free to do that, and we will wait for the room to clear while we go into Executive Session.

(Whereupon, at 10:53 a.m., the Commission went into Executive Session.)