State representatives in Ohio who live at least 60 miles from the Statehouse are now eligible for a nightly hotel reimbursement.
The new Ohio House policy was announced internally last week. It allows eligible members to be reimbursed up to $65 a night for their hotel stays in Columbus.
Lawmakers must meet the mileage requirement, attend a committee hearing or voting session the day of or night before their stay and submit dated receipts to qualify.
A spokeswoman for Republican Speaker Larry Householder said in an email the new policy reflects a change in federal law, under which House members may no longer deduct lodging costs from their federal taxes.
State senators remain ineligible for lodging reimbursements, according to a spokesman for Senate President Larry Obhof.