July 2020 - NASPO

National Council of State Legislatures Provides Fiscal Outlook

Presentation to NASPO Members

On June 29, as part of the weekly COVID-19 response calls for CPOs and their staff, we were pleased to host a fiscal briefing from our strategic partner, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Erica MacKellar, Program Principal for NCSL’s Fiscal Affairs Program, gave an overview and forecast for state budgets impacted by the coronavirus. MacKellar talked about how states are looking to balance budgets, including spending freezes, budget cuts, furloughs and pay cuts. She also reviewed methods used to help with balancing during past recessions, including base broadening, temporary tax increases for high income earners, rainy-day funds, and technology. There is some optimism as MacKellar reported State reserve funds are healthy and have replenished since the Great Recession. We appreciate our partnership with NCSL and thank Erica for her time.

The COVID-19 response calls allow members to discuss resources, reopening plans, and PPE purchases on a national scale. The next COVID-19 response call will be July 13^th at 2 pm ET. Regional Calls will also take place July 15^th (Midwestern and Southern Regions) and July 21^st (Eastern and Western Regions) at 2 pm or 3 pm ET, respectively.

For more information about our Strategic Partnerships, COVID-19 response calls, or Regional Calls, please contact Olivia Frey at [email protected]

Updates to NASPO Travel Policy

In anticipation of future travel, the Board of Directors has approved updates to the NASPO Travel Policy.

You can find the policy via the Resources>Reimbursements tab on the Network, along with instructions for receiving reimbursements electronically!

Key updates:

Individuals are now required to sign up for electronic reimbursement through our payment processor. Instructions for signing up for a free account can be found via the Resources> Reimbursements tab on the Network. (Be sure to select the employee option when registering!)
No more receipts! If your state allows you to submit using the GSA rate as a per diem, you no longer need to submit receipts and instead will receive the per diem rate. If your state requires a different method, please let us know.
If your state submits a travel reimbursement request that has a documented review process, you no longer need to attach the receipts; just attach the approval documentation.
Reimbursement to individuals must be submitted within 60 days of incurring the expense to comply with IRS regulations. This does not apply to states seeking reimbursements.
Mileage reimbursements are now capped at 500 miles. If you will be driving a longer distance than that, please consider flying or reach out to get approval for a rental car.

2020 SPLC Virtual Connect Conference – Discount Code Available

NASPO members may now register for the 2020 Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) Virtual Connect conference with a ten percent discount on registration.

The fully day 2020 SPLC Virtual Connect event will be held on July 16^th from 11 am – 5 pm ET.

Use the discount code NASPO10% when registering.

NASPO Pulse Podcast Highlights

In episode 8, NASPO discusses a CPO’s seat at the table with the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices Director, Tim Blute. Look out for Episode 9 where we examine NASPO ValuePoint’s efforts to collect useful data while combating Coronavirus.

Email [email protected] to share your thoughts!