A. Travel by any state officer or employee on official state business on any privately owned or chartered airplane may be reimbursed in an amount which, when added to per diem and reimbursement for lodging for that trip, does not exceed the equivalent of automobile mileage plus per diem and reimbursement for lodging had a privately owned automobile been used for the trip. The provisions of Section 500.4 of this title shall apply to calculation of automobile mileage equivalent in this section.

B. Upon completion of each trip, the pilot of any airplane owned by this state shall enter into a record book the names of all passengers on the airplane, date, destination, mileage, duration, purpose, and expense of the trip. The pilot shall sign each entry in the record book. Said book may be inspected by the State Auditor and Inspector.

C. Expenses of the trip are to be charged to the state departments or agencies of the officers or employees using the airplane. For the purposes of this section the term expense of the trip shall include but is not limited to the cost of operating the airplane, the duration of the trip, and the salary of the pilot.

D. Any non-elected law enforcement official or citizen who offers for use his or her personal airplane or aircraft for searches or criminal pursuits may be reimbursed by the public entity requesting such assistance for the cost of fuel used during such official business. Each public entity authorizing the use of any airplane or other aircraft for such purpose shall establish a policy to verify information they deem necessary to reimburse such individual for cost of fuel used pursuant to this subsection. Such information shall be recorded and made available by the public entity in the same manner as required for other expenditures of public funds by the public entity.

Added by Laws 1972, c. 123, § 6, operative July 1, 1972. Amended by Laws 1985, c. 76, § 1, emerg. eff. May 21, 1985; Laws 2007, c. 62, § 21, emerg. eff. April 30, 2007; Laws 2014, c. 254, § 1.