(a)

(1) The Legislative Council is authorized to conduct or cause to be conducted budget briefings for members and members-elect of the General Assembly during the presession budget hearings conducted by the Legislative Council and the Joint Budget Committee preceding each regular session and fiscal session of the General Assembly for the purpose of informing interested members and members-elect of the General Assembly concerning budget requests, executive recommendations, and Legislative Council and Joint Budget Committee recommendations regarding the budgets for the various state agencies, institutions, departments, and programs.

(2) If at any time during the Legislative Council and Joint Budget Committee hearings preceding each regular session and fiscal session of the General Assembly it appears that there is not sufficient interest or attendance by members and members-elect of the General Assembly to justify continuation of budget briefings, the cochairs and co-vice chairs of the Legislative Council are authorized to terminate any further briefings during that particular budget session.

(b) Each member of the General Assembly who will serve during the upcoming regular session or fiscal session of the General Assembly and each member-elect of the General Assembly shall be entitled to attend the budget briefings conducted pursuant to the provisions of this section. Each member attending the budget briefings shall be entitled to per diem and mileage for attending briefings at the rate prescribed by law for members of the General Assembly who attend meetings of the interim committees of the General Assembly, to be payable from moneys appropriated for payment of per diem and mileage for attendance at meetings of interim committees.