(1) (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1), each member of the general assembly shall be entitled to receive up to forty-five dollars per legislative day for expenses incurred during the sessions of the general assembly. Such allowance shall be considered as salary pursuant to section 24-51-101 (42), C.R.S. Each member of the general assembly who is serving on July 1, 1997, and who is entitled to such allowance may elect to have all of such allowance that was paid to the member during the period from January 1, 1992, through May 31, 1994, be considered salary pursuant to section 24-51-101 (42), C.R.S., subject to the following conditions:

(I) Payment shall be received by the public employees' retirement association of the amount of member contributions from the member and employer contributions from the employer on the allowance that was paid during the period, with appropriate interest calculated by the association;

(II) The election shall be made no later than December 31, 1997; and

(III) Payment of the total amount required, through a lump sum or through installments, shall be received by the public employees' retirement association on or before December 31, 1998.

(b)

(I) Repealed.

(II) In lieu of the expenses allowed in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), if a member does not reside in the Denver metropolitan area, which area shall be designated in guidelines established by the executive committee of legislative council, the member shall be entitled to receive per legislative day for expenses incurred during the sessions of the general assembly up to an amount equal to eighty-five percent of the federal per diem rate for the city and county of Denver, rounded up to the nearest whole dollar, as determined by the United States general services administration, or such succeeding entity, as of October 1 of the calendar year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which the per diem rate is to be used.

(c)

(I) Repealed.

(II) The per diem lodging and expense allowances of the general assembly as fixed by subparagraph (II) of paragraph (b) of this subsection (1) shall apply to regular or special sessions of the general assembly subsequent to July 1, 2012.

(d) The general assembly may provide by joint resolution for the suspension on a temporary basis of the normal per diem lodging and expense allowance, or any portion thereof, during that period when the general assembly is in recess for more than three days.

(e) Nothing in this section shall preclude a member of the general assembly from declining to accept all or part of the per diem lodging and expense allowance authorized by this subsection (1).

(2) (a) Each member of the general assembly who is entitled to claim a per diem lodging and expense allowance pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section shall also be entitled to receive travel expenses to such member's home and back to the capitol for each legislative day of actual attendance.

(b) Each member of the general assembly who is entitled to claim an expense per diem pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section shall also be entitled to receive travel expenses to any location within such member's district and back to Denver onceeach week, pursuant to section 2-2-316.

(c) The executive committee of the legislative council may establish guidelines regarding reimbursements and substantiation requirements for actual and necessary travel expenses incurred by members of the general assembly.

(3) For purposes of this section, "legislative day" means any day during the legislative session, including legal holidays, primary election days, and Saturdays and Sundays.