(1) (a) In the absence of extenuating circumstances, no public entity may make travel-related expenditures on behalf of any covered person in an amount that would exceed, on a daily basis, two times the maximum allowable federal per diem rate that governs the location in which the person is traveling, rounded up to the nearest whole dollar, as determined by the United States general services administration, as of October 1 of the calendar year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which the per diem rate is to be used.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the public entity may make:

(I) Lodging expenditures that are above two times the federal per diem rate for travel-related expenditures in connection with an educational conference where an entity other than the public entity is hosting the conference and the person or entity organizing the conference selected the conference hotel or hotels; or

(II) Travel expenditures that are directly related to a program or a business purpose of a state institution of higher education or a state hospital authority.

(c) In the circumstances described in subparagraph (I) or (II) of paragraph (b) of this subsection (1), the public entity shall make available for review by its governing body or for public inspection, upon the provision of reasonable notice, itemization of any expenditures satisfying such exceptions to the requirements of this section.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, "travel-related expenditures" shall not include the actual costs of travel undertaken by the covered person for business-related purposes including, without limitation, airline fares, taxicab fares, automobile rentals, or reimbursement for automobile mileage expenses.

(2) If the public entity makes travel-related expenditures on behalf of a covered person in excess of the amount authorized by subsection (1) of this section, the covered person shall reimburse the fund of the public entity from which such moneys were diverted for the entire sum in excess of such authorized amount.

(3) A public entity shall make no travel-related expenditures on behalf of the spouse or a member of the immediate family of a covered person. In the event a public entity makes travel-related expenditures on behalf of the spouse or a member of the immediate family of a covered person, the covered person shall reimburse the fund of the public entity from which such moneys were diverted for the entire sum spent by the entity on such expenditures.