§24-4 Allowance for expenses while on official legislative business during period of recess and interim official legislative business. When a session of the legislature is recessed for more than three days pursuant to a concurrent resolution or for any interim official legislative business, a member of the legislature while on official legislative business on the island of the member's legal residence and when authorized by the presiding officer of the respective house, shall receive an allowance of $10 a day to cover personal expenses.

When a session of the legislature is recessed for more than three days pursuant to the mandatory recess required by article III, section 10, of the Constitution or a concurrent resolution or for any interim official legislative business, a member of the legislature who is required to remain away from the island of the member's legal residence but within the State overnight or longer while on official legislative business and when authorized by the presiding officer of the respective house, shall receive an allowance to cover all personal expenses such as board, lodging, and incidental expenses but not travel expenses. The allowance under this section shall be set at a single rate that will:

(1) Not exceed the greater of the maximum allowance for such expenses payable to any public officer or employee of the federal government or the State;

(2) Be reasonably calculated to cover the expenses specified in this section; and

(3) Be determined jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives for the legislature as a whole. [L 1969, c 5, pt of §1; am L 1981, c 2, §3 and c 164, §1(2); gen ch 1985; am L 2005, c 222, §3]