§ 406. Standing committees; authority to meet; out-of-state business

(a) During adjournment of the General Assembly, any standing committee or subcommittee of a standing committee may with the appropriate approval of the Speaker or the President Pro Tempore meet at the call of its chair to conduct legislative business within the State. For attendance at such a meeting or for attendance at a meeting of a special committee or joint committee, a committee member shall be entitled to per diem compensation and expense reimbursement as follows:

(1) daily compensation at the rate then in effect for members of the General Assembly during a special session;

(2) actual mileage traveled at the rate paid State employees;

(3) receipted lodging costs and actual meal costs;

(4) other actual expenses, as reasonable and necessary.

(b) For attending to official duties out of the State, a member shall be entitled to the same per diem compensation as provided for attendance at sessions of the General Assembly. Reimbursement of necessary and actual expenses for official duties out of the State shall be made from the legislative appropriation to any member of the General Assembly or its staff. Such reimbursement and per diem compensation shall be in lieu of any other expenses payable by the State to that person during the period he or she is out of the State and shall be contingent upon:

(1) prior approval of the out-of-state duties by the Speaker of the House in the case of a House member or employee, or by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate in the case of a Senator or Senate employee; and

(2) certification of the expense voucher to the Commissioner of Finance and Management by either the Speaker of the House or President Pro Tempore of the Senate in the appropriate case or designee.

(c) All per diem and expense claims for attendance at authorized committee meetings shall be submitted with the approval of the committee chair. (Added 1971, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. March 31, 1972; amended 1973, No. 62, § 1, eff. April 24, 1973; 1983, No. 88, § 9, eff. July 3, 1983; 1983, No. 195 (Adj. Sess.), § 5(b); 1995, No. 123 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. June 6, 1996; 2003, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; 2007, No. 7, § 7.)