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2011 Session

Budget Amendments - HB1500 (Committee Approved)

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Legislative Compensation (language only)

Item 1 #1h

Item 1 #1h

Legislative Department
General Assembly of Virginia

Language
Page 5, strike lines 21 through 32 and insert:
"6.a. All compensation and reimbursement of expenses to members of the General Assembly and non-General Assembly members for attending a meeting described in paragraphs B.6.c., B.6.d., 7., and 8. shall be paid solely as provided pursuant to this item.
b. The provisions of paragraphs B.6.c. and B.6.d. of this item shall not apply during any regular session of the General Assembly or extension thereof, or during any special session of the General Assembly; provided, however, that the provisions of such paragraphs shall apply during any recess of the same.
c. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each General Assembly member shall receive compensation for each day, or portion thereof, of attendance at an official meeting of any joint subcommittee, board, commission, authority, council, compact, or other body that has been created or established by the General Assembly or by resolution of a house of the General Assembly, provided that the member has been appointed to, or designated an official member of, such joint subcommittee, board, commission, authority, council, compact, or other body pursuant to an act of the General Assembly or a resolution of a house of the General Assembly that provides for the appointment or designation.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each General Assembly member shall also receive compensation for each day, or portion thereof, of attendance at an official meeting of (i) any standing committee of the House of Delegates to which the member has been appointed, (ii) any standing committee or Committee on Rules of the Senate to which the member has been appointed, or (iii) the Joint Rules Committee of the General Assembly. Any official meeting of a subcommittee of any of the committees described in clauses (i), (ii), or (iii) shall also be an official meeting for which the member shall receive compensation.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any General Assembly member whose attendance, in the written opinion of the chairman of (a) any joint subcommittee, board, commission, authority, council, or other body that has been created or established in the legislative branch of state government by the General Assembly or by resolution of a house of the General Assembly; (b) any such standing committee of the House of Delegates or of the Senate; (c) the Committee on Rules of the Senate; or (d) the Joint Rules Committee of the General Assembly, is required at an official meeting of the body shall also receive compensation for each day, or portion thereof, of attendance at such official meeting.
Any General Assembly member receiving compensation pursuant to this paragraph for attending an official meeting shall be reimbursed for his reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in attending such meeting. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the reimbursement shall be provided by the respective body holding the meeting or by the entity that supports the work of the body.
d. Compensation to General Assembly members for attendance at any official meeting described under B.6.c.of this item shall be at the rate of $200 for each day, or portion thereof, of attendance. In no case shall a member be paid more than an aggregate of $200 in compensation for each day, or portion thereof, regardless of whether the member attends more than one official meeting during the day. The payment of such compensation shall be subject to the restrictions and limitations set forth in subsections B., C., and G. of § 30-19.12, Code of Virginia. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, compensation to General Assembly members for attendance at such official meetings shall be paid by the offices of the Clerk of the House of Delegates or Clerk of the Senate, as applicable. The body holding the meeting shall as soon as practicable report the member's attendance at any official meeting of such body to the Clerk of the House of Delegates or the Clerk of the Senate, as applicable, in order to facilitate payment of the compensation. Such body shall report the member's attendance in such manner as prescribed by the respective Clerk.
7. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever any General Assembly member is required to travel for official attendance as a representative of the General Assembly at any meeting, conference, seminar, workshop, or conclave, which is not conducted by the Commonwealth of Virginia or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, such member shall be entitled to (i) compensation in an amount not to exceed the per day rate set forth in paragraph B.6.d., and (ii) reimbursement for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred. Such compensation and reimbursement for expenses shall be set by the Speaker of the House of Delegates for members of the House of Delegates and by the Senate Committee on Rules for members of the Senate.
8. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply only to non-General Assembly members (hereinafter, "citizen members") of any (i) board, commission, authority, council, or other body created or established in the legislative branch of state government by the General Assembly or by resolution of a house of the General Assembly, or (ii) joint legislative committee or subcommittee.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any citizen member of any body described in this paragraph who is appointed at the state level, or designated an official member of such body, pursuant to an act of the General Assembly or a resolution of a house of the General Assembly that provides for the appointment or designation, shall receive compensation solely for each day, or portion thereof, of attendance at an official meeting of the same. In no event shall any citizen member be paid compensation for attending a meeting of an advisory committee or other advisory body. Subject to any contrary law that provides for a higher amount of compensation to be paid, compensation shall be paid at the rate of $50 for each day, or portion thereof, of attendance at an official meeting.
Such citizen members shall also be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in attending (a) an official meeting of any body described in this paragraph, or (b) a meeting of an advisory committee or advisory body of any body described in this paragraph.
Compensation and reimbursement of expenses to such citizen members shall be paid by the body holding the meeting (or for meetings of advisory committees or advisory bodies, the body on whose behalf the meeting is being held) or by the entity that supports the work of the body.
A citizen member, however, who is a full-time employee of the Commonwealth or any of its local political subdivisions, including any full-time faculty member of a public institution of higher education, shall not be entitled to compensation under this paragraph and shall be limited to reimbursement for his reasonable and necessary expenses incurred, which shall be reimbursed by his employer.
9. Pursuant to § 30-19.13, Code of Virginia, allowances for expenses of members of the General Assembly during any regular session of the General Assembly or extension thereof or during any special session of the General Assembly shall be paid in an amount not to exceed the maximum daily amount permitted by the Internal Revenue Service under rates established by the U.S. General Services Administration."
Page 5, line 33, strike "8" and insert "10".


Explanation
(This amendment clarifies current policies for compensation and reimbursement of expenses for attending meetings for members of the General Assembly.)