NRS218A.645. Payment to Legislators for certain expenses during regular or special session, presession orientation and training sessions; payment to committee staff for per diem allowances and travel expenses for meetings outside capital.

      1.  The per diem allowance and the travel and telephone expenses of Legislators in attendance at any regular or special session, presession orientation conference of the Legislature or training session conducted pursuant to NRS 218A.285 must be allowed in the manner set forth in this section.

      2.  For initial travel from the Legislator’s home to Carson City, Nevada, to attend a regular or special session, a presession orientation conference of the Legislature or a training session conducted pursuant to NRS 218A.285, and for return travel from Carson City, Nevada, to the Legislator’s home upon adjournment sine die of a regular or special session or termination of a presession orientation conference or a training session, each Legislator is entitled to receive:

      (a) A per diem expense allowance, not to exceed the maximum rate established by the Federal Government for the Carson City area, for 1 day’s travel to and 1 day’s travel from the regular or special session, presession orientation conference or training session.

      (b) Travel expenses.

      3.  In addition to the per diem allowance and travel expenses authorized by subsection 2, each Legislator is entitled to receive a supplemental allowance which must not exceed:

      (a) A total of $10,000 during each regular session for:

             (1) The Legislator’s actual expenses in moving to and from Carson City for the regular session;

             (2) Travel to and from the Legislator’s home or temporary residence or for traveling to and from legislative committee and subcommittee meetings or hearings or for individual travel within the State which relates to legislative business;

             (3) If the Legislator rents furniture for the Legislator’s temporary residence rather than moving similar furniture from the Legislator’s home, the cost of renting that furniture not to exceed the amount that it would have cost to move the furniture to and from the Legislator’s home; and

             (4) If:

                   (I) The Legislator’s home is more than 50 miles from Carson City; and

                   (II) The Legislator maintains temporary quarters in or near Carson City for which the Legislator has entered into a lease or other agreement for occupancy during a regular session,

Ê the cost of such additional housing, paid at the end of each month during the regular session, beginning the month of the first day of the regular session and ending the month of the adjournment sine die of the regular session, in an amount that is the fair market rent for a one bedroom unit in Carson City as published by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development prorated for the number of days of the month that the Legislator actually maintained the temporary quarters in or near Carson City. For the purposes of this subparagraph, any day before the first day of the regular session or after the day of the adjournment sine die of the regular session may not be counted as a day for which the Legislator actually maintained such temporary quarters; and

      (b) A total of $1,200 during each special session for travel to and from the Legislator’s home or temporary residence or for traveling to and from legislative committee and subcommittee meetings or hearings or for individual travel within the State which relates to legislative business.

      4.  Each Legislator is entitled to receive a per diem expense allowance, not to exceed the maximum rate established by the Federal Government for the Carson City area:

      (a) For each day that the Legislature is in a regular or special session, a presession orientation conference or a training session conducted pursuant to NRS 218A.285; and

      (b) For each day that the Legislator attends a meeting of a standing committee of which the Legislator is a member when the Legislature has adjourned for more than 4 days.

      5.  Each Legislator who maintains temporary quarters in or near Carson City for which the Legislator has entered into a lease or other agreement for continuous occupancy for the duration of a regular or special session is entitled to receive a lodging allowance equal to that portion of the expense allowance which the Legislative Commission designates by rule as being allocated to lodging, for not more than 14 days in each period in which:

      (a) The Legislature has adjourned until a time certain; and

      (b) The Legislator is not entitled to a per diem allowance pursuant to subsection 4.

      6.  In addition to the per diem allowance authorized by subsection 4 and the lodging allowance authorized by subsection 5, each Legislator who maintains temporary quarters in or near Carson City for which the Legislator has entered into a lease or other agreement for continuous occupancy for the duration of a regular or special session is entitled to receive a lodging allowance equal to that portion of the expense allowance which the Legislative Commission designates by rule as being allocated to lodging, for not more than 17 days in each period in which:

      (a) The Legislature has adjourned for more than 4 days; and

      (b) The Legislator must obtain temporary lodging in a location that a standing committee of which the Legislator is a member is meeting.

      7.  Each Legislator is entitled to receive a lodging allowance equal to that portion of the expense allowance which the Legislative Commission designates by rule as being allocated to lodging, for not more than 6 days in each period in which:

      (a) The Legislature has adjourned for more than 4 days; and

      (b) The Legislator must obtain temporary lodging in a location that a standing committee of which the Legislator is a member is meeting,

Ê if the Legislator is not entitled to the per diem allowance authorized by subsection 4 or the lodging allowances authorized by subsections 5 and 6.

      8.  Each Legislator is entitled to receive a telephone allowance of:

      (a) Not more than $2,800 for the payment of tolls and charges incurred by the Legislator in the performance of official business during each regular session; and

      (b) Not more than $300 during each special session.

      9.  An employee of the Legislature assigned to serve a standing committee is entitled to receive the travel expenses and per diem allowance provided for state officers and employees generally if the employee is required to attend a hearing of the committee outside Carson City.

      10.  Claims for per diem expense allowances authorized by subsection 4 and lodging allowances authorized by subsections 5, 6 and 7 must be paid once each week during a regular or special session and upon completion of a presession orientation conference or a training session conducted pursuant to NRS 218A.285.

      11.  A claim for travel expenses authorized by subsection 2 or 3 must not be paid unless the Legislator submits a signed statement affirming:

      (a) The date of the travel; and

      (b) The places of departure and arrival and, if the travel is by private conveyance, the actual miles traveled. If the travel is not by private conveyance, the claim must include a receipt or other evidence of the expenditure.

      12.  Travel expenses authorized by subsections 2 and 3 are limited to:

      (a) If the travel is by private conveyance, a rate equal to the standard mileage reimbursement rate for which a deduction is allowed for the purposes of federal income tax. If two or more Legislators travel in the same private conveyance, the Legislator who provided or arranged for providing the transportation is presumed entitled to reimbursement.

      (b) If the travel is not by private conveyance, the actual amount expended.

Ê Transportation must be by the most economical means, considering total cost, time spent in transit and the availability of state-owned automobiles.

      [1:200:1953; A 1955, 400] + [2:200:1953; A 1955, 400] + [3:200:1953; A 1955, 400] + [4:200:1953]—(NRS A 1957, 7; 1960, 298; 1963, 7; 1965, 257; 1967, 172; 1971, 5; 1973, 1274; 1975, 36, 1092; 1977, 106, 1061; 1979, 438, 1265, 1267; 1981, 4; 1985, 1614; 1987, 1871; 1989, 1216; 1991, 1, 5; 1995, 2240; 1997, 3067; 1999, 2189, 3505; 2005, 2387; 2007, 599; 2011, 1675, 3171; 2013, 3830)—(Substituted in revision for NRS 218.220)