1052. Members of the General Assembly; compensation and expense reimbursement
(a)(1) Each member of the General Assembly, other than the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, is entitled to a weekly salary of $589.00 for the 2005 Biennial Session and thereafter, provided that, beginning on January 1, 2007, the weekly compensation shall be adjusted annually thereafter by the cost of living adjustment negotiated for State employees under the most recent collective bargaining agreement, except that, beginning on July 1, 2021, and annually thereafter on January 1, the weekly compensation shall be adjusted consistent with the compensation increases provided to other constitutional officers. The salary of members shall be paid in biweekly installments.
(2) During a special session, a member is entitled to an amount equal to one-fifth of the annually adjusted weekly compensation set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection, rounded up to the nearest dollar, for each day of a special session on which the House of which he or she is a member shall sit.
(b) During any session of the General Assembly, each member is entitled to receive reimbursement of expenses as set forth in this subsection.
(1) Mileage reimbursement. Each member shall be entitled to receive reimbursement in an amount equal to the actual mileage traveled for each day of session in which the member travels between Montpelier and the member’s home or from Montpelier or from the member’s home to another site on officially sanctioned legislative business. Reimbursement of actual mileage traveled under this subdivision shall be at the rate per mile determined by the federal Office of Government-wide Policy and published in the Federal Register for the year of the session.
(2) Meals. Each member shall receive either a meals allowance or reimbursement of actual meals expenses. A member shall be presumed to have elected to receive the meals allowance unless the member informs the Joint Fiscal Office by a date established by the Joint Fiscal Office that the member wishes to receive reimbursement of actual meals expenses. A member’s election to receive reimbursement of actual meals expenses shall remain in effect through the remainder of that session unless the member notifies the Office, in writing, that the member needs to change to the meals allowance due to a change in circumstances or for another compelling reason.
(A) Meals allowance. A member who elects to receive a meals allowance shall receive an amount equal to the daily amount for meals determined for Montpelier, Vermont, by the federal Office of Government-wide Policy and published in the Federal Register for the year of the session for each day the House in which the member serves shall sit.
(B) Meals reimbursement. A member who elects to receive reimbursement of expenses shall receive reimbursement equal to the actual amounts expended by the member for meals for each day that the House in which the member serves shall sit; provided, however, that the total amount of the weekly reimbursement available pursuant to this subdivision (B) shall not exceed the amount the member would have received for the same week if the member had elected the meals allowance pursuant to subdivision (A) of this subdivision (2). The member shall provide meal receipts or otherwise substantiate the amounts expended to the Joint Fiscal Office in the form and manner prescribed by the Chief Fiscal Officer.
(3) Lodging. Each member shall receive either a lodging allowance or reimbursement of actual lodging expenses. A member shall be presumed to have elected to receive the lodging allowance unless the member informs the Joint Fiscal Office by a date established by the Joint Fiscal Office that the member wishes to receive reimbursement of actual lodging expenses. A member’s election to receive reimbursement of actual lodging expenses shall remain in effect through the remainder of that session unless the member notifies the Office, in writing, that the member needs to change to the lodging allowance due to a change in circumstances or for another compelling reason.
(A) Lodging allowance. A member who elects to receive a lodging allowance shall receive an amount equal to the daily amount for lodging determined for Montpelier, Vermont, by the federal Office of Government-wide Policy and published in the Federal Register for the year of the session for each day the House in which the member serves shall sit.
(B) Lodging reimbursement. A member who elects to receive reimbursement of expenses shall receive reimbursement equal to the actual amounts expended by the member for lodging for each day that the House in which the member serves shall sit; provided, however, that the total amount of the weekly reimbursement available pursuant to this subdivision (B) for each week shall not exceed the amount the member would have received for the same week if the member had elected the lodging allowance pursuant to subdivision (A) of this subdivision (3). The member shall provide lodging receipts or otherwise substantiate the amounts expended to the Joint Fiscal Office in the form and manner prescribed by the Chief Fiscal Officer.
(4) Absences. If a member is absent for reasons other than sickness or legislative business for one or more entire days while the House in which the member sits is in session, the member shall notify the Office of Legislative Operations of that absence, and the member shall not be entitled to receive or be reimbursed for mileage, meals, or lodging expenses incurred during the period of that absence, except that lodging expenses associated with a lease or rental agreement may be received or reimbursed upon approval of either the Speaker of the House or the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(c) For attending a meeting of the Joint Fiscal Committee when a member is not receiving compensation as a member of the General Assembly, a member of the Joint Fiscal Committee shall be entitled to the same per diem compensation and reimbursement for necessary expenses as provided members of the General Assembly for attendance at sessions of the General Assembly.
(d) If a member of the General Assembly dies while the General Assembly is in session, the estate of the deceased member shall be entitled to receive compensation for the entire pay period in which the death occurred.
Added 1963, No. 31, § 2, eff. April 3, 1963; amended 1966, No. 1 (Sp. Sess.), eff. Jan. 5, 1966; 1967, No. 162, eff. April 15, 1967; 1969, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1971; 1973, No. 77, § 50; 1973, No. 134 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. date, see note set out below; 1973, No. 262 (Adj. Sess.), § 50, eff. April 11, 1974; 1975, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. March 18, 1976; 1977, No. 109, § 29, eff. July 3, 1977, § 29a, eff. Jan. 3, 1979; 1979, No. 59, §§ 20, 26, eff. July 1, 1979; 1979, No. 141 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 1981, No. 249 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 11a, 12; 1983, No. 243 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 17, 17a; 1985, No. 93, § 12; 1987, No. 121, § 16; 1989, No. 67, § 12; 1993, No. 140 (Adj. Sess.), § 104, eff. April 15, 1994; 1993, No. 227 (Adj. Sess.), § 36; 1997, No. 28, § 1b; 2003, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. Jan. 1, 2005; 2005, No. 66, § 1b; 2015, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § E.126.3, eff. Jan. 1, 2017; 2019, No. 14, § 75, eff. April 30, 2019; 2019, No. 120 (Adj. Sess.), § B.4, eff. July 1, 2021; 2019, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 30; 2021, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § 17, eff. Jan. 1, 2022; 2023, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § E.126, eff. July 1, 2024; 2025, No. 74 (Adj. Sess.), § 75, eff. Mar. 5, 2026.
