Clarifying calculation of legislator compensation and expenses during the interim

The title was restructured to improve readability by separating the list of amended sections from the effective date provision and adding a conjunction for grammatical correctness. This is a formatting change with no impact on the law's substance.

Meal allowance eligibility now requires travel to last more than 3 continuous hours during specific time windows for morning, midday, and evening meals.

Compensation tiers for in-person meetings were adjusted based on round-trip mileage, with higher pay and meal allowances for longer distances.

Legislators cannot receive compensation for additional days away from home if the extended stay results from non-legislative business or business related to 5-11-305.

Clarified that appointed members of state boards and committees are entitled to midday meal allowances regardless of meeting location proximity to their residence.

The bill includes an immediate effective date provision.

Meal allowance eligibility now requires travel status for more than 3 continuous hours during specific time windows (morning: 12:01 a.m.-10 a.m., midday: 10:01 a.m.-3 p.m., evening: 3:01 p.m.-12 midnight).

Compensation tiers were restructured based on travel distance: 100 miles or less gets one day's pay; 100-400 miles gets two days' pay plus meals; 400+ miles gets three days' pay plus meals and lodging.

Added requirement that legislators must have prior authorization from the appropriate funding authority before receiving compensation for interim or committee business.

Prohibits compensation for additional 24-hour periods if time spent on non-legislative business extends a legislator's stay away from home.

Clarified that 'travel shift' begins one hour before and ends one hour after the employee's normally assigned work shift.

Meal allowance eligibility now requires travel status for more than 3 continuous hours during specific time windows (morning: 12:01 a.m.-10 a.m., midday: 10:01 a.m.-3 p.m., evening: 3:01 p.m.-12 midnight).

Salary and meal allowances are now tiered by travel distance: 100 miles or less gets one day's pay and one midday meal; 100-400 miles gets two days' pay and three meals; 400+ miles gets three days' pay and three meals.

Legislators cannot receive compensation for additional 24-hour periods if time is spent on business unrelated to authorized legislative, interim budget, or administrative committee work.

Travel shift is defined as one hour before and one hour after the employee's normally assigned work shift.

Bill includes an immediate effective date provision.

Changed the phrase 'is amended to read' to 'IS AMENDED TO READ' in all capital letters, which is a formatting standard in some legislative documents but does not alter the law's content.

Added references to MCA sections 5-11-305 and 5-11-708 to the bill's title, expanding the scope of sections being amended to include legislative council appointment provisions.

Removed the original effective date language stating the act is effective on passage and approval.

Added a new Section 3 that amends Section 5-11-305, MCA, to address legislative council appointments to interstate, international, and intergovernmental committees.

Changed bill number formatting from 'SB 64.1' to 'SB0064.2' and adjusted header formatting throughout the document.

Bill number changed from LC 0530 to SB 64.1, indicating transition from legislative council draft to official Senate Bill version

Added sponsor information showing the bill was introduced by P. Flowers

Page headers updated from 'LC 0530' to 'Authorized Print Version - SB 64' to reflect official Senate Bill status

Minor formatting adjustment in section 5, changing '2-18-501 and 2-18-502 ;' to '2-18-501 and 2-18-502;' (removing space before semicolon)