Final answer:
Board members' compensation for official business days varies by legislature type, with professional legislatures paying a salary plus per diem, while nonprofessional legislatures (like Texas) offer much lower annual compensation plus per diem for session days only.
Step-by-step explanation:
Board members' compensation for official business days varies greatly depending on whether they are part of a professional legislature or a nonprofessional legislature. In professional legislatures, members may receive a salary plus per diem, often resulting in a substantial annual income.
For example, they could earn approximately $115,000 per year plus additional per diem amounts. By contrast, in nonprofessional legislatures like the Texas Legislature, members are compensated much less because they serve part-time. Here, they might earn as little as $7,200 per year and receive a per diem only when they are actively involved in legislative sessions in the state capital.
Additionally, there could be variations among states and countries, with factors including the length of the legislative session, the state's budget, and local laws influencing compensation rates. In all cases, compensation for legislative members is ascertained by law and comes from the public treasury.