We consider the optical conductivity of a d-wave BCS superconductor in the presence of a nonequilibrium distribution of excess quasiparticles. Two different simplified models used in the past for the s-wave case are considered and results compared. In the T (*) model of Parker the excess quasiparticles are assumed to be in a thermal distribution at some temperature T (*) larger than the equilibrium sample temperature. In the mu(*) model of Owen and Scalapino a chemical potential is introduced to accommodate the excess quasiparticles. Some of the results obtained are specific to the model; most are qualitatively similar in both.