Travel Reimbursement (General Provisions)

Conservation of Funds

An employee's travel must be planned to achieve maximum savings and efficiency. The travel expenses must be the lowest possible considering all relevant circumstances.

State funds may not be used to pay for travel expenses associated with training seminar conducted for our OWN employees unless certification is provided that 1) the travel costs are less than that of using video conference facilities or 2) our own or another agency's video conference facilities are not available.

A department may adopt expense reimbursement and payment rates lower than the maximum rate. The department's employees must be notified in writing before the lower rates are implemented. Travel expense limitations must be stated on the RTA.  Travel reimbursement voucher must be submitted to the Travel Office within 30 days of return date.

Official State Business

Administrative Memorandum No. 4.3 (January 1, 1991), and the Handbook of Operating Procedures (http://www.utsa.edu/hop/chapter2/2-20.cfm) states the following: "The State regulations recognize two purposes for travel -(1) to benefit The University of Texas System, and (2) to present original research before a national, international, regional, or state teamed society. The purpose of travel must clearly involve official state business and be consistent with the legal responsibilities of the University. If, for personal reasons, an employee is unable to reach his duty point, the employee's travel expenses are not reimbursable. For example, if an employee has car trouble or becomes ill and is unable to conduct official state business, expenses for that trip cannot be reimbursed.

Voucher Requirements:

1. The voucher must identify the duty point. If the duty point is within Texas, only the city must be specified. If the duty point is outside Texas, the voucher must specify the city and state.
2. The voucher must state the nature of the official state business conducted at each location.
3. Any abbreviations or acronyms used on the voucher must clearly be defined.

Erroneous Vouchers

The payment of a voucher containing an unallowable travel expense does not make future payments of like expenses proper.

Cancellation or Change Charges

A cancellation or change charge is reimbursable only if the charge is incurred for business related reasons, personal emergency or illness, or because of adverse weather conditions or a natural disaster.

Voucher Requirements:

1. The voucher must specify the reason for the cancellation.
2. Attach proof that the cancellation charge has been paid to the voucher.
3. If the cancellation charge is for an unused airline ticket, the original ticket must be attached to the voucher.

Free or Discounted Travel

An employee cannot be reimbursed for travel if no expense has been incurred. Receiving free transportation or lodging in exchange for mileage or points does not constitute an expense. An employee can be reimbursed for discounted travel only if money was paid directly to obtain the discount. If money is paid directly to obtain a discount, then reimbursement is limited to the lesser of the cost of obtaining the discount, the amount of the discount or the maximum reimbursement allowed for that type of travel expense.

Voucher Requirements:

1. An original, complete, and unaltered receipt from the seller of the discount must be attached to the voucher.
2. The voucher must contain a detailed description of the discount.

Weekend Travel

If official state business temporarily ends on Friday then resumes on Monday, the employee has the option to stay at the duty point or return to headquarters for the weekend. If the employee chooses to remain at the duty point, expenses for the weekend are subject to the same limitations as weekday travel. If the employee decides to return to headquarters, the travel reimbursement would be limited to the lesser of the expenses that would have been reimbursed had the employee stayed at the duty point and the transportation expenses incurred returning to headquarters and going back to the duty point.

Reimbursable expenses are limited if an employee leaves a duty point and travels for personal reasons to a location other than headquarters for the weekend. Weekend travel expenses may not exceed the average weekday travel cost multiplied by the number of days in the weekend.

Packaged Travel Arrangements

If meal or lodging expenses are mandatory and included with the registration fee, then they are fully reimbursable. If meal and lodging expenses are not mandatory then the reimbursement may not exceed the meal and lodging limits.

Voucher Requirements:

1. An original and complete receipt form the seller of the package must be attached to the voucher.
2. Meal or lodging expenses packaged with a registration fee are considered part of the registration fee and must be charged to the same object code as the fee. If meal or lodging expenses are not mandatory, they must be separated from the registration fee and charged to the usual object codes for meals or lodging.

Expenses incurred while qualifying for discount airfare

When an employee stays extra days at a duty point to qualify for a discount airfare, they may be reimbursed for the travel expenses incurred if the additional expenses plus the discount airfare are less than or equal to the average coach airfare. It must be in the best interest of the University to allow the employees to be absent for the extra days. The extra days may occur before or after the official state business.

Voucher Requirements:

1. The voucher must show that additional expenses incurred are less than or equal to the average coach airfare. The voucher must state the average coach airfare and the source used to determine that airfare.

Travel while on personal leave

If an employee on personal leave at a location outside the designated headquarters is required to travel to a duty point, the travel expenses incurred may be reimbursed. The reimbursement is not to exceed the lesser of the amount of actual travel expenses and the amount that would have been incurred had the employee traveled from their headquarters.

When an employee is required to return to headquarters while on personal leave, travel expenses incurred while traveling to headquarters and returning to the originating location may be reimbursed.

Voucher Requirements:

1. The voucher must state that the department head required the travel.

Lost or stolen tickets

An employee may be reimbursed for a lost or stolen ticket if reasonable care to safeguard the ticket was exercised.

Voucher Requirements:

1. The voucher must state that the employee exercised reasonable care. Department head must sign statement.

Employees with Disabilities

Disabled employees may be reimbursed for attendant care expenses for travel. The attendant's travel expenses are subject to the same rules as the employee. First class airfare for disabled employees is allowable only if it is medically necessary.

Voucher Requirements:

1. A statement explaining the disability and the need for additional expenses must be attached to the voucher.

Prospective state employees or prospective PHD students

A prospective employee/PHD student, who has been requested to travel for an employment/recruiting interview, are limited to and may be reimbursed for travel expenses in the same manner as a state employee. Prospective employees/student are not exempt from hotel occupancy taxes and may be reimbursed for those taxes.  A travel advance may not be issued to a prospective employee/student.

The department may pre-pay airfare for the prospective employee on a departmental CBA (central billing account) and the hotel may be direct billed thru the Travel Office. All other travel expenses are to be reimbursed on a VP2 document.

Voucher Requirements

1. The term "Prospective Employee" or "Prospective PHD student" must be listed in the title section of the voucher.
2. The voucher must list the title of the position for which the prospective employee.
3. The voucher must include a daily itemization of the meal (meals not to exceed per diem limit) and lodging expenses.

Death of an Employee

The University may pay the cost of transporting an employee's body to the employee's headquarters. The amount paid may not exceed the amount that would have been reimbursed if the employee had not died. The payment may not be paid directly to the company transporting the body.

updated 040609