... Travel Guide

Travel General Policies

Requirements of the Travel Regulations Act govern UTHSC-H to conserve funds. "A state agency shall minimize the amount of travel expenses paid or reimbursed by the agency. The agency shall ensure that each travel arrangement is the most cost-effective considering all relevant circumstances." The agency shall use teleconferencing and telecommunications technologies to the maximum extent possible to reduce the agency’s travel expenditures.

Travel arrangements should be made in advance in order to utilize all available resources such as state contracted vendors for airfare and hotel stay. Airfare and registration should be paid in advance to avoid employee incurring any out of pocket expenses.

Travel requests must be processed well in advance of proposed travel dates. You should be aware of how your department handles the internal approval process for authorizing travel. Once you have been assured of your department’s management support of travel, you can begin the travel authorization process. A department may develop supplemental guidelines to meet internal needs. Your departmental administrator should approve any exceptions to travel policies such as lodging that is over the allowable rates or airfare purchased from an outside source. Any questions regarding travel exceptions should be directed to the Expense Reimbursement Team to address any non-compliance issues.

UTHSC-H’s travel guide is based on information obtained from

• UTHSC-H HOOP Policy 2.12
• State of Texas Travel Allowance Guide issued by State Comptroller’s office
• Texas State Travel Directory issued by the Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC).

The University will reimburse the best available rate but not over the maximum lodging/meal allowance per State Comptroller’s office; therefore meal receipts are not required. Partial reimbursements of meals are paid based on the time of departure or arrival. When travel does not require an overnight stay, meals are not paid or reimbursed unless it’s an official function/entertainment expense.

UTHSC-H is required to participate in the Travel Management Program of the State of Texas by using contract vendors for travel services awarded by the Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC). Please refer to website for a list of contract hotels, airfare suppliers and rental car agencies at: http://www.window.state.tx.us/procurement/prog/stmp/. In some instances contract rates are higher than what is allowed for the funds being used; particularly hotels. You must verify what is allowed prior to making travel arrangements.

In accordance with the State Purchasing and General Services Act (SPGSA), the comptroller audits reimbursement vouchers for compliance with the TBPC rules that govern TBPC/s central travel office.

Exceptions for the Use of Contract Vendors

TBPC’s travel services must be used unless one of the following exceptions exists:
 
- Reservations can be secured through a different source that results in a lower overall cost to the state. All applicable costs must be considered when justifying cost savings. Refer to the Cost Justification Worksheet in determining the lowest cost.

- Contract vendor is sold out, is not able to provide services at the time or location necessary to accomplish the purpose of the trip, has a real or anticipated labor disruption, or is providing negotiated rates for group travel.

Employee Responsibilities

• Employees must insure that travel expenses incurred are reasonable, valid and necessary to carry out the purpose of the trip.
• Employees must request reimbursement for travel expenses within 60 days of returning from the trip.
• Employees must submit complete and original receipts for reimbursement. Must insure that establishment can provide itemized receipts before committing.
• Employee must cancel any travel reservations to avoid cancellation charges. UTHSC-H is not liable to reimburse employee for cancellation charges if the traveler should have, but failed to cancel a travel reservation or plan in time to avoid a charge.
• Employees shall immediately reimburse the University for any over-payments and expenses paid by sponsor. Employee may not accept a reimbursement or advance for a travel expense from another source for the same trip. Employees who anticipates receiving or actually receives a travel expense reimbursement from another source or sponsor may only receive reimbursement for the expenses incurred less the reimbursement from the other source.

Overnight Travel Within the State of Texas

For travel within the state, the maximum allowed is $36.00 for meals and $85.00 per day for lodging when using State funds (40000-42999), Service Department funds (35000-35999), and Federal funds (50000-53999) sources. The institutional daily maximum reimbursement for meals is $50.00 and lodging is $250.00 when utilizing designated, auxiliary and certain other restricted funds subject to specific restrictions.

Employees are exempt from paying state hotel occupancy tax for lodging. It is the responsibility of the employee to present to the hotel at the time of registration a completed hotel tax exemption form. Other non-exempt taxes such as county or local taxes will be reimbursed as incidental expenses.

Travel Out-of-State

The University uses daily rates for reimbursement of lodging expenses. The traveler will need to refer to the Federal Out-of-State Meal and Lodging Rate Table. The federal rates for overnight travel can be found at http://www.window.state.tx.us/fm/travel/. For destinations not listed, the standard CONUS rates given, applies. These rates also include seasonal rates applicable to certain cities. The FMS UT-Travel Destination Table (TDES) is used for mileage calculation and city codes only.

Foreign Travel

Foreign travel must be approved by the Dean of the school, or in the case of General Administration, the Executive Vice President of Finance & Administration for all trips taken up to twenty-nine (29) days. Travel in excess of 30 days must be approved by the president of UTHSC-H. (link TA)

State appropriated funds cannot be used for foreign travel.

All reimbursements for foreign travel with foreign receipts and/or proof of payments must be converted to US dollars to receive correct reimbursement. Conversion rates should be based on the day payment is made. In the case of lodging reimbursement, use the day of check-out. Copy of conversion rates must accompany travel reimbursement package. http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic is commonly used to convert foreign currency.

The State Comptroller considers the District of Columbia, Hawaii and Alaska as conterminous of the United States and would refer to the Federal Out-of-State Meal and Lodging Rate Table for lodging and meal reimbursement rates.

Lodging

The Texas Building and Procurement Commission contracts with various hotels for discounted rates for state employees travel while conducting business for the State of Texas. A list of these hotels is available through the TBPC website at: http://hotel.cpa.state.tx.us/hotel_directory/. In cases where the rates are higher than the allowable rates for funds being used, you must compare these rates with the state rates (http://www.window.state.tx.us/fm/travel/out_of_state/mealrates.htm) to be in compliance. A personal credit card is generally required to guarantee a hotel reservation. UTHSC-H cannot make direct payments to hotels for a deposit; however an employee may obtain a travel advance five days prior trip departure for lodging and meals.

Original receipts are required for lodging reimbursement. Lodging receipt must be issued from a commercial lodging establishment and must be original and complete. A receipt that has been altered other than by the entity issuing the receipt is unacceptable. The receipt must contain:

• The name and address of the establishment
• The name of the employee
• The single room rate
• A daily itemization of the lodging charges
• The dates of stay must align with travel dates of the trip
• Statement must indicate proof of payment in full to receive reimbursement.

When using on-line booking for travel be certain the company will be able to provide you with an itemized list of charges as well as proof of payment. Vacation packages may be more economical, however most cannot provide an itemized list of charges. To be in compliance with state and federal guidelines hotel, airfare and car rental receipts must be legitimate itemized documents.

If a traveler elects to share a room, the quote for a single and double occupancy room must be documented and submitted with your reimbursement materials. Only the single room rate can be reimbursed. If the room is shared between UT employees, the cost of the room must be split among the employees regardless of who paid for the room.

Hotel Taxes in the State of Texas

Employees will not be reimbursed for state hotel occupancy tax charged by a commercial lodging establishment. The employee must present a completed hotel exemption certificate to the establishment at the time of registration. Employees are not exempt from paying county, city, or local taxes. These taxes will be reimbursed as a miscellaneous expense. Taxes should not be included in the total lodging amount when determining allowance.

Meal Breakdown

An employee may be reimbursed for meal expenses incurred when the business travel clearly includes an overnight stay away from the employee’s designated headquarters. The time of departure and arrival determines which meals will be reimbursed. Generally, the flight itinerary confirms the departure and arrival times and is required as documentation for meal allowance. Reimbursement for meal expense while on official travel business is reimbursed at the following percentages. For a total meal allowance of $42.00/day the breakdown would be as follows:

Breakfast=$8.40 20%  Lunch=13.44  32% Dinner=20.16 48%

• To receive Breakfast reimbursement you must leave for your destination prior to 7:00am
• To receive Lunch reimbursement you must leave prior to 12:00pm but after 7:00 am
• To receive Dinner reimbursement you must return to your city of origin after 7:00 pm

To receive meal reimbursement over the institutional limit of $50.00, traveler must submit all original itemized receipts for meals obtained while on UT business. The dates on the receipts must fall within the travel dates for the event.

Meals that are included with the registration fee are not reimbursable but will be allocated in the meal allowance for that particular meal.

Airfare

UTHSC-H will only reimburse or pay for the average coach airfare from designated headquarters to destination. First class and business class airfares are not reimbursable unless they are the only flights available. A statement provided by the travel agency that coach fare was not available must be submitted with the request for reimbursement. When traveling on official business, you are required to use Corporate Travel Planners, Inc. (CTPI) uttravel@ctpi.org.

The University offers the use of the use of the Business Travel Account (BTA) for airfare purchase. The BTA allows the traveler the ability to charge the airfare directly to a university account therefore the traveler incurs no out of pocket expenses for airfare. Since the BTA is for business travel only, no air travel which includes personal non business days can be charged to it. A traveler who deviates from the normal travel route between designated headquarters and their destination for personal reasons will not be reimbursed for that portion of the trip.

When a traveler is requesting reimbursement for airfare purchased, the amount of the reimbursement may not exceed the cost of the lowest available airfare between the employee’s designated headquarters and the employee’s duty point.

The air travel original receipt must show the following information:

• The name of the airline
• The name of the traveler
• The class of transportation
• The beginning and ending travel dates
• The origin and destination of each flight
• The amount of airfare
• The method of payment

Corporate Travel Planners (CTP) is the official travel agency for UTHSC-H business travel. It is required that all UTHSC-H employees and students use CTP in order to be reimbursed for their travel expenditures. In order to achieve cost savings for consultant travel, it is advised that CTP is used. However, regardless of where the rate comes from it is required that CTP be given the opportunity to match or better the quote in order to be considered for reimbursement. Corporate Travel Planners, Inc. has access to most internet fares and should be able to obtain these fares as well. You must notify University Travel, ext 8405 for prior approval to be considered for an exception to policy and to receive reimbursement. Written quotes from CTP must be obtained prior to utilizing other sources. A 14-day advance purchase will assist in getting you the best rates.

When making airfare arrangements with CTP you must request to make a reservation in order to secure the airfare rate until you enter a Purchase Order (PO) in FMS. Once you get the PO number, it is your responsibility to call CTP and inform them of the PO#. They will not automatically ticket or hold the reservation if you do not call with a PO#. The PO must have a Valid and Dispatched status.

CTP can be reached from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm at 1-866-366-1142. There is an additional fee for after hours and weekend service. http://www.utctp.com/

Federal Travel-Fly America

Employees traveling on Federal grant funds must comply with the requirement that U.S. Flagship carriers be used to maximum extent possible when commercial air transportation is the meals of travel between the U.S. and a foreign country, or between foreign countries. This requirement shall not be influenced by factors of cost, convenience, or personal travel preferences. For purpose of the use of United States flab carriers, "Unites States" means the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories and possessions of the United States. Refer to http://www.utctp.com/ for additional information on this topic.

Registration Fees

Payment for registration, tuition or course fees required to attend a seminar/conference in most cases are due well in advance of the actual travel dates. UTHSC-H can prepay these fees on behalf of its employees. Documentation must contain the name of individual attending, dates of the event, and cost of the event and remittance address for mailing the registration. For payment of registration in a foreign currency, please contact ERT for bank draft instructions.

When reimbursing for registration paid by traveler additional documentation showing proof of payment must be submitted with the reimbursement packet. Proof of payment may include statement showing "paid in full," copy of cancelled check or credit card statement. On-line receipts showing method of payment is acceptable.

Dues cannot be paid with a registration fee and must be submitted on a Non-PO voucher.

When trip is cancelled it is the responsibility of the traveler to request a refund from the organization sponsoring the event. Once the refund is received, the check should be forwarded to the Bursar’s office for deposit to the account from which payment was made.

Car Rental

The University is required to utilize contract vendors for car rentals. The rental car contract vendors through March 31, 2008 are Advantage, Avis and Enterprise http://www.window.state.tx.us/procurement/prog/stmp/stmp-rental-car-contract/. The original itemized receipt must accompany all claims for reimbursement. The name of the individual requesting reimbursement must appear on the receipt. Rental car agreement cannot be in the name of anyone but the traveler seeking reimbursement. The days of the rental period must fall within the time period specified on the Cost Travel page of the travel.

When determining if a rental car is necessary, all costs must be considered when justifying the most cost effective means of transportation. Cost justification must include gasoline, parking and tolls. When staying at the host hotel (conference or meeting site) a rental car may not be necessary. Cost justification is required when rental car reimbursement is requested when staying at the host hotel.

When the traveler combines personal travel with official business, the cost of the rental car must be prorated on a daily basis. Reimbursement cannot be reimbursed if the rental was obtained only because the employee combined business with personal travel.

Liability insurance supplement, personal accident insurance, safe trip insurance and personal effects coverage are not reimbursable when using vendors other than the state contracted vendors. These costs are included with the contracted vendors for car rental.

Taxi/Limousine/Mass Transit

Receipts are not required for travel by taxi, and mass transit; however, an itemized list of each claim showing beginning point, destination and costs is required on the Travel Expense Worksheet (TE). Travel using limousine or town car service may be paid if it is the lowest cost of transportation considering all relevant circumstances.

The University may not reimburse a state employee for the costs of transportation by a person that is not a commercial transportation company. Tips and gratuity are not reimbursable expenses.

If a taxi is shared by two or more state employees, then on the employee who paid for the taxi may be reimbursed for that expense. Transportation to and from meals is not reimbursable.

Parking

Travelers may be reimbursed for the cost of parking their personal vehicles at the airport or equivalent transportation terminal while on travel status for official business.

Original receipts are required for reimbursement. If personal travel is combined with business travel, UTHSC-H will reimburse for parking only on those business related days.

Incidental Expenses

Incidental expenses related to business travel are reimbursable. The term includes a mandatory insurance or service charge and an applicable tax, except a tax based on the cost of a meal. The term does not include a meal, lodging, or transportation expense; a personal expense that an individual would incur regardless of whether the individual were traveling on official state business; a tip or gratuity. Please refer to a list of reimbursable and non-reimbursable expenses for further clarity.

Travel Advances

Requests for Travel Advances are limited to those employees that do not qualify for the corporate UT-Travel card.  Employees who do not travel frequently and may travel 1-2 times per year also qualify for a travel advance. Advances are issued only when the travel requires an overnight stay outside the employee’s designated headquarters. Advances cannot be given to students or prospective employees. All requests will be limited to estimated food and lodging amount only.

Advances are issued five days prior to departure and must have a valid purchase order issued to the traveler entered into FMS. The travel advance form must be filled out and signed by the traveler. Submission of the final travel reimbursement must be forwarded to the ERT team not more than thirty (30) days after completion of the trip for which the travel advance was issued.

Mileage

Employees are entitled to be reimbursed for mileage occurred during the employee’s use of a personally owned or leased vehicle when conducting UT business. Mileage is not reimbursable for a rented vehicle. Effective 09/01/07 the institutional rate for mileage is .505 cent per mile. These rates are subject to change from time to time.

Documentation for blanket travel miles must include daily mileage log including purpose of trip, miles driven and destination. Traveler may file reimbursement for ongoing travel on a monthly or semi-monthly basis.

The number of reimbursable miles traveled by an employee may not exceed the number of miles of the most cost-effective route between the origin of the employee’s travel and the employee’s final destination. When coach airfare is the most cost-effective means of travel the employee will be paid the lesser of the two after obtaining a written quote from CTP for the airfare. Airfare quotes must be obtained prior to making the decision to drive. The Travel Destination Table in PeopleSoft or Map Quest http://www.mapquest.com/ may be used to compute the mileage from origin to destination.

When more than one UT employee is traveling together in one personally owned or leased vehicle only one of the employees may be reimbursed for the mileage or gasoline.

Inner city mileage that involves a one day trip may be reimbursed through petty cash if the total reimbursement is under twenty-five dollars.

Travel By Disabled Persons

Disabled persons may be reimbursed for attendant care and other necessary expenses incurred when they travel inside or outside their designated headquarters. First class airfare for the disabled and their attendant may be reimbursed as long as the airfare is medically necessary. A statement signed by the employee’s physician must accompany the reimbursement packet.

Combining Personal Travel with State Business

When an employee conducts official state business at one or more duty points outside the employee’s designated headquarters and personal business at one or more locations not in any of those duty points the employee will be reimbursed for the business portion of the trip only. The use of the BTA cannot be used solely for personal/vacation travel. The BTA can be used for personal/vacation days when the vacation days are in the same city as the business. The employee must obtain written quotes from CTP including the vacation days and one without the vacation days. The employee will be reimbursed the lesser of the two.

UTHSC-H reimbursement of the employee’s travel expenses may not exceed the sum of:

• The cost of transporting the employee from headquarters to duty point for the business portion of the trip. Employee must get a written quote from CTP when securing airfare from other sources. Employee will be reimbursed for the lesser of the fare excluding the personal travel or including the personal travel.
• What the employee would have used had the employee not conducted personal business during the trip.

Vacation packages are not encouraged because most cannot provide itemized nor separate charges. Airfare, taxes, lodging and meals must be itemized to be in compliance with state audit requirements.

Lodging expenses are reimbursed up the maximum amount allowed for a single occupancy room rate. The traveler is responsible for obtaining receipts from the lodging establishment that identifies the room rate was for single rate even though the receipt reflects more than one person stayed in the room.

"Generally, a state employee who uses a rented motor vehicle for both personal business and official state business may be reimbursed only for the portion of the rental charges that are attributed to official state business. A state employee may not be reimbursed for the rental of a motor vehicle if the rental was necessary only because the employee combined personal business with state business."

Travel Discounts and Free Travel

A state employee may obtain discounts or opportunities for frequent flyer discounts. A state employee may not be reimbursed for the value or cost of a discount coupon or other discount on a travel expense if the employee did not pay money to directly obtain the discount.

A state employee must pay money directly to obtain a discount for consideration of the reimbursement. Therefore, if an employee received a discount as a benefit of making unrelated or business purposes with a provider of the discount, then the discount is provided free to the employee and does not warrant a reimbursement.

Washington D.C. Travel

Travelers who intend to confer on Legislative or Appropriations issues with U.S. Congress/The Federal Government, staff or officials should submit travel information to the Texas Office of State and Federal Relations (OSFR) prior to taking the trip. Please refer website http://ae.uth.tmc.edu/travel/TravelToDC.html. For required form and detailed information regarding DC travel.

No Cost Travel

In certain instances employees are invited to travel to destinations for business purposes at no cost to the institution or traveler. In these instances the use of the No Cost travel process is required for liability purposes to document the trip. The department must follow their own departmental policies for the travel. In addition, the trip may be entered in FMS UT No Cost Travel to record the travel.

Canceling Travel

It is the employee’s responsibility to notify the proper individuals when canceling their travel in order to receive credit for airfare, hotel/car reservations, etc. Airfare that is booked with the UT travel card is charged and due at the time the reservation is confirmed with a Purchase Order number. The airfare must be paid and will be credited to the proper account once the travel agency is notified and the bank issues the credit. Any other travel arrangements must be canceled by the traveler or designated person. The institution is not liable for any expenses assessed because "an individual should have, but failed to, cancel travel reservation or plan in time to avoid the charge." It is important that the traveler informs the administrative staff of any change or cancellations to the travel.

 

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Last updated February 7, 2007