Travel Using State Appropriated Funds Guideline

DIS-T-GL5: Travel Using State Appropriated Funds Guideline

 

I. Title

Travel Using State Appropriated Funds Guideline

II. Objective

Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL5 provides information on the allowances and expenses related to meals, lodging, miscellaneous and incidental expenses when traveling using state appropriated funds.

University travel conducted must comply with the rules and policies including the State of Texas Travel Regulations Act (Chapter 660 of the Texas Government Code), the General Appropriations Act, the State Comptroller's Office, State Travel Management Program, University of Texas System Board of Regents' Rules, University of Texas System Policies, and the travel guidelines of the University of Texas at Arlington.

This guideline does not apply to individuals traveling for personal reasons with personal funds.

III. Scope – Who Should Know

All University of Texas at Arlington (“UTA” or “University”) employees (referenced as “state employees” under the Texas Government Code and in State of Texas TexTravel Guide) who are traveling for official university business using state appropriated funds.

NOTE: Travel expenses for UTA students and non-employees, including prospective employees, cannot be paid from State Appropriated Funds.

IV. Guidelines

A. Travel and Duty of Care Policy

See UTA BF-T-PO-01 Travel and Duty of Care Policy for complete information that applies to this guideline and all University funded travel:

  • Definitions
  • Relevant federal and state statutes and websites
  • Relevant UT System rules and policies
  • Applicable UTA policies, procedures, travel guidelines, and additional resources
  • Applicable UTA forms

B. Using State Appropriated Funds for Travel

  1. Cost Centers with “2xxxx” or chartfield values with a Fund containing 2100 or 2110 must use the travel rules stated in this guideline.
  2. State of Texas Travel Management Program: Travel using State Appropriated Funds must comply with the state travel rules and laws given in the State of Texas TexTravel Guide (“TexTravel”).
  3. UTA employee must ensure that each travel arrangement is the most cost effective considering all relevant circumstances.
  4. Travel using state appropriated funds can only be expensed for University employees. University students and non-employees may not use state appropriated funds for travel expenses.
  5. All travel to Washington D.C. must comply with UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL2 Pre-Travel Requirements – All Fund Types.

C. Contiguous United States Travel

1. Overview

  1. In accordance with the General Appropriations Act state employees will only be reimbursed for actual meal and lodging expenses for contiguous United States (“U.S.”) travel up to the maximum rates based on federal travel regulations.
  2. All in-state or out-of-state meals and lodging are subject to the General Services Administration’s (“GSA”) federal Domestic Maximum Per Diem rates.
  3. If the city/county is not found in the GSA rate schedule, the maximum for actual meals and lodging cannot exceed the then current travel reimbursement rates as published in TexTravel.
  4. State travel expenses for meals and lodging are not flat per diem rates.
  5. An employee must claim the actual expenses incurred, not to exceed the maximum allowable rates.
  6. University employees may claim less than the maximum meal reimbursement rate for the duty location and use the amount of the reduction to increase the maximum lodging reimbursement rate for the duty location.

2. Meals – Overnight Stay Required

  1. Reimbursement for actual meal and incidental expenses (“M&IE”) up to the maximum GSA rates will require a description of the expense. The maximum should not be claimed unless the actual expenditure is equal to or exceeds the maximum allowable rate.
  2. M&IE rates for the full daily amount can be received for a single calendar day of travel, EXCEPT when that day is the first or last day of travel.
  3. First and last days of travel will be prorated to 75% of the total M&IE rate, regardless of the traveler’s time of departure or time of return, as calculated on the GSA per diem tool for the specific duty location.
  4. If a meal was provided to the traveler by a 3rd party, that meal must be deducted from the full day’s per diem rate. This might include a meal provided by a conference, meeting host, etc. The applicable meal must be checked in Concur Travel Allowance, which will automatically prorate the per diem rate for the day.
  5. Receipts for meals are not required.
  6. The reimbursement limit applies without a carry-over from another day.
  7. The reimbursement of alcohol is prohibited when using state appropriated funds.
  8. Tips or gratuities for meals cannot be reimbursed when expensed from state appropriated funds.

3. Lodging – Itemized Receipt Required

  1. Lodging must be booked through the Texas Comptroller’s required portal. See the Disbursements Travel webpage for complete information.
  2. Reimbursement for actual lodging expenses up to the maximum GSA rates require an itemized receipt.
  3. Lodging receipts must follow the requirements outlined in TexTravel.
  4. Applicable taxes and fees are in addition to the GSA rate. Reimbursement is limited to the reimbursable lodging costs.
  5. In-State Travel
    Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax will not be reimbursed. Traveler must present to the commercial lodging establishment a Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate (See UTA Form BF-T-F2) and the Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certificate (See UTA Form BF-AS-F3).
  6. Travel Outside of Texas
    University employees will be reimbursed for required payment of hotel occupancy or similar taxes.
  7. University employees may not be reimbursed for a lodging expense incurred at a place that is not a commercial lodging establishment.
  8. When at least two (2) University employees share lodging, the employees will be reimbursed for their share of the lodging expense. For each employee, the reimbursement cannot exceed the GSA maximum lodging rate for the duty point. Each University employee must submit an Expense Report to receive reimbursement.
  9. When only one (1) of the individual’s sharing lodging is a UTA employee, the employee may only be reimbursed the room rate for a single occupancy.

Concur Expense Report Requirement

  • Itemized lodging receipt/folio.

4. Miscellaneous Business Travel Fees or Incidental Expenses – Itemized Receipts Required

A miscellaneous business travel fee or incidental expense is an expense incurred while traveling on official state business. This does not include meals, lodging, tips, or gratuity.

  1. Registration fees
    1. Registration fees are reimbursable for official business conferences, seminars, and other meetings.
    2. Receipts must be obtained and attached to Concur Expense.
    3. Concur Expense must provide the date of the meeting, the sponsor, where it was held, and how attending will benefit the University.
    4. A copy of the agenda or program identifying all activities must be included with the registration fee.
  2. Entertainment, excursions, or other personal expense items
    1. Entertainment, excursions, or other expenses associated with a conference, seminar, or meeting are not reimbursable.
    2. To be reimbursed, there must be a direct relationship between the duties performed by the employee, the type of conference attending, and the details of entertainment, excursion, etc.
  3. Dues and membership fees that are included in a registration fee can be reimbursed.
  4. Rental of Motor Vehicle
    Expense documentation must include a receipt that indicates:
    • Rental company name;
    • University employee’s name;
    • Starting and ending dates of the rental; and
    • Itemization of expenses incurred.
  5. Transportation
    1. Travel by bus, subway, taxi, ridesharing (e.g., Uber/Lyft), shuttle, or other modes of mass transit.
      The receipt must itemize:
      • The date of service rendered
      • Fare charged for each trip
    2. Travel by railroad, boat, bicycle, or other motor vehicle.
      The receipt from a commercial transportation company must include:
      • Transportation company name;
      • University employee’s name;
      • Travel dates;
      • Mode of transportation; and
      • Itemization of expenses incurred.
    3. Tips paid cannot be reimbursed when expensed from a state appropriated fund.

5. Other Miscellaneous Business Travel Expenses – No Receipt Required for Individual Expenses Less than $50

All other allowed miscellaneous business travel expenses do not require receipts for payment or reimbursement unless the individual expense is $50 or more. Receipts are required for expenses $50 or more.

These include, but are not limited to, the following. However, Concur Expense must include a description of the itemization of the expense for payment or reimbursement.

  1. Gasoline for rental car or for university-owned vehicle purchased from a gas station.
  2. Parking charges – hotel, airport, etc.
  3. Toll charges.
  4. Laundry charges when traveling for five (5) or more consecutive business days.
  5. In-flight internet service to conduct University business.
    Note: In-flight internet service for students will not be reimbursed.

6. Non-Allowable Travel Expenses

Non-allowed travel expenses include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Meals within employee’s designated field office.
  2. Gasoline and repair costs for privately-owned vehicles.
  3. Personal expense items such as:
    1. dental hygiene products
    2. haircare products
    3. cleaning, or laundry if less than five (5) consecutive business days
    4. alcoholic beverages
    5. tours
    6. sporting events
    7. kennel/boarding charges for a pet
    8. babysitting/daycare charges for child(ren).
  4. Excess baggage charges for personal belongings. This includes checking more than one (1) piece of luggage, overweight or oversized.
  5. Any expense not required for official University business.

Concur Expense Report Requirements:

  • Registration Fee receipt.
  • Itemized receipts for allowable business expenses where applicable.

7. Personal Vehicle

University of Texas System Policy UTS 157 encourages the use of rental vehicles instead of personal vehicles when conducting University business.

  1. University employees are entitled to be reimbursed for mileage incurred to conduct university business. The reimbursement may not exceed the total of the actual number of miles of the most cost-effective, reasonably safe route between the traveler’s origin of travel and the final duty point.
  2. Mileage will be reimbursed at the current fiscal year rate indicated in TexTravel.
  3. The number of miles traveled for University business will automatically be calculated in Concur Expense using Google Maps for the route of travel.
  4. Mileage To and From the Nearest Airport
    During non-working hours/days, travelers may be reimbursed for mileage from their residence to an airport nearest their UTA field office.
    If another individual drives the traveler to the airport, the traveler may only claim mileage for the segment they were in the car, to and from the airport, which would equal to round trip mileage.

    Note: Except for the cost of airport parking or parking fees required for transaction of state business away from the place of employment, no additional expense incidental to the operation of such motor vehicle will be allowed.

Note: For complete information on mileage and personally owned motor vehicle use, see UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL7 Transportation Options in Travel Status – All Fund Types.

D. Outside Contiguous United States Travel

  1. The University employee must comply with all requirements in UTA Travel Guideline DIS-T-GL4 Outside Contiguous U.S. Travel – All Fund Types.
  2. The University employee is reimbursed for actual meal and lodging expenses incurred while conducting university business. The maximum should not be claimed unless the actual expenditure is equal to or exceeds the maximum allowable rate.
               The reimbursement limit applies without a carry-over from another day.
               Receipts are required.
  3. Travel to Alaska, Hawaii, or U.S. Territories
    The per diem rate schedule is the U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”).
  4. Travel to All Other Foreign Countries
    Travelers will use the U.S. Department of State (“DoS”) per diem rate query.
  5. Alcohol Prohibition
    Alcohol is not allowable as part of travel meals.
  6. Tips or Gratuities on Meals are Not Reimbursable
    Tips or gratuities paid in conjunction with meal expenses are not reimbursable.

Concur Expense Report Requirements

  • Itemized receipts for meals and lodging

E. Exceptions to Guideline

Requests to alter these guidelines for expenses from state appropriated funds, will NOT be taken into consideration. If submitted, the request will be denied.

V. UTA Offices Responsible for Guidelines

Responsible Officer: CFO and Vice President for Business and Finance

Sponsoring Department: Office of Disbursements

VI. Dates Approved or Amended

August 1, 2019

August 23, 2021

April 22, 2022

July 12, 2024

November 4, 2024

June 1, 2026

VII. Contact Information

Questions regarding this guideline should be directed to the Office of Disbursements at 817-272-2194, or email travelservices@uta.edu.

Send notifications of errors or changes to: travelservices@uta.edu