University Business Travel Guidelines
- The Philosophy
Department requires a COMPLETED Travel and Leave Request Form be submitted to
Jamie Swain a minimum of two weeks prior to ANY business travel regardless
of funding. (NOTE: Foreign travel must be submitted at least six weeks
in advance of travel. Washington D.C. travel must be submitted at least two
weeks in advance and the proper form to be sent to the Travel Recorder at the
Texas Office of State-Federal Relations completed.
-
You may obtain a Travel and Leave Request Form from Jamie. Please be informed that you MUST fill out and sign a Travel and Leave Request before you travel. (NOTE: While there are circumstances which may prevent a full two weeks notice, this is the rare exception. Failure to provide adequate notice or a signed T&L may result in non-payment of expenses.)
- All airfare
MUST be charged to your BankOne Corporate Travel Card or the department's CBA
(Travel Credit Card). Please contact Jamie
if you need to use the CBA.
- The traveler
is covered with $500,000 travel accident insurance when the BankOne Corporate
Mastercard or CBA is used.
- State contracted
vendors MUST be used for rental cars, airlines, and hotels if available. The
rental car contract vendors for 2004 - 2005 is ADVANTAGE. Please contact Jamie if you have any questions regarding exceptions to this requirement.
- Employees
traveling within the state of Texas may be reimbursed for the actual cost of
lodging up to $80/day and actual meal expenses up to $35/day. You will not be
reimbursed for any amount over these maximum.
- These in-state
maximums apply regardless of other exceptions you may have been granted. For
example, you may have been allowed to stay at a non-contract hotel because it was the location of your professional meeting; however, you will only be reimbursed for a maximum of $80/day even if the rate you were charged is higher.
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Employees traveling out of state, but within the continental United
States, will be reimbursed for actual expenses up to the locality-based maximum allowance provided by Federal Government Travel Regulations. (NOTE: if you
travel to a location which is NOT listed in the federal regulations, you will
receive reimbursement at the LOWEST rate established for that particular state
for meals and lodging.)
-
Jamie will be able to
provide these maximum reimbursement amounts to you prior to travel so you will
not be unpleasantly surprised when you submit your travel voucher.
-
State employees at higher education institutions (YOU!!!) Are
exempt from paying State Occupancy tax at hotels/motels within the State of
Texas. You are NOT exempt from any other taxes (local, city, county). All out of state travelers are subject to ALL taxes imposed by the hotel outside Texas.
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You may obtain a TAX EXEMPT FORM for Texas hotels from Jamie.
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Lodging receipts should be in the name of the traveler. If the
room is shared by two or more State employees, each person should request a
separate receipt when checking in.
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Even if you travel in a group, each traveler must submit a separate travel voucher for reimbursement with appropriate documentation.
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If sharing a room with a non-State employee, the single room rate
may be claimed by the employee and this rate should be noted on the lodging
receipt.
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Travelers receiving reimbursement for meal expenses MUST provide a
meal log reflecting actual meal costs for the travel period.
-
You may obtain a sample meal log from Jamie.
- In general, all pertinent receipts from the business travel should be retained to aid in preparing and/or to provide the adequate documentation for the travel voucher.
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Contact information for Jamie
Phone: 845-3598
E-Mail: jswain@philosophy.tamu.edu
