Allowable Travel Expenses - Meals and Lodging

General Limitations

(1) Meal allowances are not authorized within the limits of any employee's official worksite except as provided by Collective Bargaining Agreements.

(2) Payment may not be claimed for meals provided as part of a conference.

(3) Expenses of luncheon or dinner meetings held in connection with Health Center business or with the entertaining of candidates or guests visiting the Health Center on official business are allowable.

(4) Official travel for which subsistence expenses are payable begins at the time the employee leaves home, official worksite, or other official State location and ends when the employee returns to his/her home, official worksite or other official State location at the conclusion of his/her trip.

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The Health Center Board of Trustees has established rates for employees in the following bargaining units, which do not have contractual per diems:

• Faculty
• Managerial/Confidential
• University Non-Represented
• University Health Professionals
• AFT Local 3837
• Special Payroll Employees

Employees in these units may claim reimbursement for meals in either of two ways, by receipt or per diem. Regardless of the method used, the same method must be used for the entire travel period. An employee may not use the "per diem" method one day and the "actual expenses" method for the remainder of the trip.

By Receipt

Employees may submit original itemized receipts for actual meal expenses. Reimbursement will be paid up to a daily maximum rate of $54.00 inclusive of all taxes and tips. The rates applicable to individual meals are: Breakfast $10.00, Lunch $15.00, Dinner $29.00. Amounts for eligible meals may be aggregated up to a daily maximum for the sum of all receipts for the day. Original meal receipts with proof of payment must be attached to the Employee Voucher (Employee Reimbursement) Form CO-17XP and submitted along with other expense receipts to the General Accounting Office.

For the purpose of determining actual travel days, meals taken for out-of-state travel will be allowed according to the following time schedule:

Departure and return time must be indicated on the request for travel reimbursement.

By Per Diem

Employees in the units specified above may receive Federal per diem meal rates currently at $39.00, $44.00, $49.00, $54.00, $59.00. and $64.00 (including tax and tips) dependent on the locality. A detailed listing of the per diem rates of all localities in the Contiguous United States is available at the Government Standard Allowable Rate Web Site. A detail listing of per diem rates of Alaska and Hawaii can be found at the Office of the State Comptroller's Website (click on Appendix A).

The full daily rate is applicable for a day of travel from 6:59 A.M. to 7:01 P.M.

Partial days of travel must be prorated according to Federal regulations, which allow one fourth of the daily meal for each six-hour quarter of the day during which an employee is traveling away from home:

• 1:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. - 1/4 day
• 7:01 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - 1/4 day
• 1:01 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - 1/4 day
• 7:01 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. - 1/4 day

Receipts are not required under this method.

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Travel reimbursement rates for employees in NP-2 ,NP-3, NP-5, NP-6 ,P-1,P-3B ,P-4, and P-5 bargaining units are listed in the rate table below. For UHP employees see meal rate table for non-classified employees above.
Employees in these units may claim reimbursement for meals in either of two ways: by receipt or per diem. Regardless of the method used, the same method must be used for the entire travel period. An employee may not use the "per diem" method one day and the "actual expenses" method for the remainder of the trip.

By Receipt

Employees may submit original itemized receipts for actual meal expenses. Reimbursement will be paid up to per diems allowed by Union contracts. Amounts for eligible meals may be aggregated up to a daily maximum for the sum of all receipts for the day. Meal receipts must be attached to the Employee Voucher (Employee Reimbursement) Form CO-17XP and submitted with other expense receipts to the General Accounting Office.

By Per Diem

Employees may continue to receive per diems as allowed by Union contracts and be taxed on any amounts exceeding Federal rates, currently at $31.00, $35.00, $39.00, $43.00, $47.00. $49.00 and $51.00 (including tax and tips) dependent on the locality. A detailed listing of the per diem rates of all localities in the Contiguous United States is available on the U.S. General Services Administration Web Site. A detail listing of per diem rates of Alaska and Hawaii can be found at the Office of the State Comptroller's Website (click on Appendix A).

Taxability of per diem payments will be determined by comparison to the Federal daily meal rate. The full daily rate is applicable for a day of travel from 6:59 a.m. to 7:01 p.m.

Partial days of travel must be prorated according to Federal regulations, which allow one fourth of the daily meal for each six-hour quarter of the day during which an employee is traveling away from home:

Day is divided by:

• 1:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. - 1/4 day
• 7:01 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - 1/4 day
• 1:01 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - 1/4 day
• 7:01 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. - 1/4 day

Receipts are not required under this method.

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When overnight accommodations are required to conduct official State business, reimbursement for lodging will be the actual cost of lodging at the lowest cost reasonable, commercial single accommodations available. Consideration will be given to high cost areas as well as proximity of such lodging to the area of work, conference or training site. Reimbursement requests must be supported with original receipts. Tax on lodging will be reimbursed.

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