Texas A&M Agriculture Administrative Services Calendar

Travel regulations are established by the State Legislature and are published in the Texas A&M University System's Administration Policy and Regulations Manual. The Comptroller adopts the guide under the Authority of the Travel Regulations Act.

Except as specifically provided otherwise, in the guide:

1. APPROPRIATED FUNDS means funds appropriated under the General Appropriations Act.
   
   
2. AVERAGE COACH AIRFARE means the arithmetic mean of the unrestricted "Y" class fares offered by all commercial airlines to a particular destination as quoted in the Sabre® Passenger Reservation System or the Worldspan reservations system.
   
   
3. BUSINESS DAY means any weekday except a weekday on which a national or state holiday occurs.
   
   
4. CANCELLATION CHARGE means "a fee, charge, or payment that a provider of travel services assesses or retains because of the cancellation or change of a travel reservation or other travel plan." For example, a non-refundable purchase of an airline ticket becomes a cancellation charge when the ticket becomes unusable because of changed travel plans.
   
   
5. COMMERCIAL LODGING ESTABLISHMENT means: 1) a motel, hotel, inn, apartment, house or similar establishment that provides lodging to the public for pay; or 2) a person or establishment that provides lodging for pay that the comptroller determines to have a sufficient number of the characteristics of a commercial lodging establishment for the purposes of the Travel Regulations Act. The term includes lodging provided by: 1) a governmental entity on property controlled by that entity; or 2) a religious organization on property controlled by that organization; or 3) a private educational institution on property controlled by that institution.
   
   
6. COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION COMPANY means a person that offers to the public to transport people or goods for pay.
   
   
7. COMPTROLLER means the comptroller of public accounts.
   
   
8. CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES consists of the District of Columbia and all states of the United States except Alaska and Hawaii.
   
   
9. COUNTY, when used in a provision that applies to a location outside Texas, includes a parish of Louisiana.
   
   
10. DESIGNATED HEADQUARTERS means the area within the boundaries of the incorporated municipality in which a state employee's place of employment is located. If an employee's place of employment is located within an unincorporated area, then the area within a five-mile radius of the place of employment is the employee's designated headquarters. If an incorporated municipality or an unincorporated area is completely surrounded by the incorporated municipality in which an employee's place of employment is located, then the employee's designated headquarters includes the surrounded municipality or area.
    
    
11. DISABILITY means a physical or mental impairment of an individual that substantially limits one or more major life activities of the individual.
    
    
12. DUTY POINT means the destination, other than a place of employment, to which a state employee travels to conduct official state business. If the destination is outside the employee's designated headquarters, then the duty point is:
    • the incorporated municipality in which the destination is located; or
    • the area within a five-mile radius of the destination if it is located in an unincorporated area.
      
      
13. FISCAL YEAR has the meaning assigned to appropriation year in USAS.
    
    
14. GRATUITY means something given voluntarily or beyond obligation, usually in response to or in anticipation of a service.
    
    
15. INCIDENTAL EXPENSE means an expense incurred while traveling on official state business. 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; an expense that an individual would incur regardless of whether the individual were traveling on official state business; and, a tip or gratuity.
    
    
16. INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION has the meaning assigned by TEX. EDUC. CODE ANN.§ 61.003 (Vernon Sup. 2002).
    
    
17. LEASE means a contract with a term of at least one month that gives the lessee possession and use of property or equipment while the lessor retains ownership of it.
    
    
18. LODGING EXPENSE means a charge imposed by a commercial lodging establishment as consideration for providing the lodging. The term does not include money paid as a donation, gratuity, or tip to the establishment.
    
    
19. LOWEST AVAILABLE AIRFARE means the lowest available airfare as quoted in the Sabre® Passenger Reservation System or the Worldspan reservations system.
    
    
20. MEAL EXPENSE includes a tax that is based on the cost of a meal. The term does not include a tip, a gratuity, or a mandatory service charge paid or imposed in conjunction with a meal.
    
    
21. NON-WORKING HOURS means all hours in a calendar day except working hours.
    
    
22. PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT means the office or other location at which a state employee most frequently conducts official state business.
    
    
23. PROSPECTIVE STATE EMPLOYEE means an individual that a state agency considers for employment with the agency. The term includes a state employee of a state agency who is considered for employment by another state agency.
    
    
24. RENTED OR PUBLIC CONVEYANCE means a motor vehicle, train, aircraft, boat, or bicycle that a state employee rents or pays a fare to use for a period of less than one month.
    
    
25. STATE AGENCY means a unit of state government that uses appropriated funds to pay or reimburse a travel expense of a state employee; the Teacher Retirement System of Texas; or the Employees Retirement System of Texas.
    
    
26. STATE EMPLOYEE means an individual employed by a state agency. The term includes a prospective state employee and an aircraft pilot.
    
    
27. TIP has the meaning assigned to "gratuity" in the guide.
    
    
28. TRAVEL DOCUMENT is a term used in USAS. A travel document consists of one or more travel vouchers or transactions.
    
    
29. TRAVEL EXPENSE means a meal, lodging, transportation, or incidental expense.
    
    
30. TRAVEL REGULATIONS ACT means Chapter 660, Government Code.
    
    
31. TRAVEL VOUCHER/FORM means the paper form adopted or approved by the comptroller that is completed for the purpose of submitting a travel voucher to the State Agency on paper, supporting the legality and fiscal responsibility of a travel payment or reimbursement, or for both purposes.
    
    
32. USAS means the uniform statewide accounting system.
    
    
33. WORK DAY means a day on which a particular state employee is regularly required to conduct official state business.
    
    
34. WORKING HOURS means the hours during which a state employee is regularly scheduled to conduct official state business.

1. Requirements of the Travel Regulations Act
   
   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.
   
   A state agency may specify a travel expense payment or reimbursement rate that is less than the maximum rate specified in the guide. The lower rate applies only to a travel expense incurred after the agency has notified the affected individuals in writing about the rate.
   
   
   To reduce travel expenditures, a state agency shall use interactive television, video conference technology, and telephone conferences to the greatest extent possible.

A state employee is responsible for ensuring that the travel complies with applicable state law and guide. A failure to comply will result in unfavorable audit findings, delayed reimbursement or rejection of the employee's travel voucher.

A state employee may not seek reimbursement for travel expenses that the employee knows, or reasonably should know, is not reimbursable or payable.

A state employee shall immediately reimburse the state of an overpayment. An overpayment is an employee's receipt of a reimbursement that exceeds:

• the limits established by law; or
• the amount of travel expenses actually incurred.

§1.05 Official State Business

1. General Discussion
   
   
   A state agency may pay or reimburse travel expenses only if the purpose of the travel:

• clearly involves official state business; and
  
  
• is consistent with the legal responsibilities of the agency.

  Travel expenses incurred for personal reasons are not payable or reimbursable. For example, mileage incurred while a person travels to a duty point is not reimbursable if the person is unable to conduct official state business because the person's motor vehicle breaks down before reaching the duty point. In contrast, the mileage incurred by an individual to pick-up a state employee at the location where the employee's state-owned vehicle broke down and return the employee to the employee's designated headquarters is reimbursable regardless of whether the employee conducted any official business before the vehicle broke down.

Voucher and Documentation Requirements

The supporting documentation for a travel expense must satisfy all the following requirements.

1. The supporting documentation must identify the duty point to which the state employee traveled. If the duty point is within Texas, then only the name of the city must be specified. If the duty point is outside Texas but within the conterminous united States, then the name of the city, county, and state must be specified.
   
   
2. The travel voucher/form must specify the nature of the official state business conducted at each duty point. When necessary, the voucher/form must identify the persons contacted and specify the benefit that the state gained from the travel.
   
   
3. The travel voucher/form must clearly define any abbreviations or acronyms used on the voucher/form to describe the official state business conducted.

2. Payable or reimbursable travel expenses incurred for reasons unrelated to official state business.

A travel expense incurred for any reason not clearly involving official state business is not payable or reimbursable, with the following exceptions.

1. Medical care for traveling state employees.

As additional compensation to a state employee, a state agency may pay or reimburse the employee for a travel expense the employee incurs while obtaining medical care for the employee if:

• the expense is incurred outside the employee's designated headquarters; and
• the purpose of the employee traveling outside the employee's designated headquarters was to conduct official state business; and
• waiting to receive the care until the employee returns to the employee's designated headquarters would be unreasonable; and
• the expense is paid or reimbursed only to the extent it would have been paid or reimbursed had it been incurred while conducting official state business; and
• the expense is incurred only while traveling to the nearest appropriate medical care facility.

Voucher and Documentation Requirement

The supporting documentation for a travel expense incurred under the circumstances described in this subdivision must include the state agency's determination that waiting to receive the medical care until the employee had returned to the employee's designated headquarters would have been unreasonable.

2. Attending funerals.

   As additional compensation to a state employee, a state agency may pay or reimburse the employee for a travel expense the employee incurs while attending the funeral of an individual who was a state employee, a board member, or a legislator if:

   • the agency determines that the employee's attendance at the funeral is appropriate under the circumstances; and
     
     
   • the expense is paid or reimbursed only to the extent it could have been paid or reimbursed had it been incurred while conducting official state business.

Voucher and Documentation Requirements:

The supporting documentation for a travel expense incurred under the circumstances described in this subdivision must:

1. include the state agency's determination that the employee's attendance at the funeral was appropriate under the circumstances; and
   
   
2. state whether the deceased was a state employee, a board member, or a legislator.

3. Inability to perform official state business

A state agency may pay or reimburse a state employee for a travel expense the employee incurs as a result of attempting to conduct official state business if:

• the employee is unable to conduct the business because of a natural disaster or other natural occurrences; and
• the expense would be payable or reimbursable had the official state business been conducted.

Voucher and Documentation Requirement

The supporting documentation for a travel expense incurred under the circumstances described in this subdivision must include a description of the natural disaster or other natural occurrence that made the employee unable to conduct official state business.

4. Travel expenses incurred while on leave

A state agency may pay or reimburse a state employee for a travel expense the employee incurs while using personal or compensatory leave if:

• the leave is used while the employee is away from the employee's designated headquarters; and
• the primary purpose of the employee's being away is to conduct official state business; and
• the agency determines that returning the employee to the employee's designated headquarters while using the leave would not be cost-effective or would be impracticable; and
• the expense is incurred in the duty point at which the employee is conducting official state business; and
• the expense is a type of expense that the employee incurred or would have incurred while conducting official state business.

Voucher and Documentation Requirement

The supporting documentation for a travel expense incurred under the circumstances described in this subdivision must include the state agency's determination that returning the employee to the employee's designated headquarters while using the leave would not have been cost-effective or would have been impracticable.

5. Travel expenses incurred while returning to a designated headquarters because of illness or a personal emergency

A state agency may pay or reimburse a state employee for a travel expense incurred when the employee returns, before official state business is completed, from a duty point to the employee's designated headquarters because of an illness or a personal emergency.

Voucher and Documentation Requirements

The supporting documentation for a travel expense incurred under the circumstances described in this subdivision must include the state agency's determination that an illness or a personal emergency occurred.

The State Purchasing and General Services Act (SPGSA) requires state agencies to participate in the Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC) contracts for travel according to GSC's rules. The travel program consists of three major component parts:

• Charge Card Services
• Discount Rate Services - airfare, car rental and hotel rates
• Travel Agent Services*

*Note: Institutions of higher education are not required to use the travel agent services but are required to use all other travel services.

1. Use of Contracted Airlines
   
   A list of the contract State of Texas airlines and applicable city pairs is issued as a supplement to the Texas State Travel Directory and can be obtained from your travel coordinator. Additionally, travel agents can locate the contract fare and airline by the fare basis code of "YCATA" or "QCATX". The contracted airfare may only be purchased with the Corporate Card or the CBA account. NO other form of payment, including cash, will be accepted under any circumstance.
   When the State has an airline contract fare between two city pairs, the airline who has the contract must be given preference when making reservations to travel between those cities unless:
   
   1. an airline offers a total lower cost than the contract fare.
   2. the contract airfare was sold out.
   3. a contract airline does not serve the location to be visited.
   4. the contractor was not time efficient.
2. Use of Contracted Hotel/Motel Establishments
   
   
   Lodging establishments listed in the Texas State Travel Directory have contract rates with the State. These establishments must be used unless:
   
   
   1. a total lower rate can be obtained.
   2. the contract hotel/motel is not available due to being sold out.
   3. a contract hotel was not available in a location that was time efficient.
   4. the hotel was part of a group.
   5. a contractor was not available in the duty point.
   6. contract hotel presented a safety or security risk to the traveler.

(See the Texas State Travel Directory from the General Services Commission for a comprehensive list of State of Texas contracted hotels and motels.)

3. Use of Contracted Rental Car Companies
   
   
   The rental car companies under contract to the State must be used unless:
   
   
   1. the contractor does not have a location in the required city.
   2. the contract car rental company was sold out.
   3. a lower total cost than the contract rate can be obtained. Total costs include the lease rate, loss/damage waiver protection, mileage charge, applicable taxes, surcharges, and cost for comparable liability insurance protection.
      
      
4. Use of Contracted Charge Card
   
   
   Charge cards are provided by the contracted vendor, Bank of America, to employees of state agencies who travel at least 3 times a year or expend $500 per year on travel expenses for the purpose of providing alternative means of paying for expenses incurred on official business travel. At a minimum, however, all airline tickets must be charged either on the individual's Corporate Card or the department's Central Billing Account (CBA).
   
   
5. Contract Vendor Exception
   
   
   The exception form is printed on the front of the travel voucher and the traveler will need to circle the applicable codes (A=airlines, L=lodging, C=car rental) beside the exception for which it applies.
   The exception form (PDF, WordPerfect, Word) is also available on a separate page.

State employees are required to complete the Office of State – Federal Relations (OSFR) form (PDF format) to report all travel to Washington, D. C. with the exception of personal travel. The OSFR form also needs to be completed if the traveler is flying into Washington, D. C. but the business is actually being conducted in a near by city.

When completing the OSFR form please make sure the agency name and the name and title of the traveler are listed. If the travel is for

1. Congressional Testimony,
2. Congressional Visit,
3. Agency Visit (General), or
4. Agency Visit (Grant Follow-up)

the Primary Committees/Offices/Agencies/Organizations To Be Visited section must be completed. If the travel is to provide testimony to a Congressional Committee or Agency Rule - Making Authority you will need to provide a Copy of the Testimony.

The completed OSFR form needs to be faxed to the Travel Department (979) 845-2930 at least ten (10) business days prior to travel. This will allow time for both the Office of State – Federal Relations Office and to the Texas A & M University System Office to review the information and to contact the traveler for any additional information if required.

A copy of the OSFR form must be attached to the travel voucher and any direct bill reimbursements.

Public transportion to and in Washington, D. C. is object class code 3114. This includes airfare, taxi, bus or trains.

1. The supporting documentation for a travel expense must provide sufficient detail or justification to demonstrate that:
   
   
   1. the expense was incurred while conducting official state business; and
   2. the state-business-related activities conducted while traveling were necessary to perform the business; and
   3. the traveling was necessary to perform the business; and
   4. the travel was approved in accordance with the policy of the Ag Program.
      
      
2. If the travel expenses of more than one individual are being paid or reimbursed and if the expenses were incurred for the same or similar travel, then the supporting documentation for those expenses must provide sufficient detail or justification to demonstrate that the number of individuals traveling was necessary to perform official state business.