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IN STATE TRAVEL REQUESTS
- Department/Unit heads or Designees may approve travel requests using state funds and local funds.
- The travel request does not have to be attached to the travel voucher.
OUT OF STATE TRAVEL REQUESTS
- Department/Unit head or Designees may approve travel requests using local funds.
- TAES Department/Unit head or Designees may approve travel requests using state funds.
- TCE out of state travel is allowed on state funds with the approval of the Unit Head or Designee for amounts up to the annual allocations assigned to the unit to meet the legislative agency cap on out of state travel.
- The travel request does not have to be attached to the travel voucher.
DEPARTMENT/UNIT HEAD TRAVEL REQUESTS
- All Department/Unit Head travel requests are to be submitted to the Texas A&M Agriculture Fiscal Office or appropriate TCE Associate Director or the Executive Associate Director for approval.
- The travel request does not have to be attached to the travel voucher.
BLANKET TRAVEL REQUESTS
- A blanket travel request is a continuing authority to travel for those instances where the position of employment requires numerous trips to made in performance of a principal function of the position within the State of Texas.
- Blanket travel requests are not allowed for out of state travel.
- The blanket travel request is made out for the fiscal year and expires August 31 of each year.
- Use the Texas A&M Agriculture Travel Request form AG-802 and type “Blanket” in the upper right hand corner.
- Each request should indicate clearly the reasons for travel and the locations or destinations.
- Each person using a blanket travel request is required to leave an itinerary with his supervisor for each trip, showing the expected locations to be visited. This should be submitted prior to the trip and filed with the unit’s copy of the travel request for record and audit purposes.
- Presentation of travel expense vouchers may be done on a weekly or monthly basis for employees on continuous travel.
- A blanket request should be done by each individual person and not as a group of travelers.
- The travel request does not have to be attached to the travel voucher.
FOREIGN TRAVEL REQUESTS
- All foreign travel by state employees on state business except for travel to Canada, Mexico, or any state or possession of the United States must be approved in advance. Including travel at no charge to Texas A&M Agriculture.
- State funds cannot be used to reimburse foreign travel expenses.
- The travel request must include the following:
- Travel advisory printed from the U. S. Department of State
(http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html)
- Daily itinerary starting with the departure date and ending with the return date. You can use a range of dates only when in the same location and conducting the same duties.
- Justification as to how the trip will benefit Texas A&M Agriculture.
- A nation subject to a travel advisory issued by the United States Department of State constituting a warning against or restriction on travel by United States citizen to such a nation must include a separate written and signed statement indicating that the person is aware of the travel advisory and the potential risks associated with travel to the nation under the advisory.
- After approved by the Department or Unit Head, the foreign travel requests should be submitted to the Texas A&M Agriculture Fiscal Office for approval.
- Travel on contract and grants accounts must adhere to sponsor restrictions, and will be routed to that department for approval by the Fiscal Office. Federal Contracts and Grants must use U. S. Carriers.
- Foreign travel by any state employee on state business must be for the benefit of the State of Texas and any personal benefit thereby accrued must be solely incidental to the official purpose of the travel. It is the obligation of both the individual employee who is traveling and his or her supervisors to ensure that all foreign travel conforms to this mandate.
- The approved foreign travel request must be attached to the travel voucher.
TRAVEL ADVANCE REQUESTS (TAES ONLY) Eligibility
- Foreign travel advances are allowable for employees traveling to a foreign country as needed.
- Employees who are not eligible to obtain a Corporate Card, including student workers, are eligible for travel advances as needed. Advances that are approved will be eligible for all anticipated travel related expenses: i.e., hotel, meals expenses, taxi fares, and parking fees, etc.
- A justification letter must accompany all other requests for travel advances. These letters will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine if the justification warrants the issuance of an advance. This requires submission for approval in sufficient time so that alternative plans can be made if the request is denied.
- Advances will not be issued for airline tickets or registration fees. Airline tickets should be charged to the employee’s Corporate Card or to the unit’s Central Bill Account (CBA). Registration fees should be submitted on a purchase voucher.
Process for Requesting a Travel Advance
- Submit the advance travel request (pink paper) that has been approved by the Department/Unit to the Texas A&M Agriculture Fiscal Office. Rush travel advance requests can be faxed to the Fiscal Office at 979-845-2930.
- On-Campus will need to submit the request at least five working days before the travel is to begin. This will insure that the check will be ready two working days before travel. The employee or department will need to pick up the check.
- Off-Campus will need to submit the request at least eight working days before travel is to begin in order to allow time for the check to be mailed.
- If an earlier time frame for the check is needed the date must be stated on the Date Requested line on the travel advance request.
- Once the advance has been approved you will receive an approved copy by either fax or mail for the departments or units records.
Reimbursement of the Travel Advance
- Travel voucher must be prepared and submitted to Texas A&M Agriculture Fiscal Office with 30 days of the return from Travel.
- The voucher must show the amount of the travel advance on the front of the voucher at the bottom left hand corner above the signatures.
- If the travel advance exceeds expenses incurred the traveler and department bookkeeper will be sent a notice of the amount that is owed back to Texas A&M Agriculture.
- If the expense incurred exceed the travel advance a check will be issued to the traveler for the difference.
- If the travel advance is equal to expenses incurred, a travel voucher must still be completed and submitted.
Past Due Travel Advances
- All travel advances must be repaid or a travel voucher must be submitted to the Travel Office within thirty (30) days of the return from travel (this shall be referred to as the due date). If the travel voucher is submitted after the due date, it should be red tagged, so that it can be processed as a ‘rush’.
- A past due notice will be sent thirty (30) days past the due date, with copies going to the employee and the departmental bookkeeper, requesting that the travel advance be settled.
- A second past due notice will be sent at sixty (60) days past the due date, with copies going to the employee, departmental bookkeeper and the department head, notifying them that the employee has been placed on a temporary hold in FAMIS. This will prevent the employee from receiving reimbursements or subsequent travel advances until the travel advance is settled. This does not put a hold on payroll checks.
- A third past due notice will be sent at ninety (90) days past the due date, with copies going to the employee, departmental bookkeeper, and department head, requesting that the advance be settled prior to one hundred twenty (120) days.
- At one hundred twenty days (120) days past the due date, the IRS requires us to treat the past due travel advance as additional compensation to the employee. A final letter will be sent to the employee, departmental bookkeeper, and the department head stating that the department is now responsible for the amount due on the advance. Using the account provided at the time of the advance, a document will be initialized by Administration to reimburse the advance. The department will now be responsible for collecting the amount due from the employee.
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