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Longwood University |
Policy 4108
TRAVEL
REGULATIONS
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to inform employees of state travel regulations for reimbursement of reasonable and
necessary expenditures to individuals traveling on official business of the Commonwealth. The regulations set forth herein have been established in
accordance with the Code of Virginia. State travel regulations may be found in
Section 20335 of the Commonwealth of Virginia Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual (CAPP). The CAPP Manual may be accessed through the Internet at
www.doa.state.va.us. Travel expense accounts are open to the public, therefore,
individuals are expected to exercise prudent judgment and be able to sustain the
test of public review.
II. POLICY
A. Business Trips: Business trips should be well-planned for effectiveness and efficiency. Each employee is responsible in assuring this. Expenses are expected to be reasonable with respect to the area traveled. The State Comptroller may question any reimbursement and excessive charges may not be reimbursed. Responsibility for legitimacy and supporting documentation of reimbursable expenditures rests with the traveler. Responsibility for the legality, legibility, and completeness of travel vouchers rests with the agency. Longwood will not reimburse an employee for mileage expenses associated with picking-up local purchases, unless an exception is requested and approved, based on the following criterion: the employee has been assigned the responsibility (through designation in position description) of making all office/departmental purchases, or an emergency situation exists.
B. Exceptions: Exception approvals must be obtained from the appropriate department chair and vice president. Exceptions will only be valid for one year at a time. Travel reimbursement requests for such trips should be filed no more than once per semester. Employees are responsible for maintaining a log of each trip which includes the date, purpose, and mileage.
C. Accrual of Credits and Discounts: Travel credits, reduced rates, or free services received from public facilities (i.e., airlines, car rental agencies, motels, etc.) by persons for whatever reason, accrue to the Commonwealth. Any cash credit, reduced rate, or free service must be reported to the agency fiscal office and must be deducted from the amount of travel expenses claimed. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disciplinary action.
II.
PROCEDURE
All travel expenses are charged to academic department or administrative staff
budgets.
A. A Request for Travel Authorization Form must be completed prior to the trip and on file in the Accounting and Financial Reporting Office. This form may be obtained from the AFR website at: http://web.lwc.edu/cashaccounts/travel_guidelines_main.htm This form requires a Travel Reimbursement Authorization number which can be obtained from the AFR website at: http://web.lwc.edu/scripts/travel/request_rta_number.htm
1. Transportation: Mileage for employees of the State will be reimbursed at the rate in effect at the time of the request for use of private car. The rate for use of State vehicles, Longwood-owned vans, and the Town bus varies. These charges are automatically charged to your budget and only private vehicle mileage should appear on the travel reimbursement voucher.
2. Subsistence/Lodging: Reimbursement will be made for lodging expenses incurred in a hotel or motel. The "paid" original itemized receipt must be attached to the reimbursement voucher. An employee on travel status, if accompanied by husband or wife who is not an employee on travel status, will be entitled to reimbursement at single room rate. The traveler will request hotel or motel to list single rate on the bill.
3. Meals: Reimbursement will be made when an employee is traveling on non-daily, non-routine official business outside his/her official station. These expenditures must be kept reasonable and are also subject to question by the State Comptroller. If meals are included with registration or lodging as part of a package plan, note the number of meals and whether they were breakfast, lunch, or dinner on the travel voucher. Lodging and meal reimbursements are based on the Lodging/M&IE Per Diem Guideline Tables provided in the CAPP Manual. A restaurant or charge card receipt must accompany reimbursement requests for each meal expenditure of seventy-five (75) dollars or more. This policy applies to all meal reimbursements, whether on travel status or reimbursable business meals. Each meal expenditure of seventy-five (75) dollars or more must be listed on a separate line on the Travel Expense Reimbursement Voucher (DA 02-041).
4. Exceptions for Meal Reimbursements: Generally, meal expenses that do not involve an overnight stay are not reimbursable. Meals may be reimbursable if they fall under business meals or overtime meals.
a. Business Meals:
(1) must involve a substantive and bona fide business discussion and include the original itemized receipt;
(2) all persons involved in the meal must be identified;
(3) must be reimbursed for actual expenses up to the amount shown for the applicable meal in the Meals and Incidental Expenditure (M&IE) Rate Table, excluding the incidental allowance.b. Overtime Meals: reimbursement for an overtime meal for a traveler not on overnight travel status may be allowed when overtime must be worked for official business reasons. Lunch will not be reimbursed as an overtime meal. To qualify for reimbursement, the traveler must, out of business necessity, leave home prior
to 6:30 a.m. or return after 7:30 p.m. Time of departure or return must be stated on the reimbursement voucher. Reimbursement will be for actual expenses up to the amount shown for the applicable meal in the M&IE Rate Table, excluding the incidental allowance. Forms to request reimbursement may be downloaded at: http://web.lwc.edu/cashaccounts/travel_guidelines_main.htm5. Registrations: Payment Request Forms are used to pay registration fees, unless the vendor accepts AMEX. In that case AMEX would be the preferred method of payment.
6. Parking and Toll: Parking and Toll expenses are reimbursable. A receipt is required for reimbursement claims greater than ten (10) dollars.
7. Out-of-Country Travel: Travel out of country must receive prior written approval from the President. Request for out-of-country travel, and such approval, must be submitted with the travel voucher.
8. Telephone Calls/Telegrams: Any calls or telegrams made on official business and paid for by the traveler may be claimed on the travel voucher. In the case of toll charges (as distinguished from local calls charged against the hotel bill), the points and parties between which the calls were made, or the wires sent, must be stated on the voucher with the reason they were made.
9. Travel Charge Credit Cards: Longwood has entered into an agreement with the American Express Travel Related Service Company, Inc., to provide an individual American Express Corporate Travel Card (AMEX card) at no charge to faculty, staff, and others who travel on Longwood related business. This card will provide a convenient means for the traveler to charge travel-related expenses including meals, car rentals, and motel/hotel reservations, etc. The card will be the only means of obtaining advance funding for Longwood related travel.B. Submission of Travel Voucher:
1. Automated Travel Expense Reimbursement Voucher: The automated Travel Expense Voucher and instructions for preparation are available for use on the AFR website at: http://web.lwc.edu/cashaccounts/travel_guidelines_main.htm.
2. Form DA-02-041: This form may be used to submit claims for reimbursement of travel expenses in lieu of the web form. These forms are maintained in Printing Services and are available to the traveler.
3. Agency: The name of the agency for which the travel was performed must be given in the top left-hand block.
4. Name and Address: The name of the traveler must appear on the first line of this block.
5. SSN or FIN: The individual's social security number must be entered in this space.
6. Certification of Traveler: Enter the date of the voucher's completion and indicate whether or not the traveler was a State employee. The traveler should sign his or her name as it appears on the voucher. The traveler's title should be typed or printed in ink on the next line.
7. Personal Vehicle Use Statement: Mark which item applies. This statement affects whether your reimbursement will be at the personal mileage rate or fleet rate.
8. Date: Each day's expenses must be shown separately. Indicate the year in which the expenses were incurred at the head of the column, and enter the month and day in the space provided on the first line describing each day's expenses.
9. Description: The second column is to be used for a description of the expense items and the location at which they occurred. All miscellaneous expenses such as telephone, parking, postage, etc., must be itemized and listed in column #8.
10. Miles Traveled: The miles traveled between each point visited must be stated on the travel voucher whenever claim is made for reimbursement for mileage. All travel must be over the most direct, practical route. Points of travel should be identified as follows: From Farmville, VA to Richmond, VA and return. (#3)
11. Mileage or Fares: Show in this column the amount claimed for mileage, bus, air, or railroad fares. Receipts for bus, air, and train travel must be attached to the voucher. Miles traveled must be multiplied by the rate in effect and the total entered in this column (#4).
12. Auto Expenses: Show in this column the amount claimed for expenses for commercial car rentals and all expenses for State vehicles such as gas, oil, and maintenance. (Itemized receipts for these charges are required.)
13. Meals: The total per diem amount allowed each day must be listed.
14. Lodging: Report in this column all expenditures for lodging. Attach the original itemized receipt to the travel voucher.
15. Other: List in this column all expense items which have not been covered in the preceding columns. A description of each item must be given in the space provided in the second column on the sheet. Such items to be listed in this column are tips, registration, etc.
16. Totals: Each line must be totaled across from left to right. Each column must be totaled at the bottom, and the total of all columns must equal the sum of the totals of the individual lines.
17. Amount Certified for Payment: The grand total of the sheet totals must be computed and entered on the bottom line of the recapitulation. If the department head allows only a certain amount of reimbursement for the traveler, it must be entered here. Do not write below the Grand Total Column.
18. Brief Statement of Purpose of Trip: The Code of Virginia requires that each travel voucher "Shall state the purpose of, or reason for, such travel expense. The Comptroller shall withhold issuance of warrants on accounts which do not comply with this section." If expenses for more than one trip have been included on this voucher, a separate explanation is required for each trip.
19. Approval of Supervisor: Last, but very important, each traveler must have the approval of his or her supervisor on the voucher.
Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, September 7, 2002.