Travel Guidelines
General Local Travel Exceptions
ALLOWABLE EXPENSES FROM NON- EDUCATIONAL AND GENERAL ACCOUNTS (ACCOUNTS 200000 – 599999, excluding all 29xxxx accounts [TAMU]).
Expenses incurred on behalf of the state and submitted for payment should be reasonable, necessary, and appropriate for the account being charged as determined by the department head or designee. All reimbursements are subject to department head or designee approval. Transfers or partial transfers cannot be made to move paid travel reimbursements to an Educational and General account when the Textravel and/or the State of Texas Travel Management Program are not followed. Texas A&M University (02 and 10) departments using non-educational and general sources to pay travel reimbursements are not required to use the State of Texas Travel Management Program.
Department heads or designees may approve the following exceptions to the Textravel Guidelines:
- Meals:
- Employees or prospective employees may be reimbursed for the actual cost of meals and lodging on overnight travel. The IRS guidelines must be followed when receipts are required (greater than $75.00 for a single meal, or daily meal total exceeding GSA rate).
- Lodging:
- Employees or prospective employees may be reimbursed for the actual cost of lodging on overnight travel.
- Airfare:
- Employees or prospective employees may be reimbursed for additional airline fees for economy fares such as charges for aisle seating, extra legroom, or early bird boarding/check-in with the department approval. If there is a benefit or cost savings, or no other seats are available, business/first class airfare may be allowed. Business/First class airfare must be approved by the Dean or Appropriate Vice President prior to the trip. This approval must be attached to the trip documentation, or in the case of a medical need, be on file with HR. Other fees should be accompanied by an explanation of the business need for incurring the expense.
- Mileage:
- Employees or prospective employees may be reimbursed for actual mileage (using the odometer readings or any readily available electronic mapping service) up to the federal mileage rate. Mileage can be calculated from place of work or other appropriate location as approved by department head or designee. Mileage from work to home is not reimbursable.
Employees or prospective employees may be reimbursed for justifiable travel expenses incurred when state required procedures are not utilized (e.g. personal credit card instead of a corporate card).
Employees may be reimbursed for approved travel expenses incurred on behalf of another employee or prospective employee if the person being reimbursed incurred the expense. In this scenario a statement from the other employee, who the expenses are attributable to, must be included with the report. This statement must identify the exact expenses that were paid by the first employee on the second employee’s behalf. A statement from a prospective employee is not required.
If non-Educational and General (non-E&G) funds are used to reimburse travel expenses for training seminars sponsored by TAMU for TAMU employees or TAMUG for TAMUG employees, it is not necessary to obtain the certification of the President, that TAMU or TAMUG does not possess interactive television or videoconference facilities. If Education and General (E&G) funds are used, and such facilities are available, the President must certify that the uses of these resources are not available at less cost, nor available through another agency.
A department head may determine if it is necessary to send more than one employee to the same event, meeting, seminar, conference, or other travel destination.
Employees or prospective employees may be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred that are normally not reimbursable when such expenses result in a cost saving.
Employees may be reimbursed for laundry expenses when a traveler experiences extenuating circumstances while traveling on official TAMU or TAMUG business. These circumstances could include things like foreign travel, luggage damage (in which the contents are damaged), foul weather, extended stay for a business purpose, or other extenuating circumstance. The department head must approve all exceptions.