Policies & Procedures

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.virginia.gov. 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.

All travel expenses are charged to academic department or administrative staff budgets.

II. POLICY

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. A Request for Travel Authorization Form (RTA) must be completed prior to the trip and on file in the Accounting and Financial Reporting Office. The RTA Form and the RTA Number may be obtained from the Accounting & Financial Reporting website.
   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 and Longwood-owned vans 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.
   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.
   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.
      1.  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.
      2. 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. (See CAPP Manual, Topic 20335).
   5. Registrations: Payment Request Forms are used to pay registration fees, unless the vendor accepts VISA. In that case VISA 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 Bank of America to provide an individual VISA 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.
5. The automated Travel Expense Reimbursement Voucher and instructions for preparation are available on the AFR website and on the DOA website (CAPP Manual Topics 20335 and 20336).

Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, September 7, 2002.
Revised and approved by the Board of Visitors, December 03, 2010.