N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:23A-7.12

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 6A:23A-7.12 - Meal allowance-special conditions-and allowable incidental travel expenditures

(a) Meals for in-State travel shall not be eligible for reimbursement except as expressly authorized within this subchapter.

(b) A meal allowance may be provided to employees or district board of education members in relation to one-day, out-of-State trips required for school business purposes that do not require an overnight stay. The reimbursement for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner shall not exceed the amounts authorized in State travel regulations as published by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Office of Management and Budget, and presented in the OMB Travel Circulars.

(c) Lunch for off-site training sessions may be authorized for an amount up to $ 7.00 per person only when it is necessary that employees or district board of education members remain at a site other than their school district and there are no viable options for lunch at the off-site location.

1. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A: 11-12.a(1)(d), employee and district board of education member retreats shall be held onsite unless there is no school district site available.

2. If lunch is included in a lump-sum registration fee for an off-site training session, the full amount is eligible for reimbursement, if reasonable. Providing lunch for on-site staff meetings and in-service days or for employees who come from other parts of the school district shall not be permitted. (See (d) below.)

3. Refreshments for breaks may also be provided at training sessions held at a site other than the school district.

(d) Subsistence expenses for an employee or district board of education member shall not be allowed within the school district or within a radius of 10 miles thereof, except for meals expressly authorized by and in accordance with this section. Non-allowed expenses include, but are not limited to, meals and refreshments for on-site staff meetings and in-service days.

(e) Reimbursement may be approved for the cost of an official luncheon or dinner, up to $ 10.00 and $ 15.00, respectively, that an employee or district board of education member is authorized to attend, if the meal is scheduled as an integral part of an official proceeding or program related to school district business and the employee's or district board of education member's responsibilities.

1. "School district business" at (e) above refers to the management operations of the school district and does not refer to activities that benefit students and are part of the instructional program. Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-5.8(b)4, all reasonable expenditures related to school district employees that are essential to the conduct of a student activity are permitted.

(f) Regular meetings, special meetings, and work sessions of the district board of education shall be limited to light meals and refreshments for all district board of education members.

1. The meals may be served to employees who are required to attend the event and if it is impractical for the employees to commute to and from their residence between the end of the work day and the beginning of the event, or if the employees are required to remain at the school district to prepare for the event.

2. The school district shall acquire the light meals and refreshments by the solicitation of quotes, if required pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-1 et seq.

3. If the school district's food service program can prepare comparable meals at a lower cost, the food service program shall be used.

4. The average cost per meal shall not exceed $ 10.00.

5. The school district shall purchase or prepare food that is sufficient to provide each district board of education member, dignitary, non-employee speaker, or allowable staff member one meal. Meals should be carefully ordered to avoid excess. Unintended left over food should be donated to a charitable shelter or similar facility, if at all possible.

(g) Allowable incidental travel expenses, in addition to the Federal per diem definition of incidental expenses at N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-7.11(f), may be reimbursed and shall be limited to the following essential transactions for official business.

1. Charges for telephone calls on official business may be allowed. The voucher shall show the dates on which such calls were made, the points between which each call was made, and the cost per call.

2. Employees and district board of education members using their personally owned telephone for business may request reimbursement, less Federal Communications Tax. Calls for business are tax exempt and the telephone company will make allowances for the tax if the employee or district board of education member certifies to the telephone company when paying bills for personally owned phones that said calls were business calls.

3. Incidental expenses, defined as "non-meal tips" by the State travel regulations, when necessarily incurred by the traveler in connection with the transaction of official business, may be submitted for reimbursement only when the necessity and nature of the expense are clearly and fully explained on the travel voucher and the voucher is approved. Travel vouchers shall be supported by receipts showing the quantity and unit price.

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:23A-7.12

Amended by 49 N.J.R. 1038(a), effective 5/1/2017

Amended by 56 N.J.R. 2141(a), effective 11/4/2024