Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 48, November 27, 2024
Section 61-NA-3 - General Instructions3.1 - Headquarters - For purposes of travel reimbursement, each employee of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture shall have a designated workplace as the official headquarters of the employee. For most employees, the official headquarters will be at the Guthrie Agriculture Center. Those employees who do not have Guthrie Agriculture Center as headquarters shall file a properly executed headquarters justification statement with the Department's Administrative Services Division. The official headquarters shall be shown on all expense accounts. An employee's home may be officially designated as an employee's headquarters only if there is no other location available. All employees using their homes as headquarters must secure the written approval of the Commissioner to do so. In no case will commuting to an employee's headquarters be allowed as a cause for reimbursement without specific written authorization from the Commissioner. Specific exception to this will occur where the employee is required to return to headquarters from home after completing a normal day's work schedule or is called out on what is normally a non-work day or holiday for that employee. 3.1.2 -Headquarters Single Location - Headquarters shall not be multiple stations. Personnel who work multiple stations which necessitate automobile travel are in travel status from the moment of departure of the official headquarters until return to official headquarters. If an employee does not return to the headquarters station at the end of a day or a trip, the employee shall not be eligible for mileage on personal car in excess of the mileage to return to official headquarters.3.1.3 - Transfer/Relocation of Assignment - When an employee is assigned an official headquarters other than Guthrie Center that requires the relocation of the employee's residence, such employee will be allowed sixty (60) calendar days relocation travel expenses. Provision does not apply to unassigned voluntary relocation. If the employee elects not to move the residence, the employee shall not be allowed expenses related to the change in headquarters after the 60 calendar day relocation period.3.2 - Expense Accounts - The standard form issued by the Department of Agriculture as an Expense Account form will be used for settlement of and reimbursement for all travel expenses. The form must show detail of expenses incurred by day, and will be summarized by day and by category as provided for on the forms.3.2.1 - Itemization - Original itemized receipts should, if at all possible, accompany the travel expense forms to include, as a minimum, all lodging receipts, airlines or common carrier receipts, registration receipts, parking charges, toll charges (excluding West Virginia Turnpike toll charges), baggage charges. If original documents are not available, a certified copy may be submitted. The certification on each document submitted for reimbursement must read as follows:"I certify that this is an original invoice and that payment has not been received".
Signature:______________
Title:__________________
Date:__________________
This certification must be completed once each by the employee, employee's supervisor or employee's division director. (NOTE: The submission of documents requiring certification as originals will delay reimbursement.)
3.2.2.- Verification/Approval - All expense account forms will be signed by the employee and approved by the Division Director. No employee, except the Commissioner of Agriculture, may approve the employee's own expense account form. The approval of expense accounts is more than a formality and should be treated with due seriousness. Approval of expense account indicates that expenses submitted for reimbursement have been reviewed, and found to comply with department policies regarding authorized travel expenses.3.2.3.-Time of Submission - Employees shall submit all requests for reimbursement of travel expenses, including receipts, to their division director on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, or within three (3) working days from trip return date. The only exception to this is for reimbursement requests that total less that $50.00. These requests should be submitted only after 30 days has elapsed since the last date of travel. It is the responsibility of the division director to review and approve employee's expense accounts within two (2) working days of receipt and forward to the Administrative Services Division, which will submit appropriate transmittal within three (3) working days to the appropriate executive agencies of state government. Travel expenses incurred during June, must be submitted within ten (10) work days of the last date of travel.3.2.4. - Commissioner's Approval - Written permission must be received from the Commissioner of Agriculture, or his designee, as required in the following situations. b) Travel for events having a registration fee in excess of $150.00 per registrant.c) Travel requiring use of chartered aircraft.d) Travel outside the continental United States.e) Attendance at meetings and events involving lodging at resort class facilities, such as The Greenbrier.3.3 - Meal Allowance3.3.1 - In-State Meal Allowance - Reimbursement will be made for the actual cost of meals while absent from official headquarters, on overnight status with a maximum of twenty-five dollars ($25) per day for travel within the State of West Virginia where the distance from the official headquarters is over twenty-five miles. Meals are allowed when lodging is listed as "gratis" or "no charge".3.3.2. - Out-of-State Meal Allowance - Reimbursement will be made for the actual cost of meals while absent from official headquarters and on overnight status, with a maximum of fifty dollars ($50) per day. Meals are allowed when lodging is "gratis" or "no charge". 3.3.3. - Extended Hours - On overnight trips, departure from official headquarters before 8:00 a.m. entitles a traveling employee to a frill meal allowance. On overnight trips, departure before noon entitles the traveling employee to lunch and dinner, while departure before 6:00 p.m. entitles the traveling employee to dinner. On the return trip, arrival at the official headquarters before 8:00 a.m. entitles the traveling employee to no meal allowance, arrival before noon entitles the employee to breakfast only; arrival after 12:00 entitles the employee to breakfast and lunch, while arrival after 6:00 p.m. entitles the traveling employee to a full meal allowance. Arrival and departure time must be stated on the travel expense account form.
An exception to overnight status meal qualification, is when an employee who is away from headquarters has been required to be on duty at least two (2) hours in excess of the "normal work day". The definition of a "normal work day" is determined by the applicable division and is not limited to the standard business day, or 8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. Employees claiming reimbursement for this meal allowance must denote on their expense account "WORKED 2 HOURS IN EXCESS OF NORMAL DAY" for each occurrence.
3.3.3(1) - Meal Allowance Determination - The following meal allowances are to be used in determining the amount of reimbursement to employees traveling on state business when the full meal allowance cannot be claimed.1) In-state travel: Breakfast - $7.00, Lunch - $8.00, and Dinner - $ 12.00. (Daily total cannot exceed $25.00)
2) In-State Travel-Extended Hours: Dinner - $12.003) Out-of-State travel - Breakfast - $10.00, Lunch - $15.00, and Dinner - $25.003.3.4 - Meals as Part of an Official Meeting - Advance approval must be secured from the Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner when meals are an integral part of an official meeting, and in excess of the allowable reimbursement.3.3A( 1) - Soil Conservation District Supervisors shall be allowed to charge for a meal at their official District meetings. This charge shall be limited to reimbursement for actual expenditures not to exceed $12.00 per meal.3.4 - Lodging - Employees traveling on state business will be reimbursed in an amount equal to their actual cost of lodging as shown on the lodging receipt. Reimbursement shall not be allowed for personal services such as laundry, valet charges or personal telephone calls. In the case of double occupancy, where one of the occupants is not on state business, hotel reimbursement will be on the basis of the least expensive available single rate. This information must be indicated on the lodging receipt.3.5 - Transportation3.5.1 - Airline or Common Carrier - Reimbursement will be made for the actual cost of bus, rail or air coach travel or other common carrier as evidenced by receipted bills which must accompany and verify the employee expense report. Employees are required to travel at tourist or economy rates when available. In order to take advantage of advance purchase tickets, expense accounts for the airline ticket only may be submitted if the ticket is purchased between 45 and 180 days prior to the beginning date of the first date of business travel. For electronically obtained tickets only, an itinerary may be submitted for ticket reimbursement prior to the travel dates.3.5.2 - Motor Vehicle - Reimbursement for the use of employee's personal car in connection with state business will be established by memorandum released by the Commissioner of Agriculture. Such reimbursement rate shall apply between the employee's official headquarters and the official destination. There will be no reimbursement of expense for commuting purposes, unless an employee is called out to work after the completion of a work day or required to travel on a non-work day or holiday for that employee. 3.5.2.1 - Commercial Rental Vehicles - Automobile rental will be reimbursable to employees when used in conjunction with common carrier travel, or when a state owned or privately owned vehicle is not available. In order to receive reimbursement, all commercial rental vehicle requests are to be submitted on Form No. 02-F075 to the Administrative Services Division ten (10) work days before the first date of travel.
Itemized receipts for reimbursable expenses must accompany the applicable travel expense form and may include the daily rental fee for a mid-size or smaller car, mileage fee, and gasoline costs. In all cases, employees are expected to utilize the least expensive rental car available. Collision damage waiver, or the rental company's equivalent, is a reimbursable expense for rentals of seven (7) days or less; no other insurance or insurance-like product is reimbursable for rentals used in the United States unless required by law. However, vehicles should be rented using the corporate travel card in order to obtain primary insurance coverage for loss due to collision, theft, fire and vandalism. The rental agency's offer to provide collision damage waiver (CDW) should be declined.
3.5.3 -Alternative Travel Arrangements - In cases where an employee chooses to drive rather than fly on state business, reimbursement will be limited to the amount of the tourist or economy airline fare to such location. Meals, mileage and other charges in connection with alternate travel will be allowed only to the extent that such costs along with mileage charges do not exceed air fare.3.5.4 - Other Transportation Costs - Other transportation costs will be reimbursed on an incurred basis as substantiated by receipts. Such reimbursement may include toll road, toll bridges, subways, parking fees and garage storage charges for vehicles used in connection with state business. Receipts are not necessary to document WV Turnpike tolls. 3.5.5 - State Vehicles - Employees should use state vehicles whenever practical in their travel.3.5.5.1 - Operation of State-owned Vehicles - Operation of state-owned vehicles shall be confined to state officials and employees while on official duty. No passengers or other individuals are permitted unless they are on the same business as authorized by the user of the vehicle, such as tour groups. Smoking in state-owned vehicles is prohibited . Seat belt use is mandatory.3.6 - Registration Fees - Registration fees at meetings or conferences must be supported by receipt. Employees shall not receive additional allowance for lodging or food that has been included in the registration fee.3.7 - Baggage Charges - Baggage charges will be reimbursed on an incurred basis for the date of arrival and the date of departure, not to exceed a total of 5% of the daily room rate.