§ 138-6.  Travel allowances of State officers and employees.

(a) Travel on official business by the officers and employees of State departments, institutions and agencies which operate from funds deposited with the State Treasurer shall be reimbursed at the following rates:

(1) For transportation by privately owned automobile, the business standard mileage rate set by the Internal Revenue Service per mile of travel and the actual cost of tolls paid. Any other law which sets a mileage rate by referring to the rate set herein, instead establishes a rate of twenty-five cents (25¢) per mile. No reimbursement shall be made for the use of a personal car in commuting from an employee's home to his duty station in connection with regularly scheduled work hours.

(2) For bus, railroad, Pullman, or other conveyance, actual fare.

(3) For expenses incurred for subsistence, payment of eighty-one dollars ($81.00) per day when traveling in-state or ninety-three dollars ($93.00) per day when traveling out-of-state. Payment of sales tax, lodging tax, local tax, or service fees applied to the cost of lodging are to be paid in addition to the daily subsistence amount. The employee may exceed the part of the ceiling allocated for lodging without approval for overexpenditure provided that the total lodging and food reimbursement does not exceed the maximum provided by this subdivision. When travel involves less than a full day (24-hour period), a reasonable prorated amount shall be paid in accordance with regulations and criteria which shall be promulgated and published by the Director of the Budget. Reimbursement to State employees for lunches eaten while on official business may be made only in the following circumstances:

a. When an overnight stay is required reimbursement is allowed while an employee is in travel status;

b. When the cost of the lunch is included as part of a registration fee for a formal congress, conference, assembly, or convocation, by whatever name called. Such assembly must involve the active participation of persons other than the employees of a single State department, institution, or agency and must be necessary for conducting official State business; or

c. When the State employee is a member of, or providing staff assistance to, a State board, commission, committee, or council which operates from funds deposited with the State Treasurer, and the lunch is preplanned as part of the meeting for the entire board, commission, committee, or council.

(4) For convention registration fees not to exceed the actual amount expended as shown by a valid receipt or invoice.

(5) Effective July 1, 2001, and effective July 1 of each odd-numbered year thereafter, the Director of the Budget shall revise the amounts of payment of subsistence per day when traveling in-State and out-of-state by an amount equal to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the most recent 24-month period.

(b) Out-of-state travel on official business by the officers and employees of State departments, institutions, and agencies which operate from funds deposited with the State Treasurer shall be reimbursed only upon authorization obtained in the manner prescribed by the Director of the Budget.

(c) Reimbursement of actual costs of overnight lodging, whether in-state or out-of-state, must be documented by a receipt of actual lodging expenses from a commercial establishment. This documentation shall be attached to the reimbursement request. All reimbursement requests shall be filed for approval and payment within 30 days after the travel period for which the reimbursement is being requested. (1961, c. 833, s. 6; 1963, c. 1049, s. 2; 1965, c. 1089; 1969, c. 1153; 1971, c. 881, ss. 1, 2; 1973, c. 595, s. 1; c. 1456; 1975, c. 892, s. 1; 1977, c. 928; 1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1136, s. 38.1; c. 1237, ss. 1, 2; 1979, c. 34, s. 1; c. 1002, s. 1; c. 1050, s. 1; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1137, s. 26; 1981, c. 859, ss. 57-59; 1983, c. 761, s. 22; c. 913, s. 27; c. 923, s. 217; 1985, c. 757, s. 201(a); 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1014, s. 39(b); 1987, c. 738, ss. 58(c), 58(d), 60; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1086, s. 30(a); c. 1100, s. 38(a); 1993, c. 321, s. 24(a); 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 769, s. 7.27A; 1998-212, s. 28.20(a); 1999-237, s. 28.20; 2000-140, s. 93.1(a); 2001-424, s. 12.2(b); 2007-322, s. 8.)