March 27, 2001

Travel Rules and Documentation

Sandra Silva

UH Accounts Payable

March 27, 2001

Travel Request Required For

Employees Prospective Employees Contractors (central billed airfare) Students University Guests

March 27, 2001

University Guest Defined

Donor, potential donor, volunteer, or community, government, university, or corporate official who contributes to UH mission. Does not include current faculty, staff, or students of UH or persons paid or reimbursed for contracted services.

Travel Request signed by VP Travel expenses charged to 7570

March 27, 2001

Travel Request Signed by

Employee Supervisor or Unit Head Certifying Signatory Research Financial Services, if

applicable Vice President, if foreign travel or

university guest President, if foreign travel on local funds

March 27, 2001

Foreign Travel Defined

Travel to or from a country outside the US, except for Canada or Mexico, by an employee or prospective employee

March 27, 2001

Governor’s Approval for State-Funded Foreign Travel (1 of 2)

Complete Request for Governor’s Approval

Attach letter from traveler if travel destination is under travel advisory

Attach Travel Request Submit to President’s Office as

early as possible before trip

March 27, 2001

Governor’s Approval for State-Funded Foreign Travel (2 of 2)

Submit revised request if travel dates change by more than 7 days or cost by more than 10%

President’s Office faxes approved request to department

Traveler is not authorized to begin travel until Governor’s approves

See Instructions and Forms for more information

March 27, 2001

State-Funded Travel to Washington DC Area

Notify Office of State-Federal Relations at least 7 days before trip at: http://www.osfr.state.tx.us

Print confirmation page and attach to Travel Request/Travel Voucher

If not notified within 7 days, must fax letter of explanation to OSFR at (512) 463-1984

See Instructions for more info.

March 27, 2001

Contracted Vendors Required for State-Funded Travel

Travel Agency Airfare Lodging Rental Car Corporate Travel Card

March 27, 2001

UH-Contracted Travel Agencies – All Funds

Fax Travel Request to purchase airfare to– Navigant (Woodway)

$22 service charge 713-622-8700, phone 713-622-7704, fax

– Navigant (East Southmore) $22 service charge 713-920-7150, phone 713-920-7180, fax

March 27, 2001

UH-Contracted Travel Agencies – State Funds Only

Fax request to use alternate travel agency to Travel Coordinator– 713-743-5883, phone– 713-743-8709, fax– Memo must be signed by College/Division

Administrator– Identical quote from UH-contracted travel

agency and other travel agency– If approved, Travel Coordinator will sign and

fax to requesting department

March 27, 2001

State-Contracted Airfare(1 of 2)

List of contract airfares at: http://www.gsc.state.tx.us/travel/travel.html

Fax TR to contract travel agency or Purchase from contracted travel agency or

airline and charge to employee’s Corporate Travel Card– State-contracted airfare has a fare basis code of “YCATX”

or “QCATX”

Non-contract airfare must meet exception on Add. B (state funds)

March 27, 2001

State-Contracted Airfare(2 of 2)

State-contracted airfare includes:– $500,000 travel insurance

ID required for ticketless airfare– UH ID, Corporate Travel Card, or

Texas driver’s license (UH employee)– UH letter that says traveling on UH

business and authorized to use state fares (not UH employee)

March 27, 2001

State-Contracted Lodging

List of contracted hotels in Texas State Travel Directory, which is updated annually and distributed to business administrators

Update to hotels in GSC’s Travel-N-Texas Update newsletter, which is distributed to administrators

Non-contracted hotel must meet exception on Add. B (state funds)

March 27, 2001

State-Contracted Rental Car (1 of 2)

Advantage– 800-777-5518, reservations– Contract rate identifier: 730TXC

Avis– 800-331-1212, reservations– Contract rate identifier: F999730

Enterprise– 888-291-0359, reservations– Contract rate identifier: TX730

March 27, 2001

State-Contracted Rental Car (2 of 2)

State-contract price includes:– Loss/damage waiver, which covers all

damage to rental vehicle– Liability insurance, which covers persons

and property outside the rental vehicle (UH employee inside vehicle covered by Worker’s Compensation)

Non-contract rental car must meet exception on Add. B (state funds)

March 27, 2001

Corporate Travel Card(1 of 2)

Issued by Bank of America Required to purchase state-contracted

airfare– Central bill account or

– Employee’s corporate travel card Employee’s corporate travel card

– Employee’s travel expenses only

– $200 limit per month on retail

– Employee is liable for charges

March 27, 2001

Corporate Travel Card(2 of 2)

Applying for a corporate travel card– Must take or expect to take 3 trips per

year or expend $500 per year– Complete travel card application

www.uh.edu/finance (Workshop Materials)

– Complete Card Use Agreement– Submit application and agreement to

Travel Coordinator

March 27, 2001

Travel Advance(1 of 3)

Employees only Submit the following to the Travel

Coordinator:– Travel Advance Application– Travel Request– Purchase Voucher

Payable to traveler Charge account 022898-1346

March 27, 2001

Travel Advance(2 of 3)

Accounting for travel advance– Travel Voucher submitted to Travel

Coordinator within 15 days after trip– State-funded travel: traveler submits check

to TC for entire advance after being reimbursed for travel expenses

– Local-funded travel: traveler submits check along with Travel Voucher to TC for amount that advance exceeds travel expenses

March 27, 2001

Travel Advance(3 of 3)

Travel advances not accounted for or returned within 120 days will be considered taxable income

Employees with an outstanding advance may not receive another until they have cleared the first one

Travel advances may not be issued more than 30 days in advance

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursements - Forms

These travelers are reimbursed on a Travel Voucher:– Employees– Prospective Employees– Students (local funds only)

These travelers are reimbursed on a Purchase Voucher:– Contractors– University Guests (local funds only)

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement - Documentation (1 of 2)

Receipts are required for– Airfare (itinerary for ticketless)– Lodging– Rental Car– Actual meal expenses (local funds)– Registration fee

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement - Documentation (2 of 2)

The following expenses must be itemized:– Parking, tolls, and gas for rental car– Metropolitan taxi, bus, subway, train– Business calls/faxes (label “business”)– Hotel occupancy tax– Mileage for owned or leased vehicle

Point to point (give address or intersection, if not in Texas Mileage Guide)

UH-Bush IAH: 21.4 miles one way UH-Hobby: 7.3 miles one way

– Other out-of-pocket expenses

March 27, 2001

State of Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax (1 of 2)

Employees must give exemption form to Texas hotel at check-in

If refused by hotel, employee may be reimbursed for tax by faxing memo to Travel Coordinator– “[Name of hotel] refused to honor Texas Hotel

Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate on [date].”

– Provide name, address, and phone (if available) of hotel

March 27, 2001

State of Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax (2 of 2)

Travel Coordinator approves memo, returns by fax, and notifies Comptroller’s Office

Attach memo to Travel Voucher If employee does not present form to

hotel, he cannot be reimbursed Non-employees are reimbursed for state

hotel occupancy tax without explanation

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement on State Funds - Meals (1 of 2)

Employees– Non-overnight travel less than 6 hours: not

reimbursable– Non-overnight travel more than 6 hours: $25

maximum, taxable– 1st day of overnight travel with departure

before 6:00 PM: reimburse up to 100%– 1st day of overnight travel with departure

after 6:00 PM: not reimburseable– 2nd through last day of overnight travel: per

diem if travel within US; actual if travel outside US

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement on State Funds - Meals (2 of 2)

Prospective Employees– Non-overnight travel: not reimbursable

– 1st day overnight travel with departure after 6:00 PM: not reimbursable

– 1st day overnight travel with departure before 6:00 PM: 100% per diem

– 2nd through last day overnight travel: $25 per diem if traveling to Texas

Contractor– Documentation required by contract

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement on State Funds - Lodging (1 of 2)

Employees– Travel inside US:

Detailed receipt from hotel required– Internet booking not allowed by GSC

Limited to per diem May increase lodging per diem by underutilized meal

per diem outside TX Add. B required for non-contract hotel

– Travel outside US Detailed receipt from hotel required

– Internet booking not allowed by GSC

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement on State Funds - Lodging (2 of 2)

Prospective Employees– Detailed receipt from hotel required

Internet booking not allowed by GSC

– Limited to per diem ($70 for Texas) Contractor

– Receipt from hotel required

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement on Local Funds - Meals (1 of 2)

Employees, Prospective Employees, and Students– Non-overnight travel: not reimbursable– 1st day of overnight travel: 75% per diem or

actual expenses with receipts– 2nd through next to last day of overnight travel:

100% per diem or actual expenses with receipts– Last day of overnight travel: 75% per diem or

actual expenses with receipts

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement on Local Funds - Meals (2 of 2)

Contractors– Documentation required by contract

University Guests– Itemize daily meal expenses– Travel Request must be approved by

Vice President

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement on Local Funds - Lodging (1 of 2)

Employees, Prospective Employees, Students– Detailed receipt required– Actual expense reimbursed, unless

college/division policy limits to per diem Contractor

– Detailed receipt required– Actual expense reimbursed, if allowed by

contract

March 27, 2001

Travel Reimbursement on Local Funds - Lodging (2 of 2)

University Guests– Detailed receipt required– Travel Request must be approved by

Vice President

March 27, 2001

Contacts for Travel Questions(1 of 2)

Sandra Silva, Travel Coordinator– 713-743-5883, phone– 713-743-8709, fax– ssilva@central.uh.edu

Denise Bland, Travel Voucher Auditor– 713-743-8705, phone– 713-743-8709, fax– dlbland@central.uh.edu

March 27, 2001

Contacts for Travel Questions(2 of 2)

Mike Glisson, Director of Accounts Payable– 713-743-8706, phone– 713-743-8799, fax– mtglisson@central.uh.edu