3314.4 - Travel Authorization/Reimbursement - Procedure

All travel shall be reviewed and approved by the employee's direct supervisor, branch head or documented designee prior to commencement.

All travel expenditures must be necessary and reasonable for the travel purpose.

Expenditures for the convenience or preference of an employee shall not be allowable (for example: upgrades to airfare, valet parking, luxury vehicle rentals, etc).

The following are required to be submitted to document proof of authorized travel expenditures, as applicable:

• Original, itemized receipts
• Flyers, agendas, and completed registration forms
• Overnight/Out-of-State Travel Authorization form

Other forms of documentation may be required depending on the unique nature of the expenditure.

Employees who use their personal vehicle for business travel must maintain a current California driver's license and liability insurance.

Travel times and distance are calculated for business travel in excess of the employee’s normal commute (for non-itinerant employees) and are to be validated by the approving manager.

Employees shall not be reimbursed for mileage traveled from home to the duty station/regular assignment and/or the subsequent trip home under any circumstance.

Itinerant employees shall be reimbursed solely for mileage beginning at their first work location through their last work location each day. Distance traveled from the employee's home to their first work location or from their last work location back home shall not be reimbursed.

If travel begins/ends at an employee's home, mileage reimbursement shall be based upon the difference between the actual miles traveled and the employee's commute miles.

Commute miles are the number of miles traveled between an employee's home and their duty station/regular assignment.

Determination of these distances may be confirmed using Google Maps, but in no case shall exceed actual miles traveled.

If an employee requests and receives approval to use his/her personal vehicle or other method of ground transportation as a means of travel to an established destination in-lieu-of airfare, reimbursement for such travel shall be based on the lesser of:

• Actual miles traveled less commute miles
• Miles calculated using commonly accepted mapping software (i.e. Google Maps)
• The prevailing cost of airfare, ground transportation, and parking at the time such travel occurred; supporting documentation to be included with the mileage claim at the time of submission

Under such circumstances, compensated travel time to/from the destination shall be determined as the lesser of:

• Actual time spent in travel
• The time ordinarily required for travel from the employee's duty station/regular assignment to the destination by air and subsequent ground transportation
• The time ordinarily required for travel from the employee's home to the destination by air
  and subsequent ground transportation

In no case shall credit be given for travel time in excess of one business day which results directly from the employee's choice of an alternative method of travel. Travel time in excess of one business day shall be considered vacation/unassigned time and the employee shall be responsible for all expenses incurred during such a period.

When two or more employees are traveling by ground to the same destination, the following methods of transportation are preferred:

• Carpool in a personal vehicle
• Use of an organizational vehicle (see also policy 3544 and procedure 3544.1).
• Sharing of shuttle, taxi, rental car, or ride-share application, as appropriate

Requests for exceptions to the above stated procedures must be made prior to travel. The request must be made, in writing, to the Assistant Superintendent, Business Services Branch.

Mileage-only reimbursement requests are submitted on a Monthly Mileage Claim or Itinerant Monthly Mileage Claim, as appropriate.

All Monthly Mileage Claim forms must be submitted monthly.

Conference & Workshop Registration

Registration fees charged in connection with approved attendance of conferences, workshops, in? services, seminars, trainings, conventions, meetings (herein after referred to as "events"), etc. are allowable at actual cost.

Non-reimbursable expenses related to events include but are not limited to: additional fees to obtain units of credit, dues or membership fees which are required for conference attendance, and dues or membership fees which are paid for the purpose of obtaining a discounted registration fee (see also Policy 4119.2, 4219.2, 4319.2).

Lodging

Actual lodging costs are allowable, not to exceed the single occupancy rate of the hotel at the time of travel.

Most hotels will waive certain taxes for guests traveling on official government business. It is recommended that the employee inquire about the availability of such a waiver at the time of check?in and complete any necessary paperwork the hotel requires to obtain such a discount.

Airlines & Airfare

Economy, standard, tourist, or similar airfare rates plus applicable taxes and fees as assessed by the airline are allowable. Upgrades to a higher service class shall be solely at the employee's expense. This does not apply to "Wanna Get Away Plus" rates offered by Southwest Airlines. Due to the frequent changes involving travel itineraries, staff members are authorized to book the "Wanna Get Away Plus" rate when needed. Fees for overweight, oversize, or excessive baggage shall likewise be at the employee's expense.

When traveling by air, the travel day begins 90 minutes prior to the scheduled flight departure and ends 60 minutes after landing.

Credits for flights paid for by SBCSS for official travel (such as for canceled flights) remain the property of SBCSS. Employees should use these credits to offset future business travel expenses.

Ground Transportation

When additional ground transportation is necessary to reach a destination, employees are expected to utilize the most economical mode available. Acceptable methods of transportation may include shuttles, taxis, rental cars, buses, or ride-sharing applications. Gratuity for ground transportation is limited to 20% of the pre-tax cost.

When renting a car, the purchase of comprehensive/collision and liability insurance coverage is appropriate and allowable.

Other allowable costs associated with ground transportation may include parking fees, fuel for rental vehicles, and highway tolls. Transponders for toll roads may be checked out as available by contacting the Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation office.

Meals

The meal reimbursement rate is $70 per day, per individual.
Meal reimbursement is only allowable with an approved overnight stay.

Original, itemized receipts are required to substantiate all meal-related expenses. Gratuity for meals is limited to 20% of the pre-tax meal cost.

Alcoholic beverages are not reimbursable under any circumstance. If alcoholic beverages are purchased during non-work hours as part of an otherwise reimbursable meal, they must not appear on any receipt submitted for reimbursement.

If an employee is assigned to attend an event and a meal is provided as part of that event, no other meal shall be reimbursed in-lieu of that provided at the event.

Groceries (i.e. items in multi-serving quantities) are not allowable.

Internet Access

If internet access is required to conduct official SBCSS business in the course of otherwise approved travel, it must be pre-approved on the Overnight and Out-of-State Travel Request form.

Overnight Parameters

The employee's supervisor shall approve all requests for overnight travel.

The following parameters shall be considered when determining if/when employee overnight travel is in the best interest of the organization:

• Driving: The beginning time of the event is such that the employee would be required to leave their duty station/regular assignment or home (whichever is closer) prior to 6:00 a.m. or the event is more than 75 miles one-way from the duty station/regular assignment or home (whichever is closer).
• Flying: The beginning time of the event is such that available flights coupled with standard ground transportation would not allow the employee to arrive less than 15 minutes after the scheduled start of the event.
• Termination of Travel: Available means of transportation or other extenuating circumstances would cause the employee to arrive home after 8:00 p.m.
• Travel Duration: Any combination of event and travel time exceeds 10 hours or is a multi-day event.

The organization will not reimburse costs associated with overnight travel when it is determined that the primary justification for the overnight stay was employee preference or convenience.

Out-Of-State Travel

Travel that will take an employee out-of-state for any reason, regardless of the official destination, must be pre-approved by the County Superintendent. This form must be approved by the branch head or his/her designee prior to submission to the County Superintendent. Justification for the out-of-state travel must be submitted with the request (i.e. memo).

A copy of the Overnight and Out-of-State Travel Request form must accompany all expenditure reimbursements or requests. No costs incurred by an employee at an out-of-state location will be reimbursed without the proper authorization.

To initiate a request for overnight travel, the employee must complete the Overnight and Out-of?State Travel Request form indicating destination, purpose of the trip, and all dates of travel (arrival and departure dates).

The employee submits the Overnight and Out-of-State Travel Request form to his/her supervisor for approval.

If the approved travel will take the employee out-of-state for any reason, regardless of the official travel destination, the request must also be approved by the County Superintendent as outlined above.

The approved Overnight and Out-of-State Travel Request form will be retained by the employee and submitted along with any request for reimbursement or documentation of official travel-related expenses upon the completion of travel.

If out-of-pocket expenses are incurred, the Monthly Reimbursement Claim form is submitted to the direct supervisor, branch head, or designee for approval. A copy of the approved Overnight and Out-of-State Travel Request form must accompany the Monthly Reimbursement Claim form and/or completed CAL-Card statement, as appropriate.

Personal Vacations and Traveling with a Companion

Authorized expenses will be reimbursed for the employee only and only for those expenses that were incurred during the time in which the approved business travel occurred. Expenses incurred during non-workdays, benefiting a non-employee travel companion, or that would not have ordinarily been incurred had the employee been traveling unaccompanied will not be allowable or reimbursed.

Non-Employee Reimbursement

The County Superintendent may designate a non-employee to act as a representative of SBCSS. A duly designated representative may request and receive reimbursement for expenses incurred while carrying out the activities, duties, or responsibilities for which they were designated, subject to and within the limits of all provisions otherwise applicable to SBCSS employees, as specified within this procedure.

The County Superintendent’s signature on the Authorization to Pay Non-Employee Expenses form is required to authorize expenses. It is the responsibility of the sponsoring department to complete this form and obtain the required signatures. If the designated representative is the employee of another agency and will be absent from their official duties for that agency while carrying out the activities, duties, or responsibilities for which they were designated, the appropriate authorized signatures of that agency must also be obtained, as indicated on the form.

Any limitation in the scope or types of expenditures to be reimbursed may also be indicated on the Authorization to Pay Non-Employee Expenses form; these limitations shall supersede any expenditure otherwise allowed by this procedure. Authorization to incur expenses not otherwise provided for in this procedure shall be made solely by the County Superintendent, in writing, prior to such expenses being incurred.

Monthly Reimbursement Claim Form

The Monthly Reimbursement Claim form is a summary of all travel expenses covered by this procedure for which an employee requests reimbursement (except mileage-only claims).

To receive reimbursement for travel-related expenditures, employees must complete the Monthly Reimbursement Claim form in its entirety. The form must be approved by the employee's direct supervisor, branch head or documented designee and forwarded to the Accounts Payable office for payment, along with the required documentation for each expenditure (original, itemized receipts; hotel folios; completed event registration forms; event notifications/flyers, sign-in sheets; Overnight and Out-of-State Travel Request forms; etc.).

All Monthly Reimbursement Claim forms are to be submitted to Accounts Payable within 30 days of the approved travel expenditures being incurred.

Final Determination of Allowable Expenses and Reimbursement

SBCSS reserves the right to refuse reimbursement for any expenditure not specifically allowed by this procedure. The reasonableness of any allowable expenditure may be determined by the Assistant Superintendent, Business Services Branch, as necessary. The Assistant Superintendent, Business Services Branch may also provide clarification of the provisions of this procedure when needed.

All forms and policies and procedures referenced in this procedure can be found at: https://enet.sbcss.k12.ca.us except where noted.

Approved - August 24, 1993
Revised - April 1, 1998
Revised - February 19, 2002
Revised Effective April 1, 2002
Revised - March 18, 2003
Revised Effective April 1, 2003
Revised - May 1, 2003
Revised - August 28, 2007
Revised - January 27, 2015
Revised - May 15, 2018
Revised Effective July 1, 2018
Revised - November 8, 2022
Revised - November 22, 2022
Revised - April 4, 2023