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Travel Information Update (1/3/2022)

Listed below are travel rules and regulations adopted as policy at Lamar State College-Port Arthur (LSCPA). Failure to follow these procedures could delay reimbursement of travel expenses.

For general information about travel, visit Textravel, published by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Request to Travel Forms and Approvals

  • All travel requests, travel vouchers and requisitions for reimbursement of travel-related expenses must be approved by the President and appropriate Supervisor. Please note that not all travel requests will be approved.
  • A Request to Travel at College Expense (RTCE) form must be completed, approved and submitted to the Travel Coordinator prior to date of travel. Please do not incur any travel-related expenses until after your RTCE has been approved.
  • You must indicate what index should be used.
  • The Travel Voucher is available online in multiple formats: Travel Voucher (Excel) | Travel Voucher (PDF)
    • For assistance, see Travel Voucher Instructions and the Sample Travel Voucher.
    • For those who choose not to complete the form online, the blank form can be printed out and then completed.
    • Please discard other forms that are currently being used.
  • You must document the dates of your trip and the reason on the front of the voucher. You must also fill in the bottom part on the second page. If this is not completed your travel voucher will be returned to you.
  • Only contracted vendors and/or rates should be used for travel.
    • A complete listing can be found on the State Travel Management Program website.
    • Exceptions require approval from appropriate Vice-President.
    • Note: If a contracted vendor and/or rate cannot be used, an exception from the contract exceptions list must be indicated on the Travel Voucher. View the list of contract exceptions.

Reimbursement for Out of Pocket Expenses

  • Only original, unaltered receipts should be submitted with the Travel Voucher for reimbursement.
  • Reimbursements must be claimed within 30 days of date of travel. Exceptions require a memo from appropriate Vice-President, indicating reason for delay.

Non-Overnight Stays

The College will provide a Daily Per Diem for non-overnight travel.

  • If staying within the general Southeast Texas area but away from designated headquarters for 6 or more consecutive hours, you will be limited to $36 per day for the per diem to cover breakfast and lunch. If meals are provided you must subtract the appropriate amount from per diem.
  • If traveling outside the general Southeast Texas area, you will receive the per diem of your destination city.
  • As is the case with out-of-town overnight per diems, non-overnight daily per diems will be adjusted accordingly for conference meals provided (please attach conference agenda).

Lodging and Per Diem

  • A state employee who travels within the state of Texas, or out of state, on official state business shall be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses.
    • Effective immediately, receipts for meals only will no longer be required.
    • The maximum meal reimbursement will be according to Per Diem Rates for the area to which you are traveling.
    • Per Diem Rates can be found at the US General Services Administration website. 
    • If attending a conference you must include the conference agenda with your travel voucher.
    • If your conference registration includes an allowance for meals, you must subtract the appropriate amount from the Per Diem Rate.
  • If meals are included in your lodging rate, registration fee or provided by someone else, you must adjust your per diem rate accordingly. See the US General Services Administration website for meals and incidental expenses breakdown.
  • If at a conference or traveling with the President or under official directive, the lodging rate maximums do not apply, but you will be required to turn in your actual lodging receipts.
  • On your first and last day of travel, adjust your per diem rate according to the following time schedule, you may also include your $5.00 per day for incidentals.
    • Departing from Headquarters
      • After 10:00am, claim lunch and dinner
      • After 2:00pm, claim dinner
      • After 5:00pm, claim dinner
    • Arrival time at Headquarters
      • After 10:00am, claim breakfast
      • After 2:00pm, claim breakfast and lunch
      • After 6:00pm, claim breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • When traveling in Texas, a state employee of an “educational organization” is exempt from paying state hotel occupancy tax; therefore, it is not reimbursable. A completed Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate must be presented at check-in so that this tax will not be charged. 
  • When two state employees share one hotel room, each employee must complete a Travel Voucher to be reimbursed.
    • Therefore, two receipts should be requested, one receipt for each employee which bears that employee’s name and share of actual total lodging expense.
    • Total reimbursement cannot exceed per diem rates.

Personally-Owned Vehicles and Rental Car Reimbursement

  • The State of Texas requires Coordination of Travel, also known at the “four-per-car rule”.
    • Coordination of travel must occur when two, three, or four state employees employed by the same state agency travel on the same dates with the same itinerary to conduct the same official state business.
    • A state agency may reimburse only one of the state employees riding in the personally-owned or leased motor vehicle for the mileage to the duty point.
    • If more than four state employees employed by the same state agency travel on the same dates with the same itinerary to conduct the same official state business, then coordination of travel is required for each group of four employees.
    • Exceptions require approval from appropriate Vice-President.
  • A state employee is entitled to be reimbursed for mileage incurred during the employee’s use of either a personally-owned or leased motor vehicle.
    • The maximum reimbursement rate is $0.67 per mile, effective January 1, 2024.
    • Mileage reimbursement is inclusive of all expenses associated with the employee’s operation of a personally-owned or leased motor vehicle.
    • LSCPA employees travelling on state business should calculate total number of miles travelled by using Mapquest.
  • Local mileage incurred while traveling in Jefferson County will not be reimbursed if the Daily Per Diem for non-overnight travel is taken. *Please note that if you normally travel as part of your job description, your travel is not affected by these guidelines.
  • Note: in the event a flight is less expensive than driving, you will be reimbursed at the flight rate whether you actually fly or not.

Phone Calls

Phone calls are only reimbursable if they are business-related.

  • Business calls must be identified as such on the Travel Voucher.
  • The traveler should identify on the receipt the phone number called and the name of the business or person contacted, in order to receive reimbursement for the call.

Special Travel Scenarios

Washington, D.C. Travel

  • Pursuant to House Bill 1, Seventy-Fourth Regular Legislative Session, prior to travel to Washington, D.C. state agency personnel shall inform the Office of State-Federal Relations.
  • Please contact the Travel Coordinator for more information. This form must be submitted with the RTCE.

Foreign Travel

Out-of-the-Country Travel must be submitted to the appropriate Vice-President with the “Request for Chairman of the Board of Regents’ Approval and Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk” form.