Travel Policy

NY State Travel Expense Reimbursement Policy Summary

Airfare

  • Use our contract travel agency.
  • Supersaver with Saturday night stayover must have cost savings documented in a memorandum and be approved by the Office of Finance and Management.
  • Travel by air when distance is less than 200 miles requires approval by the President or his designee
  • New York State agency employees are not authorized to use personal credit cards or other payment means requiring reimbursement when travel costs are charged to a state account. All tickets must be purchased using the Business Travel Account (BTA) at BTI Travel Consultants.

Car Rental

  • When using a rental car, it should be rented from the authorized contract car rental agency. Enterprise should be used for all rentals (within and outside NYS.) When making a reservation the user should quote corporate code "NA24NYS" to ensure contract rates are reserved. Use of other than contract car rental agency must be justified.
  • You can reserve your car with Enterprise.
  • Loss Damage Waiver insurance (LDW or CDW) must be purchased (and will be reimbursed) to ensure proper coverage and liability. No other insurance is required nor will be reimbursed.
  • Justification required for all car rentals
  • Rent in the name of New York State and sign the agreement as agent for the State. Use the NYS Tax Exempt Certificate PDF document when renting within NYS.
  • When using Enterprise Rent-A-Car, inform the agent of our Customer Number 29B5384.

Conference

  • When attending a conference/seminar, the agenda or brochure is required

Lodging

  • Hotel accommodations can be booked through BTI Travel Consultants and charged to the Business Travel Account. Only room charges will be authorized to be billed to this account. Incidental expenses are the responsibility of the traveler.
  • Maximum lodging reimbursement depends on the area of assignment and is based on the current federal per diem rate schedule.
  • If lodging rate exceeds the maximum per diem, approval must be obtained from the finance office.
  • Reimbursement for personal telephone calls, pay TV or movies, laundry, entertainment, and expenses to and from meals is not allowed.
  • All conferences, seminars or training programs sponsored by NYS should be within established per diem rates.
  • Effective in 1999 the maximum lodging rates do not include the tax.
  • NYS taxes are not reimbursable. See Frequently Used Forms for Tax Exempt Certificates.

Meals

  • Reimbursement based on the federal per diem allowance for area of assignment.
  • Eligible for breakfast on day of departure if departure is before 7AM.
  • Eligible for dinner on day of return if return occurs after 7PM.
  • Lunch is not a reimbursable expense.
  • If meals are included in conference fee, the meal allowance must be reduced.

Mileage

  • Mileage reimbursement is based on the current IRS rate.

Receipts

  • Original receipts are required.
  • If receipts are not obtained for expenses under $75.00, such as parking, tolls, taxis and local bus or subway or train fares, a letter itemizing such expenses may be submitted with the travel voucher.

Taxi/Parking/Tolls

  • Actual, reasonable, and necessary expenses for business purposes will be reimbursed.

Phone Calls

  • Business phone calls and fax charges will be reimbursed with a memo justifying the expense. No personal calls will be reimbursed.

Reimbursement for Prepaid Airfare

New York State employees are not authorized to use personal credit cards or other payment means requiring reimbursement.

Changes in State Travel Policy

The Office of The State Comptroller, in seeking to streamline the State's travel rules, has advised the State agencies of changes to their travel reimbursement policies. Effective immediately the following revisions are in effect.

Eliminating receipts for incidental expenses under $75.00

  • Receipts will not be required for incidental expenses under $75, such as tolls, parking, taxis and local bus or train fares. If a receipt is not obtained or is lost, the traveler may itemize the expenditure (time, date, location, and amount) in a memo and submit it with the Travel Voucher. This $75 limit refers to each receipt.

Eliminating cost ceilings for travel to and from transportation terminals

  • Actual, reasonable, and necessary costs for travel between the employee's home and a transportation terminal will be reimbursed. All previous limits are eliminated.

Eliminating Transportation Requests

  • Transportation Requests are no longer available to pay for transportation expenses. SUNY Upstate employees charging their travel expenses to a state account will now obtain a control number from the travel office and charge their airfare directly to the BTA account at BTI Travel Consultants. Airfare can no longer be reimbursed.

Eliminating receipt requirements for all meals associated with overnight travel

  • All meals associated with overnight travel will be reimbursed at the per diem rate for the area of assignment (lodging receipt required). Meal reimbursement will be based on departure and arrival times and meal receipts are not required.

Increasing unreceipted meal allowance for non-overnight travel

  • The unreceipted meal allowance is now $5.00 for breakfast and $12.00 for dinner with no differential for upstate and downstate locations. The employee's option to claim reimbursement for actual receipted expenses up to the maximum per diem meal allowances remains in effect.