Travel

Travel Procedure Update

Please use the State Travel Voucher under the FORMS link for all travel voucher reimbursements
 

General Travel Procedures

The Reimbursement Rate Schedule provides the current reimbursement rates and related guidelines. Updates of the schedule are issued to departments as needed.

The travel regulations are complex. If there is a need to obtain additional information or clarification of items in this section, please contact the Accounting Office Travel Unit (518-437-3826).  Please use the State Travel Voucher form under the FORMS link instead of the link below and ensure that all boxes shaded in gray are completed.

LINKS/FORMS:

1. Reimbursement Rate Schedule 
2. Foreign Per Diem Rates
3. Domestic Per Diem Rates
4. Statement of Automobile Travel 
5. New York State Travel Voucher 
6. New York State Tax Exemption Certificate
7. New Passport Requirements for Travelers
8. NY State and Locate Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certificate ST-129

Official Station, Related Allowances and Limitations

An employee's official station is used to determine allowable travel expense reimbursement. Designation of an employee's official station will be established in the best interest of the State and University and not the convenience of the employee.

Employees are in travel status when they are on official business and more than 35 miles from their official station or place of residence. Employees can be reimbursed for mileage, tolls, or parking costs but will not be allowed meals or lodging within 35 miles of their official station or place of residence.

Travel must be by the most economic method. A person traveling by an indirect route not associated with the purpose of the trip shall personally assume any extra costs incurred. No transportation costs will be allowed between an employee's residence and his or her official station.

New York State's published reimbursement rates for employee travel are the maximum amounts that can be paid. Account managers can allow for reimbursement at less than the full reimbursement rates by indicating such on the travel voucher.

The following conditions must be met for a State employee to be reimbursed from State funds.

1. The travel involved is so integrally related to the duties of the employee that failure to travel would prohibit the employee from performing the primary duties of his or her position. Generally, attendance at conferences or seminars will be approved only if the individual is making a presentation or serving on a committee requiring his or her attendance.
2. Failure to approve such travel would clearly result in a loss of income to the State. The measure of loss of income to the State is to be a net loss of income after any State expenditures for travel, lodging per diem, or participation fee are considered.
3. The requested travel is required by the terms of a contract or grant.

Students and Non-Employees

University students may be reimbursed for travel when the trip is necessary for University purposes. Reimbursement will not be made for travel undertaken to support a student's educational program.

Occasionally, the need may arise to support the travel expenses of an individual who is not a State employee but who incurs expenses while performing services which benefit the University. For these individuals, the notation "Non-State Employee" should be entered in the "Title" section of the Travel Voucher. The document should specify the relationship of the traveler to the State and a description of the University work to be done. Reimbursement will be based on the rates and other policies specified in the Reimbursement Rate Schedule. (Also see Section - Interviewee Travel Expenses).

Travel Vouchers for personal reimbursement should be completed and sent to Jeanne Heiserman in MSC309.

Travel reconciliations on the travel card should be sent to Melinda Schissler in MSC326.

Relocation Expenses:

A.  The basic cost of moving household goods and personal effects from the appointee's residence at the time of the initial appointment to the residence located near the new place of employment, provided that the mover used a carrier authorized by the New York State Department of Transportation or the Interstate Commerce Commission to perform such a service.

       1.  Household goods are defined as all reasonable items of furniture, furnishing, clothing, appliances, tools and equipment, including necessary expenditures for handling such items as pianos, refrigerators, and deep freezers.

       2.  Not included are such items as automobiles and other motor vehicles, trailers other than house trailers used as an appointee's residence; building materials; animals raised for profit, farming equipment, livestock, boats; belongings not the property of the appointee's immediate family; and belongings related to commercial enterprises engaged in by the appointee or his/her family.

       3.  The cost of additional insurance above the lowest valuation rate charged.

       4. No reimbursement shall be provided for household goods and personal effects in excess of 12,000 pounds.

B.  The cost of packing and/or unpacking household and personal effects if such services provided by the carrier are used.

C.  The cost of transportation of the appointee and his/her family to the new location, at the rate paid by New York State for the use of personally-owned automobiles for official business, the mileage to be measured by the shortest highway route between the two places of residence.  Payment shall be made at such rate for one automobile, regardless of the number owned, or actual method of transportation used.

D.  Expenses other than those enumerated above incurred by the appointee as a result of relocation shall not be subject to reimbursement.

Maximum amount reimbursed is $3000.00 unless otherwise approved for an increase by the Vice President or University Controller.  Please attach a copy of the official appointment letter signed by the Vice President to the voucher. If your request exceeds $3000 and 12,000lbs, you must contact the University Controller and/or the Vice President for Finance and Business to obtain approval for the increase.  The Office of the State Comptroller allows $3000/12,000lbs to be reimbursed to state employees; exceeding that amount would require approval from the University's Controller/Vice President for Finance and Business.  Please obtain those approvals before forwarding your request for reimbursement to Accounts Payable.

-Mileage or gas of your personal vehicle is reimbursed, if requested.  Both cannot be reimbursed, One option should be chosen for one car.

-Complete a travel voucher with new address, stating the reason is relocation expense, attach all copies of personally paid receipts, proof of payment of these receipts, statement of automobile mileage (if chosen). Supervisors signature and account number should be printed at bottom of voucher.

-No lodging receipts are reimbursed.

-No meals are reimbursed.

-No NYS Taxes can be reimbursed on receipts.

-No tips can be reimbursed. Please remove tips from your request.

-Please review your receipts prior to submitting for reimbursement for any personal charges that are not reimbursable such as personal items, personal donations or any other items that is not associated with the move of your household items. Personal items on receipts are not reimbursable.

-Airfare cannot be reimbursed unless approved by the University Controller.

-Car Rentals cannot be reimbursed.

-Shipping of personal automobiles via car carrier cannot be reimbursed.

- The weight MUST be listed on any moving company invoices.  If you do not have the weight listed, please obtain a new invoice from the moving company before submitting for payment.  We cannot process your relocation expense without the weight indicated on the invoice.

*********Please review all relocation expense information on the NYS Office of the State Comptroller's website/Accounting Office website prior to submitting your request for relocation expenses.

IDA Award Payments

Each year Individual Development Awards are awarded to applicants on campus.  When these awards are approved, the recipient will receive a letter from the President of the Albany UUP Chapter regarding their award which will display the amount awarded to the recipient as well as the IDA account number.  This award is used to offset any personally paid expenses you may have incurred while traveling on behalf of the University.  Current university travel restrictions apply, please access the travel link on our page for all travel information.  The travel voucher form is used to reimburse employees.  If you are using these funds to offset your travel, please access all appropriate forms under the forms link and review all travel information under the travel link.  The award can only be processed for the trip in which you applied for and received approval.

-Declination of the IDA award should be addressed with the President of the Albany UUP Chapter, as Accounting cannot transfer your funds to another person or department.   

-The travel form requires your name, home address (payments cannot be made to work addresses), zip code, purpose, destination including address and zip code, dates and times are required for processing, attach all personally paid receipts. sign, date and attach a copy of your award letter, and print the IDA account number under the Departmental Account Number box.

-If your receipts were previously paid on a NYS issued travel card, these expenses have already been paid and reconciled and cannot be transferred to the IDA funds.  Also, no journal transfers can be made. 

-These awards are for any items you may have placed upon your personal credit card or may have paid with cash or check. All receipts are required.  

-Awards for coursework may be used only for tuition (fees are an ineligible expense; and awards may not be used for extra service).

-If you are using your award to offset expenses for supplies, please also complete the travel voucher form as this form is the only form used to reimburse employees.   

Ban on Nonessential Travel to Mississippi 

New York State Executive Order 156 bans all non-essential travel to the state of Mississippi. 

This travel ban applies to all travel funded by the University, State or Research Foundation, including travel funded from State IFR or Research Foundation multiple sponsor accounts, or by another New York State agency. 

Travel through an airport located in Mississippi to a final destination outside of Mississippi is allowed, so long as there is no overnight layover in Mississippi. However, when possible and cost effective, travelers should avoid making airline connections through a Mississippi airport. 

To comply with this Executive Order, do not schedule, make deposits or incur any expenses related to travel to Mississippi. 

For questions related to state-funded travel, please contact University Controller Gerard Marino at [email protected]. 

For travel funded by the Research Foundation, please contact the Sponsored Programs Administration.