Business Services

Travel

Instructions for the travel expense vouchers are below. Original receipts must be presented to receive reimbursement.

Air fare should be charged to MSU Billings through the use of a Travel Purchase Order (TPO) or Campus Purchasing Credit Card. Contact the Purchasing Office for the forms.

Travel reimbursement requests should be filed, and repayments of travel advances should be paid to MSU Billings within 30 days of the completion of travel. According to the Administrative Rules of Montana, an employee who does not file for reimbursement within 3 months after incurring the expense waives the right to reimbursement.

An approved travel authorization must be on file in the Business Office before registration fees, advance accommodations, airline fares, etc. for out of town travel will be paid. A travel authorization must be filled out for travel outside of Billings city limits.

An employee should not expect to receive a travel advance before the last working day prior to traveling.

Before beginning reimbursable travel with a group of students, a team travel form must be completed. A student/group travel authorization is available in the Vice Chancellor of Student Affair's office.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

A.	The following forms must be received in the Business Office within 30 days following completion of travel:
	1.	Travel Expense Voucher -- Attach a copy to the requisition. Two signatures are required -- the employee's and the fund controller's signature.
	2.	Receipts -- ORIGINAL receipts are required for all reimbursements except meals, mileage allowance, and miscellaneous expenses under $25. Attach the receipts to the requisition.

B.	Transportation shall be the most economical in terms of direct cost to the state and the employee's time away from the office.

C.	Specific questions concerning travel should be addressed to the Travel Claims Clerk, Extension 2301, in the Business Office.

Travel Expense Voucher directions

Name/Address--Your name and signature on the form must be exactly alike. Enter your home or campus address where you want the warrant mailed. If you enter a campus address and the warrant is over $100, the warrant will be held in the Business Office and you will be contacted to pick it up.

Month/Year--Enter the month(s) and year in which you traveled.

index No.--Responsibility center number.

I.D. No.--Social security number or banner number.

Purpose--Enter the general purpose and the date of each trip. For example: Attendance at professional conference-January 1-5, 2005.

Column#

Day--The numbers 1 through 31 correspond to the days of the month. Itemize by day on the correct line. For example, if you travel on October 31st through November 2nd, enter the costs for October 31st on Day 31 (Please indicate the month-OCT-to the left of '31'). Include only one day's lodging, meals, etc. on this line. Enter expenses for the second day of travel on Day 1, and the expenses for the third day on Day 2. (Please indicate the month-NOV-to the left of these days).

Enter the time of departure. Enter "A" for a.m. and "P" for p.m. (Noon is 12:00 P, midnight is 12:00 A).

Enter the time of arrival.

Describe the travel in terms of departure point, destination point and points visited enroute.

Enter a mode of travel used from the following codes:

SC	State Car	CA	Commercial Aircraft	OT	Other Transp.
PC	Private Car	PA	Private Aircraft		(please explain under Misc. expenses)
SA	State Aircraft	PT	Passenger Train		(please explain under Misc. expenses)

If personal car or personal aircraft was used, enter the total car mileage or air miles. When more than one employee shares personal transportation, only one employee may claim mileage.

The excel spreadsheet will automatically calculate the miles to the rate. It calculates as follows:
Total mileage (Column 5) X Rate = Mileage Allowance

Please Use Map Miles, Montana Map Miles

Private Car Rate 58.5 cents per mile for the first 1,000 miles per month. (55.5 cents per mile for miles in excess of 1,000 during a calendar month.) Private Aircraft Rate $1.17 per air mile (nautical mile). Nautical mile = statutory miles (map miles) divided by 1.15.

In order to claim reimbursement at 58.5 cents per mile, the State employee must qualify according to the following:

A motor pool vehicle or other state-owned or leased vehicle is not available.

The use of a personal vehicle is considered to be in the best interest of the state.

Legislators and members of the general public on official state business.

If qualification is not met according to the above section, and approval is obtained for the Director of your Department to use your personal car, the new rate is 24.5 cents per mile. This new rate is effective immediately.

Enter the amount of per diem allowed based on the following schedule:

Lodging--amounts entered must be supported by original receipts. Carbon copies, Xerox copies and credit card receipts are not acceptable. Effective October 1, 2004 in-state lodging per diem has the following changes:

•	The maximum lodging reimbursement rate for in-state travel is the federal per diem room rate which is currently $70 per night plus tax for all cities with the exception of Big Sky, West Yellowstone, Butte, Helena, Missoula and Polson/Kalispell.
•	The hotel/motel listing can be found on the Department of Administration travel web site, Montana Hotel Listing
•	Please refer to the Federal Lodging Rate Guidelines for these cities.
•	The federal per diem room rates for Montana are available through the Internet at the same location as all other states Room Rates for All States

Actual cost reimbursement for in-state lodging may be obtained under the following circumstances:

•	Attendance at a conference sponsored in whole or in part by a state agency and you are lodging at the facility
•	Lodging costs below the cap are unavailable due to special functions
•	Emergency travel prevents finding rates below the cap
•	Remote locations with limited accommodations below the cap, 15 mile radius
•	Employment in regulatory or undercover functions which may cause a personal safety risk
•	Request for Reimbursement of Lodging at Actual Cost

Adequate justification and approval from a higher authority must be provided in order to obtain reimbursement for actual lodging costs.

Reimbursement for actual cost not to exceed:

	In-State	Out-of-State
	$70.00
State Tax Rate Allowed .07 X $70.00	$4.90
	$74.90	$70.00
If lodging receipts are not available and travel includes overnight stay:
	$12.00	$12.00

Please contact the Business Office Claims Clerk in charge of Travel for designated "high cost" cities or check the link above in the lodging section. Reimbursement for the reasonable actual cost of lodging is allowed for cities on this list.

MEALS--Receipts are not necessary for meals.

For travel of at least three continuous hours in the time range, meal reimbursement will be as follows:

		Reimbursement Rate
Time Range Allowed	Meal	In-State	Out-of-State
12:01 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	Morning	$5.00	$7.00
10:01 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.	Midday	$6.00	$11.00
3:01 p.m. to midnight	Evening	$12.00	$18.00

•	A maximum of one meal is allowed per travel shift. Travel shift begins one hour before and ends one hour after your normal work shift. This would be travel from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.
•	A maximum of two meal allowances is allowed if travel begins before or ends after your travel shift and the travel did not exceed 24 hours. This would be travel from 6:59 am (or earlier) to 6:01 pm (or later) and did not exceed the 24 hours.
•	No meal reimbursement is allowed if travel time is less than three continuous hours.

Enter reimbursable expenses paid with personal funds that are not included in the mileage or per diem amounts. For example: airline tickets, taxi fares, parking. TIPS AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE. Receipts are required for items of $25.00 or more. Enter the other expenses by day in the blocks provided, and explain each item under "Misc. Expenses" at the bottom of the form.

Enter total amount allowed by day.

ROW#
10.	The excel spreadsheet will enter totals for columns 5 through 9.
11.	Enter the travel advance received, if any.
12.	If any charges were put on a Campus Credit Card enter the amount here.
13. & 14.	The excel spreadsheet will calculate the amount from line 10, 11 and 12. If line 10, less line 11 & line 12 is a positive amount, the spreadsheet will enter the positive number in line 13 and a negative number in line 14. This indicates a reimbursement is due to the traveler. If the opposite applies then the traveler needs to reimburse that amount to the state.

The above information was compiled from the Montana Code Annotated, the Administrative Rules of Montana, and the Montana Operations Manual. Copies of these references are available in the Business Office if you wish to refer to them.

August 1, 1990

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT MEMORANDUM #22

TO: Administrative Unit Heads

FROM: Bruce H. Carpenter, President

RE: POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR TRAVEL
AND ACCOMMODATIONS FOR JOB CANDIDATES

Policy
Candidates for faculty and administrative positions who are brought to the campus for interviews shall have all travel and lodging arrangements made and paid for by Montana State University - Billings through routine purchasing processes.

The appropriate fund controller must be notified of all arrangements and expenses incurred prior to, as well as after, a candidate's arrival.

Procedures
For faculty search expenditures, the Academic Vice Chancellor is the fund controller. The Academic Vice Chancellor and/or his designee are responsible for making the airline reservations locally through the use of a Transportation Purchase Order (TPO), and ensuring that the ticket reaches the candidate prior to date of departure, and arranging and paying for the candidate's lodging.

For administrative search expenditures, the Administrative Vice Chancellor is the fund controller. The appropriate Vice Chancellor, along with the Screening Committee Chair, is responsible for making the travel and lodging arrangements using the above described procedures.

Any other expenditures incurred by a candidate will be reimbursed through the warrant system upon submission of appropriate receipt(s) and approval of fund controller. Such warrants will be mailed to the candidate's home address as provided to Montana State University - Billings. Examples of reimbursable expenditures include parking receipts and meal costs incurred while en route.

Should you have questions regarding this policy, contact the Personnel Office at 2278.

Exceptions
Only under very unusual circumstances shall the Vice Chancellors authorize an exception to the above procedure. Exceptions need to be individually requested and documented.