This page is intended as a resource for those subrecipients adopting the State of Kansas Travel Policy as contained in the "State of Kansas Employee Travel Expense Reimbursement Handbook," which summarizes and incorporates applicable Kansas Statutes and associated regulations addressing state employee travel.
Below subrecipients will find a summary of major travel policies contained in the travel handbook addressing topics such as reimbursable transportation expenses, mileage reimbursement rates, mileage calculation, reimbursable subsistence expenses, meal allowances, lodging reimbursement limitation, etc. This page provides general guidance, highlights major travel policies, and is intended for use as a quick reference tool. Users with specific inquiries not addressed in the summary listed below should reference the "State of Kansas Employee Travel Expense Reimbursement Handbook," which can be accessed by clicking here.
The following topics are discussed below. Click on the corresponding link for easy page navigation.
Page Index
Reimbursable Transportation Expenses
Employees may be reimbursed for transportation expenses incurred for authorized travel by privately owned vehicles, leased conveyances, public transportation, and in some cases charter or rental of special conveyances.
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Non-reimbursable Transportation Expenses
Additional transportation expenses incurred due to an employee's commute between an official station and domicile, or because an employee resides in a city or town outside his or her official station are not reimbursable.
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Most Economical Mode of Transportation
In authorizing employee travel the agency head or designee should approve the most economical mode of travel via the usually traveled route. The most economical modes of airline and train travel are economy class and first-class day coach respectively.
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Use of a Privately Owned Vehicle - Mileage Reimbursement Rates
Employees authorized to travel by privately owned vehicles may be reimbursed for allowable miles at the following rates:
· Privately owned motorcycles - .32 cents/mile
· Privately owned automobiles - .50 cents/mile
· Privately owned airplanes - $1.10 per mile
These rates are intended to cover all costs associated with private vehicle use, including but not limited to: gasoline, oil, tires, repairs, insurance, license fees, depreciation costs, etc.
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Use of a Privately Owned Vehicle - Exceptions to Mileage Reimbursement Rates
Exceptions to the above listed mileage reimbursement rates may be made in the following instances:
· Mileage reimbursement may be limited to alternative modes of transportation when they are less costly than using a privately owned vehicle
· Mileage reimbursement may be limited to a lower specified mileage rate when the employee's travel is not required and the employee is informed of the lower specified rate in advance of the travel
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Use of a Privately Owned Vehicle - Mileage Calculation
Travel by privately owned vehicle is calculated in reference to the most usually traveled and/or direct route. Reported mileage figures within Kansas borders are verified by Audit Services from the Official State distance Chart prepared and published by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).
If an employee begins travel from his or her domicile located in an area other than the city designated as the employee's official station, the employee is reimbursed for the lesser of: the distance between the employee's domicile and his or her travel destination, or the distance between the employee's official station and his or her travel destination.
Additionally, the agency head or designee may allow employee reimbursement for vicinity miles traveled within the employee's official station or the city, town, or location traveled to.
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Use of a Privately Owned Vehicle - Additional Reimbursable Expenses
Parking fees and tolls paid for toll roads and bridges are reimbursable.
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Use of a Privately Owned Vehicle - Out of State Travel
When an agency head or designee authorizes the use of a privately owned vehicle rather than public transportation (i.e. airplane, train, etc), transportation is reimbursed at the lesser of: actual miles traveled, turnpike tolls, and parking charges or airfare in lieu of mileage. Airfare includes total mileage from the employee's official station or domicile to the nearest airport, round trip economy airfare from the nearest airport to the airport nearest the destination, and round trip mileage from the airport nearest the destination to the lodging establishment.
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Public Transportation
An agency head or designee may authorize employee travel by public transportation such as commercial air flights, passenger trains, buses, etc if the transportation is determined to be most economical and advantageous to the state.
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Reimbursable Subsistence Expenses
Employees may be reimbursed for subsistence expense incurred when sleeping away from their domicile while on official state business. The subsistence reimbursement is determined by a quarter day meal allowance rate and actual lodging expense incurred within prescribed limitations.
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Non-reimbursable Subsistence Expenses
The following subsistence expenses may not be reimbursed:
· Subsistence expenses resulting from an employee's residence in a city or town outside of the employee's official station or otherwise incurred because of an employee's choice of residence
· Subsistence expenses incurred within the same city as the employee's domicile or within 30 miles of the official station
· Subsistence expenses resulting from subsistence that are furnished at no cost to the employee by any federal, state, or local agency or other governmental division
· Subsistence expenses incurred pursuant to "same day" trips where the employee leaves the official station or domicile and returns the same day without incurring lodging expense, unless the agency head or designee chooses to utilize the "single day trip" exception.
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Meal Expense Reimbursement - Quarter Day Determination
Employees may be reimbursed for meal expense for the allowable number of quarter-days in travel status at an established quarter-day rate. The number of quarter days allowed begins with and includes the quarter day that the employee departs on official travel and for each quarter day thereafter, excluding the quarter day that the employee returns to the official station or domicile. Quarter days are divided as follows:
· Quarter I: 12:01 A.M. - 6:00 A.M.
· Quarter II: 6:01 A.M. - 12:00 Noon
· Quarter III: 12:01 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.
· Quarter IV: 6:01 P.M. - 12:00 Midnight
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Meal Expense Reimbursement - Meal Allowance Rate
The quarter day meal allowance rates, including tips associated with meals, is as follows:
· In-state, including border city travel: $9.50
· Out-of-state: $9.50
· Out-of-state, high cost geographic area: $10.25
· Out-of-state, special designated high cost geographic area: $13.25
· International: $14.00, or actual expenses not to exceed $90 per day
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Meal Expense Reimbursement - Single Day Trip Exception
The agency head or designee may authorize employee reimbursement for one meal per day when lodging expense is not incurred if the employee is required to travel on official state business and the employee's workday, including travel time, is extended 3 hours or more beyond a regularly scheduled work day or the employee is required to attend a conference or meeting as an official guest or participant and a meal is served during the required attendance time. One breakfast, lunch, or dinner may be paid at the following per-meal allowance rates:
· In state, including border city travel
o Breakfast - $9.00
o Lunch - $10.00
o Dinner - $19.00
· Out of state
o Breakfast - $9.00
o Lunch - $10.00
o Dinner - $19.00
· Out of state, high cost geographic area:
o Breakfast - $9.50
o Lunch - $11.00
o Dinner - $20.50
· Out of state, specially designated high cost geographic area:
o Breakfast - $12.50
o Lunch - $14.00
o Dinner - $26.50
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Lodging Expense Reimbursement
Employees may be reimbursed for actual lodging expense incurred, including tips to hotel porters, bellhops, doormen, and maids. Lodging expense reimbursement is limited to the lodging establishment's lowest available rate for normal single occupancy on the day the expense was incurred. Taxes are not considered when applying the maximum lodging expense limitation. An official receipt from the lodging establishment must be submitted with the employee's travel claim form.
Daily lodging expense limitations are listed below:
· In-state and border city: $77.00
· Out of state: $98.00
· Out of state, high cost geographic area: $143.00
· Out of state, specially designated high cost geographic area: $158.00
· Qualified conference lodging: Actual cost
· International travel: Actual cost
Note that agencies may authorize payment or reimbursement for actual lodging expenses when an employee is required or authorized to attend a conference and the lodging rate exceeds the applicable lodging expense limitation.
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Miscellaneous Reimbursable Expenses
Employees may be reimbursed for the following additional expenses incurred during travel:
· Local transportation charges including bus and taxi fares, local limousine service, shuttle service, etc
· Kansas Turnpike tolls
· Baggage
· Telephone, Telegraph, and Facsimile Messages
· Office service and supplies purchases
· Meeting and conference registration fees
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