Administrative Manual - 402 Travel
402.01 General
- GENERAL TRAVEL POLICY
- All travel on JSA/JLAB business shall be authorized in advance and kept to the minimum level needed to accomplish the objectives of the job.
- A Trip Number shall be assigned to each business trip including trips with no costs to DOE, but excluding local travel that meets certain requirements. When personal travel is taken in conjunction with official business travel, all expenses relating to the personal portion of the trip shall be paid by the traveler.
- A Travel Authorization Form shall be completed and approved before the traveler departs on official travel.
- A Travel Authorization Form is not required for Local Travel except as noted in definition (see definition of Local Travel, below.)
- A Travel Authorization Form shall be used to identify all expected expenses and to request travel advances, prepayments and deposits prior to travel. Documentation substantiating the amount to be paid such as conference registration information or hotel deposits shall accompany all prepayment and deposit requests.
- The following expenses shall be reimbursed only when specified on the Travel Authorization:
- Registration and banquet fees.
- Travel by ocean vessel in lieu of airfare (not to exceed the lowest available coach class airfare)
- Excess baggage charges
- Meeting room rental charges
- Clerical services
- A Travel Expense Report shall be completed, approved and submitted to Travel Services with required receipts within 10 working days for domestic and 20 working days for foreign after the trip is complete, unless expenses are ongoing.
- Ongoing expenses shall be expensed every two weeks when the length of visit is greater than thirty days.
- Expense reports shall be:
- Signed by the traveler who incurred the expenses either,
- Electronically - submitted by traveler directly to travels.jlab.org
- Manually - mailed or delivered to Travel Services and stamped received
- Approved by the traveler's Division Associate Director or official designee when:
- Actual cost of a NON-CONFERENCE related trip exceeds the approved Travel Authorization amount by more than 25% (Reimbursement of actual expenses on a CONFERENCE related trip will be limited to the amount approved on the Travel Authorization unless authorized by the Chief Financial Officer).
- The duration of the trip increased from that approved on the Travel Authorization.
- The Expense Report includes one or more destinations which were not approved on the Travel Authorization.
- The Expense Report includes expenses for an employee paid airfare, train, rental car, lodging and/or per diem, when one or more of these expenses were not approved on the original Travel Authorization.
- The project or organization on the Expense Report differs from that on the Travel Authorization.
- When the Expense Report does not require approval based on the above criteria, the designated reviewer, usually the Travel Coordinator, will forward the Expense Report to Travel Services.
- Travelers shall not approve payments or credits to themselves.
- Travel Cash Advance
- Travelers are accountable for all funds advanced to them for JSA/JLab business.
- Cash drawn for business shall not be diverted to personal use.
- Any excess funds shall be refunded to Travel Services immediately upon notification that the Travel Expense Report has been processed.
- Additional advances shall not be made if a traveler has two outstanding advances.
- Foreign Travel (see definition) travelers shall:
- Complete DOE Form F 551.1, Request for Approval of Official Foreign Travel in the FTMS system forty-five (45) days prior to the start of the trip.
- When personal foreign travel is combined with official foreign travel, the ratio will be 2 business days to 1 personal day.
- DEFINITIONS
Business Trip/Official Travel - Travel for which the primary purpose is to conduct official JSA/JLab business.
Conference - a meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, or other event that generally involves attendee travel, but can also be a local event. It usually involves topical matters of interest to multiple agencies and/or nongovernmental participants. Additionally, some training events may qualify as conferences for purpose of this policy, particularly if they take place in a hotel or conference center. For exclusions and other information on conferences see Section 402.02-C of this manual.
Conference Hotel - The hotel where the actual conference or meeting is held or one of the list of hotels arranged by the conference organizers.
CONUS - All travel within the continental United States (the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia).
Foreign Travel - Any travel outside of the United States, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands and the territories and possessions of the U.S. (excluding the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands).
Late Submittal (Foreign Travel) - When the DOE receives a completed DOE Form F551.1 less than 20 days before date of departure, justification is required.
Local Travel - Incidental Official Travel within a 50-mile radius of the traveler's assigned work site (or within a 50-mile radius from the point of origin when away from the work site on unofficial travel), or does not exceed a total travel cost of $100.00. If any of the following expenses is incurred, a Travel Authorization Form must be completed:
- Registration or banquet fees
- Expenses billed directly to JSA/JLab
- Training fee
- Prepaid expenses
- Cash advances
- Meeting room rental
- Clerical services.
Mid-size rental car - A term applied to a car with particular features and seating capacity. Rental car company class definitions may vary (example: Enterprise Rental Car refers to this class of car as Standard while National Rental Car refers to it as Intermediate).
OCONUS - Travel outside the continental United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories and possessions, and all foreign countries. U.S. Flag Air Carriers shall be used.
Official Travel - See Business Trip.
Per Diem - A daily allowance for meals and incidental expenses, including fees and tips associated with lodging and meals, laundry and dry cleaning (except when travel exceeds 4 business days), personal baggage handling, and other incidental expenses.
Qualified dependents - Any of the following named members of the employee's household at the time he/she reports for duty at the new permanent duty station or performs other authorized travel involving family members:
- Children of the employee or employee's spouse who are unmarried and under 21 years of age or who, regardless of age, are physically or mentally incapable of self-support. (The term "children" shall include natural offspring; stepchildren; adopted children; grandchildren, legal minor wards or other dependent children who are under legal guardianship of the employee or employee's spouse; and an unborn child(ren) born and moved after the employee's effective date of transfer.);
- Dependent parents (including step and legally adoptive parents) of the employee or employee's spouse; and
- Dependent brothers and sisters (including step and legally adoptive brothers and sisters) of the employee or employee's spouse who are unmarried and under 21 years of age or who, regardless of age, are physically or mentally incapable of self-support.
Traveler - An individual authorized to travel on official JSA/JLab business, including but not limited to employees, consultants, exchange visitors, interviewees and invited guests.
United States Flag Air Carrier - Any air carrier who is holding a certificate issued by the United States under 49 U.S.C. 40102. (The U.S. means the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories and possessions of the U.S.) An aircraft holding a certificate under the Federal Aviation Act but excluding foreign aircraft operating under permits.