Travel Update 12-06

The Governor’s Travel Control Board has modified the meal allowance policy. Currently, sections 3000.510(c) & (e) of the Travel Regulation Council rules state the following:

3000.510(c): Breakfast is payable when an employee is on travel status and leaves headquarters or residence (if reporting directly to the destination) at or before 6:00 a.m.

3000.510(e): Dinner is payable when an employee is on travel status and arrives back at headquarters or residence (if reporting directly from destination) at or after 7:00p.m. For employees commencing travel after the close of business, but before 6:30p.m., dinner reimbursement is allowed if the traveler would not be eligible for per diem.

Effective June 1, 2012, an employee must be on travel status, work at least 10 consecutive hours and work at least two hours prior to or past their regular work day to be eligible for a meal allowance. Under this policy, in order for an employee to be eligible for a breakfast reimbursement, the employee must be on travel status, work 10 consecutive hours and leave headquarters or residence (if reporting directly to the destination) two hours before the start of the employees regular work day. In order for an employee to eligible for a dinner reimbursement, the employee must be on travel status, work 10 consecutive hours and arrive back at headquarters or residence (if reporting directly from destination) at least two hours after the end of the employees regular work day. For employees commencing travel after the close of business, dinner is allowable if travel commences within 1.5 hours after the end of the employees regular work day but only in the event that the traveler is not eligible for per diem.

The prohibition against combining meal allowances and per diem on the same trip or day remains in place.

As the appointed Travel Coordinator for your Agency, it is your responsibility to disseminate this information to all appropriate personnel within your Agency. If you have questions please contact Kelley Wells, State Travel Coordinator, Governor's Travel Control Board, at (217) 782-4705.