La. Admin. Code tit. 4 § V-1506

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section V-1506 - Lodging and Meals

A. Eligibility

1. Official Domicile/Temporary Assignment. Travelers are eligible to receive reimbursement for travel only when away from "official domicile" or on temporary assignment unless exception is granted in accordance with these regulations. Temporary assignment will be deemed to have ceased after a period of 30 calendar days, and after such period the place of assignment shall be deemed to be his/her official domicile. He/she shall not be allowed travel and subsistence unless permission to extend the 30 day period has been previously secured from the Commissioner of Administration.

2. Extended Stays. For travel assignments approved by the Commissioner of Administration involving duty for extended periods (31 or more consecutive days) at a fixed location, the reimbursement rates indicated should be adjusted downward whenever possible. Claims for meals and lodging may be reported on a per diem basis supported by lodging receipt. Care should be exercised to prevent allowing rates in excess of those required to meet the necessary authorized subsistence expenses. It is the responsibility of each agency head to authorize only such travel allowances as are justified by the circumstances affecting the travel.

a. The only exemption, for travel of 31 days or more which does not require the Commissioner of Administration's approval, are students, professors or other state employees which are traveling on a grant, scholarship, studying abroad or any other occasion where funds utilized are other than state general funds. Department Head approval is required.

3. Single Day Travel

a. Meals are not eligible for reimbursements on single day travel. This means that when an authorized traveler of the state is in travel status where no overnight stay is required, no meals are eligible for reimbursement. Each department head or their designees are to determine the reasonableness of when an overnight stay is justified.

b. However, the department head will be allowed to authorize single day meal reimbursements on a case-by-case basis or by type(s) of single day travel when it is determined to be in the best interest of the department. In those cases the department must keep the approvals in the travel file and must be responsible to take appropriate steps to report the reimbursement as wages to the employee.

c. If a department head or his/her designee determines that single day meals will be provided for, they must adhere the following allowances. To receive any meal reimbursement on single day travel, an employee must be in travel status for a minimum of 12 hours.

i The maximum allowance for meal reimbursement for single day travel will be $42.

(a). Breakfast and Lunch: ($22) The 12 hours travel duration must begin at or before 6 a.m.

(b). Lunch: ($13) Requires 12 hours duration in travel status.

(c). Lunch and Dinner: ($42) The 12 hour travel duration must end at or after 8 p.m.

4. Travel with Over Night Stay, (minimum of 12 hours in travel status) Travelers may be reimbursed for meals according to the following schedule.

a. Breakfast-When travel begins at/or before 6 a.m. on the first day of travel or extends at/or beyond 9 a.m. on the last day of travel, and for any intervening days.

b. Lunch-When travel begins at/or before 10 a.m. on the first day of travel or extends at/or beyond 2 p.m. on the last day of travel, and for any intervening days.

c. Dinner-When travel begins at/or before 4 p.m. on the first day of travel or extends at/or beyond 8 p.m. on the last day of travel, and for any intervening days.

5. Alcohol-reimbursement for alcohol is prohibited.

B. Exceptions

1. Routine Lodging Overage Allowances (Receipts required). Department head or his/her designee has the authority to approve actual costs for routine lodging provisions on a case by case basis, not to exceed 50 percent over PPM-49 current listed rates. (Note: this authority for increase in allowance is for lodging only and not for any other area of PPM-49) Justification must be maintained in the file to show that attempts were made with hotels in the area to receive the state/best rate. In areas where the governor has declared an emergency, a department head or his/her designee will have the authority to approve actual routine lodging provisions on a case by case basis not to exceed 75 percent over PPM-49 current listed rates. Each case must be fully documented as to necessity (e.g., proximity to meeting place) and cost effectiveness of alternative options. Documentation must be readily available in the department's travel reimbursement files.

2. Actual Expenses for State Officers (Itemized receipts or other supporting documents are required for each item claimed). State officers and others so authorized by statute (see definition under state officer) or individual exception will be reimbursed on an actual expense basis for meals and lodging except in cases where other provisions for reimbursement have been made by statute. Request shall not be extravagant and will be reasonable in relation to the purpose of travel. State officers entitled to actual expense reimbursements are only exempt from meals and lodging rates; they are subject to the time frames and all other requirements as listed in these travel regulations.

C. Meals and Lodging Allowances (meal rates are not a per diem-only the maximum allowed while in travel status)

1. Meal Allowance-includes Tax and Tips. Receipts are not required for routine meals within these allowances, unless a cash advance was received. See Section 1503. B.2 Number of meals claimed must be shown on travel expense form. For meal rates, the inclusion of suburbs (see definition of suburb) shall be determined by the department head or his/her designee on a case-by-case basis. See tier pricing below. Partial meals such as continental breakfast or airline meals are not considered meals.

NOTE: If a meal is included in a conference schedule, it is part of the registration fee, therefore, an employee cannot request/receive additional reimbursement for that meal. If meals of state officials receiving actual expenses exceed these allowances, itemized receipt are required. See §1506. B 2

2. Meals with relatives or friends may not be reimbursed unless the host can substantiate costs for providing for the traveler. The reimbursement amount will not automatically be the meal cost for that area, but rather the actual cost of the meal. Example: The host would have to show proof of the cost of extra food, etc. Cost shall never exceed the allowed meal rate listed for that area.

3. Routine Lodging Allowance-Mandatory Use of Hotelplanner. The state has contracted for all hotel expenditures through HotelPlanners contract, which use is mandatory. This mandate is also applicable to authorized travelers, contractors, board members and students who is traveling on behalf of State of Louisiana. Lodging rate, plus tax and any mandatory surcharge. (Receipts are required) For lodging rates, the inclusion of suburbs (see definition of suburb) shall be determined by the department head on a case-by-case basis. Employees should always attempt to use the tax exempt form located on the State Travel website http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/osp/travel/forms/hoteltaxexemption.pdf [File Link Not Available] when traveling in-state on official state business, and must be used if hotel expenses are being charged to employee's state corporate travel card, the LaCarte Card or the agency's CBA account. When two or more employees on official state business share a lodging room, the state will reimburse the actual cost of the room; subject to a maximum amount allowed for an individual traveler times the number of employees.

4. Lodging with relatives or friends may not be reimbursed unless the host can substantiate costs for accommodating the traveler. The amount will not automatically be the lodging cost for that area, but rather the actual cost of accommodations.

Example: The host would have to show proof of the cost of extra water, electricity, etc. Cost shall never exceed the allowed routine lodging rate listed for that area. Department head or his/her designee's approval must be provided to allow lodging expenses to be direct billed to an agency.

5. Conference Lodging Allowance. Employees may be allowed lodging rates, plus tax (other than State of Louisiana tax) and any mandatory surcharge. (Receipts are required) Department head or his/her designee has the authority to approve the actual cost of conference lodging, for a single occupancy standard room, when the traveler is staying at the designated conference hotel. If there are multiple designated conference hotels, the lower cost designated conference hotel should be utilized, if available. In the event the designated conference hotel(s) have no room availability, a department head or his/her designee may approve to pay actual hotel cost not to exceed the conference lodging rates for other hotels in the immediate vicinity of the conference hotel. This allowance does not include agency hosted conference lodging allowances; see §1510 for these allowances. In the event a traveler chooses to stay at a hotel which is not associated with the conference, then the traveler must book through Hotelplanners and the hotel rate that will be allowed is routine lodging only, as listed below.

6. No reimbursements are allowed for functions not relating to a conference, i.e., tours, dances, golf tournaments, etc.

Tier I
Breakfast	$9
Lunch	$13
Dinner	$29
Total	$51
Lodging Area	Routine Lodging
In-State Cities (except as listed)	$83
Alexandria/Leesville/Natchitoches	$86
Baton Rouge-EBR	$94
Co vington/S lidell- St. Tammany	$90
Lake Charles-Calcasieu	$83
Lafayette	$83

Tier II
Breakfast	$10
Lunch	$16
Dinner	$30
Total	$56

Lodging Area	Routine Lodging
New Orleans - Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes	$107
July - September	$154
October - December	$151
January - June
Out-Of-State	$91
(Except Cities Listed in Tier III & IV)

Tier III
Breakfast	$12
Lunch	$17
Dinner	$32
Total	$61
Lodging Area	Routine Lodging
Austin,TX; Atlanta, GA; Cleveland, OH; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Denver, CO; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Hartford, CT; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN; Nashville, TN; Oakland, CA; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR, Sacramento, CA; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; Sedona, AZ; St. Louis, MO; Wilmington, DE; all of Alaska and Hawaii; Puerto Rico; Virgin Island; American Samoa; Guam, Saipan	$126

Tier IV
Breakfast	$13
Lunch	$19
Dinner	$36
Total	$68
Lodging Area	Routine Lodging
Baltimore, MD; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA	$175
Alexandria, VA; Arlington, VA; New York City, NY; Washington DC	$225
International Cities	$200

La. Admin. Code tit. 4, § V-1506

Written by the Office of the Governor, Division of Administration, November 1, 1972, published LR 1:179 (April 1975), amended LR 1:338 (August 1975), LR 2:312 (October 1976), LR 5:93 (May 1979), LR 6:405 (August 1980), LR 7:7 (January 1981), LR 8:406 (August 1982), LR 15:820 (October 1989), LR 16:965 (November 1990), LR 26:1256 (June 2000), LR 27:807 (June 2001), republished LR 27:1495 (September 2001), LR 28:1130 (June 2002), LR 30:1116 (June 2004 LR 31:1189 (June 2005), LR 32:939 (June 2006), LR 33:967 (June 2007), republished LR 33:1320 (July 2007), amended LR 34:1305 (July 2008), LR 35:1198 (July 2009), LR 36:1654 (July 2010), LR 37:2055 (July 2011), LR 38:1482 (July 2012), LR 39:1667 (July 2013), LR 40:1060 (June 2014), amended by the Office of the Governor, Division of Administration, Office of State Procurement, LR 41:1052 (June 2015).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Published in accordance with R.S. 39:231.