Temporary Duty Travel - Employee Reimbursement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW

7.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter provides guidance and procedures for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) employees completing travel vouchers after performing official Temporary Duty Travel (TDY) on behalf of the Service.

7.2 What is the scope of this chapter? 

A. This chapter covers employee reimbursement for TDY travel.

B. This chapter does not cover:

(1) Permanent Change of Station (PCS) (see 266 FW 1);

(2) Temporary Change of Station (TCS) (see Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), 41 CFR 302-3.400 et seq.);

(3) Local travel in and around a permanent duty station (see 265 FW 12); and

(4) TDY reimbursement for non-Service employees (see 265 FW 8).

7.3 What is the overall policy?

A. Employees must submit a proper travel voucher, required receipts, and any supporting documentation in the electronic travel system within 5 business days after the conclusion of a TDY trip or every 30 calendar days if on continuous TDY travel status. See section 7.5I for a definition of “proper travel voucher.”

B. Approving officials must review, verify, and approve travel vouchers in the electronic travel system within a reasonable period of time following the receipt of a proper travel voucher. If a travel voucher is incomplete, the approving official must return it to the employee within 7 calendar days in the electronic travel system.

C. The Service reimburses the employee not more than 30 calendar days from the date the employee submits a complete and proper travel voucher to their approving official in the electronic travel system.

D. Regardless of when an employee receives reimbursement, the employee must pay their Government-issued travel charge card (travel charge card) statement in full every month. We reimburse employees for individually billed items through an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) direct deposit.

E. We pay the travel charge card vendor for directly billed items.

7.4 What are the authorities for this chapter? See 265 FW 1 for a list of the authorities for all the chapters in Part 265.

7.5 What terms do you need to know to understand this chapter?

A. Approving officials are supervisors, Directorate members (i.e., Regional Directors; Assistant Directors; Director, National Conservation Training Center (NCTC); Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS)), and other officials who approve travel-related transactions (e.g., authorizations and vouchers).

B. Commuting residence is the location where an employee commutes to and from work the majority of the time. It is not always the location listed on the employee’s personnel forms.

C. CONUS is the acronym for the 48 contiguous states in the United States (i.e., all the states except Alaska and Hawaii).

D. Directly billed transactions (also called “centrally billed transactions”) are travel charge card expenses that are billed directly to and paid by the Government.

E. Electronic travel system (i.e., ConcurGov) is an automated, web-based process that Service employees and approving officials use to plan, document, manage, and monitor TDY travel (see 265 FW 2). ConcurGov is the Service’s current electronic travel system.

F. Individually billed transactions are travel charge card expenses that are billed directly to and paid by an individual cardholder (i.e., employee).

G. OCONUS is the acronym for outside the contiguous United States.

H. Permanent duty station, for the purposes of travel, means the street address to which the employee most commonly reports (i.e., the majority of the time). There are permanent duty stations that cover a large contiguous area of more than 50 miles, and that Service employees must regularly maintain or patrol. For such duty stations, traveling from one area to another, regardless of distance, is part of the employee’s regular duty and does not qualify as TDY travel.

I. Proper travel voucher means:

(1) The voucher is substantially complete in every material respect (as to documentation and receipts),

(2) The appropriate receipts and other required documentation are uploaded in the electronic travel system, and

(3) The employee has electronically signed and dated the travel voucher certifying to its correctness in the electronic travel system (i.e., the trip was authorized, performed, and the information in the travel voucher is accurate).

J. TDY travel is travel that is performed for official purposes and is over 50 miles from the employee’s permanent duty station and commuting residence.

K. Travel Management Center (TMC) (i.e., Duluth Travel Incorporated and El Sol Travel, Inc.) is responsible for assisting employees with booking and adjusting travel itineraries. The TMC charges higher fees to assist with booking travel and adjusting reservations than those associated with self-service booking through ConcurGov.

RESPONSIBILITIES

7.6 What are the responsibilities related to employee reimbursement for travel? See Table 7-1.

Table 7-1: Responsibilities for Employee Reimbursement for TDY Travel

EXPENSES

7.7 What expenses must employees include on their travel vouchers? Employees must include the following expenses on their travel vouchers:

A. Allowable transportation costs (see 265 FW 5);

B. Allowable lodging, meals, and incidental expenses (see 265 FW 6 and the General Services Administration (GSA) Per Diem Rates website); and

C. Other allowable travel-related expenses when required for official travel (see section 7.8 below).

7.8 Which unexpected travel expenses require pre-authorization and supplemental approval, and which may the employee add directly to a travel voucher? See Table 7-2.

Table 7-2: Documenting Unexpected Expenses

7.9 What expenses may employees with a disability or special need claim? When an employee with a documented disability or special need travels on TDY, they may claim reimbursement for pre-approved expenses associated with reasonable accommodations. The employee must obtain approval prior to TDY travel to claim reimbursement for any of the following expenses:

A. Transportation costs that a medical attendant or family member acting as a medical attendant incurs for traveling with the employee. A competent medical authority must justify the need for a medical attendant, and the employee must include this justification on their travel voucher (see 265 FW 8);

B. Labor costs associated with the services of a medical attendant for the duration of the TDY trip;

C. Specialized transportation to, from, or at the TDY location (see 265 FW 5);

D. Specialized services to accommodate the employee's disability or special need (e.g., sign language interpreter);

E. Baggage handling costs that are a direct result of the disability or special need;

F. Costs associated with renting or transporting a wheelchair or other special equipment; and

G. Premium accommodations when medically necessary (see 265 FW 5 for additional information on obtaining approval for premium accommodations).

TRAVEL VOUCHERS

7.10 How do employees create a travel voucher in the electronic travel system? An employee must complete the steps below to create and submit a travel voucher in the electronic travel system within 5 business days of the conclusion of a TDY trip.

A. Review travel authorization:

(1) The employee should review the travel authorization in the electronic travel system and consider whether the itinerary differs from their actual TDY trip. The employee must amend the travel authorization in the following circumstances (also see section 7.11):

     (a) Travel to a location not on the original travel authorization, or

     (b) Adjustment needed to the timeframe of the trip and traveling on dates not on the original travel authorization.

(2) If the employee must amend the travel authorization, the approving official must approve the change before the employee can create a travel voucher.

(3) If employees require post-travel approval on a travel expense or entitlement that does not impact trip locations or dates, they may obtain approval outside the system (i.e., TDY Travel – Discretionary and Trip-by-Trip Entitlements Form (FWS Form 3-2388)) and include the approval as part of the receipt packet without amending the travel authorization in the electronic travel system.

B. Confirm transportation costs, per diem entitlements, and other expenses:

(1) Once an employee finalizes their travel authorization, they must use the electronic travel system to create a travel voucher. The employee must:

     (a) Use the travel voucher to capture the actual costs incurred during the TDY trip, and

     (b) Account for any discrepancies between the travel authorization and actual TDY trip that did not require an amendment of the travel authorization.

(2) Employees must claim reimbursement for any expenses under the default method of reimbursement in the electronic travel system unless they used cash or another personal form of payment to pay for the expense. If employees use a method of reimbursement other than the default method, they must include an explanation of the situation in the travel voucher.

(3) Employees cannot use the travel charge card to pay for another employee’s expenses.

C. Confirm and update lines of accounting: The employee must review the lines of accounting (e.g., cost center, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) or work order, and fund code) and confirm that each expense is allocated appropriately. If the expenses are not allocated appropriately, the employee must correct them or ensure they are corrected.

D. Submit required receipts and supporting documentation: The employee must include all required receipts and supporting documents with the travel voucher. Also see section 7.15.

E. Sign travel voucher: The employee must electronically sign the completed voucher. Affixing an electronic signature to a document is a legally binding action. Employees must ensure that the information provided is accurate and complete.

7.11 How do employees amend travel vouchers? The process for amending a travel voucher depends on the status of the voucher in the electronic travel system when the employee, approving official, or Travel team identifies a need for a change.

A. Employees who need to change a voucher before it is signed must edit the current version in the electronic travel system.

B. An approving official who needs the employee to change a voucher based on review must electronically return the voucher to the employee with a note about the required change. The employee must edit the current version in the electronic travel system and sign the updated version. The electronic travel system routes the updated version back to the approving official for review and approval.

C.  Employees who need to change a voucher after the approving official has electronically signed it must amend the voucher in the electronic travel system and resubmit it for the necessary approvals.

(1) Employees must include an explanation of the change in the updated version of the voucher.

(2) Employees may not adjust expenses from directly billed items (i.e., items directly billed to the Government) included in a travel voucher that has been paid.

(3) If an employee owes money to the Service, the employee must amend the travel voucher to correct the expenses and contact the Travel team to begin the collection process.

7.12 Who can approve a travel voucher?

A. An approving official at least one level above the employee may approve the voucher.

B. If the approving official is out of the office, they may designate an alternate.

7.13 What is the process for approving officials to review a travel voucher? Approving officials:

A. Must access the travel voucher, receipts, and supporting documentation in the electronic travel system and review the costs included on the voucher for reasonableness. It is the approving official's responsibility to ensure that each charge included on the travel voucher is supported by the appropriate pre-authorization or approval documentation.

B. Must confirm that the employee selected the default method of reimbursement for each expense included on the travel voucher. If the employee selected an alternate method of reimbursement, the approving official must review the explanation provided by the employee and any receipts or supporting documentation to confirm that the method is accurate and appropriate.

C. May approve the travel voucher only if they agree with all of the expenses included on the voucher. If an approving official disagrees with any of the costs or requires further clarification, they must electronically return the voucher to the employee within 7 calendar days with an explanation and discuss the issue with the employee.

7.14 What if an employee submits a proper travel voucher and is not reimbursed within 30 days? If a payment is made after 30 days:

A. The Travel team will notify the employee and approving official that the employee may claim an interest penalty payment and provide the amount of the claim.

B. The employee is responsible for:

(1) Completing an Optional Form (OF)-1164, Claim for Reimbursement for Expenditures on Official Business,

(2) Using commitment item/budget object class “211U – Non-Foreign Late Payment Costs Payable to Employees” only,

(3) Attaching the email from the Travel team as authorization of the claim,

(4) Obtaining the approving official’s signature, and

(5) Submitting the OF-1164 and other documentation to their Financial and Business Management System (FBMS)-designated employee (see 261 FW 3) for payment.

C. We calculate late payment penalty amounts as Table 7-3 describes:

Table 7-3: Late Payment Penalty Amounts

*Table allows 2 days for an EFT payment to be processed to the employee’s bank account, which is why the table begins on day 28 rather than 30.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

7.15 What receipts must employees submit with their vouchers?

A. Employees must submit itemized receipts for any expenses for which they receive lodgings-plus per diem, excluding Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) (see 265 FW 6), if the expenses are equal to or greater than:

(1) Any individual authorized expense of $75 or more regardless of method of payment (e.g., travel card, cash); or

(2) Any individual authorized expense of $10 or more, if the employee paid out of pocket (e.g., cash not withdrawn from travel card, personal charge card).

B. Employees must also submit itemized receipts for the following expenses, regardless of the cost associated with the expense:

(1) Transportation expenses (e.g., airline, rail, ferry, and bus tickets, taxis, shuttles, parking);

(2) Lodging, including any associated taxes or fees;

(3) Rental car and fuel;

(4) ATM fees;

(5) Laundry and dry cleaning;

(6) Currency conversion fees for OCONUS travel; and

(7) Meals reimbursed under the actual subsistence method (see 265 FW 6).

7.16 What other supporting documents must employees submit with their vouchers? An employee must attach supporting documentation as part of the receipt packet when any of the following situations apply. If an employee:

A. Is traveling under a Limited Open Travel Authorization (LOTA) or an Unlimited Open Travel Authorization (UOTA), the employee must attach a copy of the approved authorization (see 265 FW 4).

B. Completes a TDY Travel – Discretionary and Trip-by-Trip Entitlements Form (FWS Form 3-2388), they must attach a copy of the signed form, screenshots of any flight prices used in the comparison, and a copy of any itinerary from the TMC.

C. Obtains approval to travel in premium accommodations (e.g., first class, business class, economy/coach class upgrade) at the expense of the Service (see 265 FW 5), they must attach a copy of the approval (e.g., TDY Travel – Discretionary and Trip-by-Trip Entitlements Form (FWS Form 3-2388)).

D. Obtains approval to book a non-contract airfare (see 265 FW 5), they must attach a copy of the approval (e.g., TDY Travel – Discretionary and Trip-by-Trip Entitlements Form (FWS Form 3-2388).

E. Obtains approval to claim per diem under the actual subsistence method (see 265 FW 6), they must attach a copy of the approval (e.g., TDY Travel – Discretionary and Trip-by-Trip Entitlements Form (FWS Form 3-2388).

F. Obtains approval to claim per diem for travel to a TDY location that is between 30 and 50 miles from their residence and permanent duty station (see 265 FW 6), the employee must attach a copy of the approval (e.g., TDY Travel – Discretionary and Trip-by-Trip Entitlements Form (FWS Form 3-2388).

G. Obtains approval to conduct international travel, they must attach the documents required in the foreign travel package.

H. Is conducting personal travel in conjunction with official travel, they must attach a copy of the TDY Travel – Cost Comparison Form (FWS Form 3-2387) if transportation cost is impacted, or TDY Travel – Discretionary and Trip-by-Trip Entitlements Form (FWS Form 3-2388) if transportation cost is not impacted.

I. Is in an accident in a rental car, they must attach the accident report and the billing statement (see 265 FW 5).

J. Owes any amount to the Service for excess reimbursement and elects not to deduct the amount from their M&IE allowance or receives insufficient M&IE to cover the expenses, they must notify the Travel team (see 261 FW 1).

K. Obtains any other travel-related approval outside of the electronic travel system (e.g., email, incident resource order), they must attach a copy of the approval.

7.17 What is the process for submitting receipts and supporting documentation? Employees must submit receipts and supporting documentation using one of the following methods:

A. The preferred method to submit documentation is to scan or photograph the receipts and documentation and upload it into the electronic travel system.

B. If uploading is not available, employees may fax receipts and documentation using the fax instructions in the electronic travel system.

7.18 How long does the Service maintain travel documentation? We maintain travel documentation, including travel vouchers, receipts, and supporting documents, in the electronic travel system for a minimum of 6 years and 3 months following the end date of the TDY trip.