State Travel

Step 1: State Employee must submit a Pre-Approval in Chrome River before their trip start date. 

Step 2: Upon returning from trip, the traveler must submit an Expense Report in Chrome River and complete the State Travel Form. 

Step 3: Travel Office will audit the expense report and if needed, will seek additional information from the traveler and/or adjust amounts for compliance with the State of Texas. After the Travel Office has gathered all of the necessary information, they will fill out the State Travel Voucher based on the submitted Expense Report and the State Travel Form. 

Step 4: After the Travel Office has completely filled out the State Travel Voucher, they will email the state document to the traveler - as well as an additional form, Travel Management Compliance Certificate – for their signature and their supervisor’s signature approving the state documents. 

Step 5: After reviewing/verifying the document, the traveler will need to send these documents back to the Travel Office via email. Once received, the Travel Office will then upload and attach the approved documents to the traveler’s Expense Report in Chrome River.  

Step 6: No further action needed to be done by the traveler. The Travel Office will approve the Expense Report in Chrome River. 

Please be aware that when being reimbursed from state funds, that the state typically takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete your reimbursement (from the time we receive your completed paperwork).

Keep in mind that the traveler will need to ensure their travel arrangements are the most cost-effective. Please refer to the Conservation of Funds section under the Texas Government Code Section 660.007.

Designated Headquarters

The area within the boundaries of the city in which a state employee’s place of employment is located. If an employee’s place of employment is located within an unincorporated area, then the area within a five-mile radius of the place of employment is the employee’s designated headquarters. If an incorporated municipality or an unincorporated area is completely surrounded by the incorporated municipality in which an employee’s place of employment is located, then the employee’s designated headquarters includes the surrounded municipality or area. Texas Government Code Section 660.002(7).

Duty Point

The destination, other than a place of employment, to which a state employee travels to conduct official state business. If the destination is outside the employee’s designated headquarters, then the duty point is either the incorporated municipality in which the destination is located or the unincorporated area within a five-mile radius of the destination. Texas Government Code Section 660.002(9).

Commercial Lodging Establishment

1. a motel, hotel, inn, apartment, house or similar establishment that provides lodging to the public for pay; or
2. a person or establishment that provides lodging for pay that the Comptroller determines to have a sufficient number of the characteristics of a commercial lodging establishment for the purposes of the Travel Regulations Act. Texas Government Code Section 660.002(5) The term includes lodging provided by: 
   1. a governmental entity on property controlled by that entity; or
   2. a religious organization on property controlled by that organization; or
   3. a private educational institution on property controlled by that institution.

Meal Expense

The cost of a meal plus any tax that is based on the meal’s cost. The term does not include a tip, a gratuity or a mandatory service charge paid or imposed in conjunction with a meal.

Incidental Expense

An expense incurred while traveling on official state business. The term includes a mandatory insurance or service charge and an applicable tax, except a tax based on the cost of a meal. The term does not include a meal, lodging or transportation expense, a personal expense, an expense that an individual would incur regardless of whether the individual were traveling on official state business, a tip or a gratuity. Texas Government Code Section 660.002(10).

Four-per-car-rule

When employees from the same agency travel on the same dates with the same itinerary, they must coordinate travel. When four or fewer employees travel on the same itinerary, only one may be reimbursed for mileage. When more than four employees travel on the same itinerary, only one out of every four may be reimbursed for mileage. Texas Government Code Section 660.044.