§ 9-3-102 — Meal allowance; actual expenses; exceptions

(a) Unless otherwise provided by law, when any state
officer or employee is required to travel on overnight trips for
official business of the state, he is entitled to receive in
addition to transportation expenses as provided by W.S. 9-3-103,
lodging expenses, an allowance for meals and incidental expenses
and other reimbursable expenses. The lodging and meal and
incidental expense allowance shall be as determined by the
governor for the state and by the governing body of any other
entity using the state rate for that entity, but shall not
exceed the published federal travel regulation rates in effect
at the time of travel. The meal and incidental expense allowance
shall be computed so as to pay seventy-five percent (75%) of the
destination rate on the day of departure, one hundred percent
(100%) on all interim days of official travel and seventy-five
percent (75%) of the previous day's rate on the day of return.
Lodging expenses shall be reimbursed up to the amount prescribed
in the federal travel regulation as provided in this subsection.
The head of the respective agency may approve lodging expenses
in excess of the published rate. In addition:
(i) Meal expenses, either directly billed to the
state, or included in registration, seminar and conference fees
paid by the state on behalf of the state officer or employee are
considered part of the meal and incidental expense allowance and
shall be deducted from the allowance claim of the state officer
or employee;
(ii) The head of the agency to be charged for the
expense, or his designee, shall approve the claim for payment.
State officers or employees shall not approve their own claims.
The head of the agency is responsible to determine the veracity
of each claim;
(iii) Any reimbursable expenses claimed in excess of
fifteen dollars ($15.00) shall be supported by original vendor
receipts or a sworn statement attesting to the expense, signed
under penalty of false swearing by the claimant, and shall be
attached to the voucher submitted to the state auditor for
payment.
(b) Instead of the full meal and incidental expense
allowance specified in subsection (a) of this section, the state
officer or employee will be reimbursed for actual expenses for
meals and gratuities while conducting official business of the
state, not to exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the daily
meal and incidental expense allowance for the location of the
official business if the officer or employee:
(i) Is required to travel on a one (1) day trip of
twenty-four (24) hours or less during which it is reasonable to
assume no sleep or rest is required; or
(ii) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 101, § 2.
(iii) Is required to eat a meal at an official
meeting of a state committee, commission, board or council held
in the community of the state officer's or employee's official
domicile.
(c) Repealed by Laws 1983, ch. 102, § 2.
(d) Actual expenses in excess of the amounts specified in
subsection (a) of this section may be reimbursed for in-state or
out-of-state travel, with the prior approval of the agency
director if:
(i) Specific prior trip approval has been given by
the head of the respective agency if the agency is within the
executive branch, the management council for the legislative
branch and the chief justice of the supreme court for the
judicial branch; and
(ii) The original itemized vendor receipts supporting
amounts claimed for lodging and employee meals and gratuities
where the total amount of the meal and gratuity exceeds fifteen
dollars ($15.00), accompany the claim submitted to the state
auditor for payment. No reimbursement shall be claimed or paid
for any alcoholic beverage.
(e) Claims for lodging and meal and incidental expense
allowance or actual expense reimbursement shall be submitted to
the state auditor for payment in the manner and form prescribed
by him.
(f) This section does not apply to the state
transportation and game and fish departments.
(g) Any voucher for reimbursement under this section or
W.S. 9-3-103 shall be signed and certified under penalty of
false swearing pursuant to W.S. 6-5-303.
(h) As used in the section:
(i) "Destination" means the location of the employee
at midnight, or if still traveling at midnight, the location
where lodging is secured;
(ii) "Incidental expense" means fees and tips given
to porters, baggage carriers, bellhops, hotel maids, stewards or
stewardesses and others on ships and hotel servants in foreign
countries;
(iii) "Meal" means expenses for breakfast, lunch,
dinner and related tips and taxes, but does not include expenses
incurred for alcoholic beverages, entertainment or any expenses
incurred for other persons;
(iv) "Reimbursable expenses" means other expenses
that are inherently travel related and not included in the meal
and incidental expense allowance.