Chapter 2 – Fiscal Management

22020.5 Travel Expense Advances (TEA)

• TEAs to cover necessary travel expenses shall be made from the revolving fund. TEAs are handled in two ways:

  • A temporary TEATravel Expense Advance may be requested at the time the plan for travel is submitted for a specific trip or period.

  • A permanent TEATravel Expense Advance may be approved for employees who travel a significant amount of time on a monthly basis provided it does not exceed the employee’s average monthly travel reimbursement. Employees shall submit Standard Form 262, Travel Expense Claim to be reimbursed for the actual amount of each travel claim.

• Repayment of Temporary TEATravel Expense Advance

  • A temporary TEATravel Expense Advance is to be repaid within 30 days of the date of issue unless the employee is away from their headquarters continuously for more than 60 days in which case the temporary TEATravel Expense Advance is to be repaid within 30 days of the employee’s return to their headquarters. Repayment may occur in the following ways:

    • If the TEATravel Expense Advance was for more than the actual TECTravel Expense Claim, repayment in the form of a check for the difference must accompany the TECTravel Expense Claim.

    • If the TEATravel Expense Advance is for less than the TECTravel Expense Claim, a revolving fund check for the difference shall be issued when the TECTravel Expense Claim claim is submitted.

    • If the trip is cancelled or postponed more than one week, any temporary TEATravel Expense Advance is to be returned immediately.

• Permanent Travel Expense Claim

  • Permanent TEAs shall be reviewed periodically and adjusted if the advance does not meet current requirements of the employee’s TECs:

    • Annual confirmation of the liability and estimate of the current requirements, as required in the SAMState Administrative Manual, shall be signed by the employee and approved by the supervisor.

• Monetary Limit for Travel Expense Claims

  • The total amount of any outstanding TEATravel Expense Advance, including temporary and permanent, to one individual shall not exceed $500. Exceptions to this policy must be approved in writing by the Deputy Director, ASDSee Division of Administrative Services (DAS) (see ASB). A TEATravel Expense Advance is considered outstanding if no TECTravel Expense Claim has been submitted to the appropriate accounting office for the trip or purpose for which the TECTravel Expense Claim was authorized.

• Collection of Travel Expense Claims

  • Failure to repay either a temporary or permanent TEATravel Expense Advance when circumstances no longer justify the advance will necessitate collection by the accounting office from the employee’s salary. A permanent TEATravel Expense Advance shall be repaid by check once an employee is no longer traveling a significant amount of time in a month or when the employee separates from the Department.