Effective July 1, 1999, Kansas Administrative Regulation 1-16-18a has been amended
to allow the agency head or designee to approve the payment of conference-related
lodging.
The list of designated list of high-cost geographic areas did not change. The boundaries of designated high-cost geographic areas include all locations within the corporate limits of the cities listed, unless otherwise specified. The designated high-cost geographic areas are: In-State High-Cost Geographic Areas Kansas City, including all locations within Johnson and Wyandotte
Counties Out-of-State High-Cost Geographic Areas Afton, Oklahoma, including Shangri-La Resort Out-Of-State, Special Designated High-Cost Geographic Areas Washington D.C., including the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church, the counties of Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun in Virginia, and the counties of Montgomery and Prince Georges in Maryland New York, New York, including all locations within the counties of Nassau and Suffolk State agencies may request the Director of Accounts and Reports to conduct a study of subsistence costs in any area not designated as a high-cost area. If the study findings of an area justify inclusion, the Director of Accounts and Reports may recommend to the Secretary of Administration that the area be added to the list of high-cost geographic areas. If the Secretary approves the addition of that area, subsistence payments for travel to the area may be made at the rate designated for high-cost geographic areas. Actual Conference Lodging Reimbursement The agency head must be provided with conference materials indicating that the conference will be held at or in connection with a lodging establishment with rates exceeding both the applicable lodging expense limitation established under K.A.R. 1-16-18 and the exception provided in K.S.A. 75-3207a(e). This exception allows the lodging rate to be exceeded by the lesser of either: (1) an additional 50% of the applicable lodging expense limitation, or (2) the actual lodging expense incurred. K.A.R. 1-16-18a(e) has been amended to allow an agency to approve reimbursement or direct payment of actual lodging expenses when an employee is required or authorized to attend a conference, and the lodging rate exceeds the applicable lodging expense limitation (including the additional 50%). This provision may be used for the approved conference and for official state business related to the conference, and shall be applicable only to the state employee attending the conference. The term "conference" means any seminar, association meeting, clinic, colloquium, convention, symposium, or similar gathering that is attended by a state employee in pursuit of a goal, obligation, function, or duty imposed upon a state agency or performed on behalf of a state agency. The agency will designate on Form DA-26, Agency Travel Approval - Out-of-State Travel and Lodging Reimbursement Rates, the method by which they will indicate the approval for payment of the actual cost for conference-related lodging. This form has been amended to include this designation in section two of the form relating to approval to exceed established lodging rates. A separate letter will be sent to each agency asking that a new Form DA-26 be completed for FY 2000. A copy of Form DA-26 is attached to this informational circular, may be found in Policy and Procedure Manual Filing 3,817, or may be accessed at http://www.da.ks.gov/ar/forms/. Meal allowance will be reimbursed at the regular meal allowance rate based on the location of the conference. The provision to pay actual conference lodging replaces use of Form DA-28 which required approval by the Director of Accounts and Reports. The date on which expenses are incurred determines the appropriate approval process. SAM:jr Attachment: DA-26.pdf; DA-26.doc(Word format)
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