MEMORANDUM NO. 98-27
June 15, 1998
TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES
| Attention: | Chief Fiscal and Administrative Officers, Business Managers, and Payroll and Personnel Officers |
| Subject: | Revision to Travel Procedures - Phase I |
Your attention is directed to the following changes in procedure relative to required approvals pertaining to the amended State Travel Regulations, effective July 1, 1998. Additional revisions to these procedures, based on the amended travel regulations, will be addressed in a subsequent notification from the Department of Administrative Services.
To inform agencies of the changes to the travel procedure process. These changes are necessary because of a change in the State's travel agent and because of revisions to the State travel regulations.
The Department of Administrative Services' amended regulations for Reimbursement of State Employees for Expenses Incurred in the Performance of their Duties - Section 5-151c-1 through 5-141c-11.
Connecticut General Statutes, Section 3-112, ... The Comptroller shall: ... (4) prescribe the mode of keeping and rendering all public accounts....
Agencies now have the authority to approve their own agency funded travel requests. Effective July 1, 1998, agencies should no longer submit a Travel Authorization Request Form (CO-112) to the Comptroller's Office for approval.
Continue to use Form CO-112 only as an internal form with the required employee, supervisor and agency head approval. Do not send this to the Comptroller's Office but keep it on file at the agency for audit purposes.
The Office of the State Comptroller will continue to administer the fund for Tuition, Training and Travel Reimbursements applicable to certain collective bargaining units. Travel Authorization (CO-112) requests must be submitted to the Comptroller's Office for approval. Submit all copies of the Agency approved CO-112 intact to:
Office of the State ComptrollerIt is the agency's responsibility to ensure that these funds are available prior to approving employee travel and prior to the reservation of airline tickets. If adequate 9916 Employee Travel Funds are not available, the cost will come out of the employee's agency's budget.
Effective July 1, 1998, the State's designated travel agent is Sanditz Business Travel Services, who will be providing travel services, including air, hotel, auto reservations, air travel information and airline ticketing.
Upon agency head approval, all State related business travel arrangements must be made in advance by contacting Sanditz Business Travel Services. Do not obtain tickets directly from an airline or non-designated travel agent.
For information regarding itinerary and for booking reservations, contact Sanditz Business Travel Services at 1-800-447-3381.
When making a reservation, the following information must be provided:
Air travel tickets will no longer be distributed through the Comptroller's Office.
Arrangements should be made with Sanditz Business Travel Services for the mailing or pick up of airline tickets.
If an individual ticket transaction exceeds $1,000, agencies must adhere to established procurement policies for purchases over $1,000. A purchase order must be completed for Sanditz Business Travel Services.
The Primary Air Travel Account cardholder' will receive a monthly billing statement from the First Chicago National Bank (FCNB). The agency must reconcile the monthly FCNB statement against the agency approved Travel Authorization (CO-112) and retain this documentation and all receipts for travel in an Air Travel Program Envelope.*
* To be provided at the training seminar on travel. Subsequent orders can be made from Vanguard Direct.
The Office of the State Comptroller, Support Services Unit, will make monthly payments to FCNB for airline ticket purchases and directly charge each agency. If funds are not available, air travel purchase privileges will be revoked. Agencies will be billed by a transfer invoice on or about the 12th of the month by the Comptroller's Support Services Unit.
All air travel charges will be "Debit Adjusted" against the unencumbered balance; therefore, a prior commitment to a reservation will not be required. Once initiated, the Comptroller's Accounting Services Unit will post a charge or credit through a service transfer to each individual agency appropriation on a monthly basis. Each agency will receive a transmittal listing detailing the charge.
Air charges approved for payment out of the 9916 funds will be initially charged to agency funds and subsequently reimbursed to the agency. Upon receipt of the monthly FCNB statement, the agency will generate the CO-608 Transfer Invoice, listing the Travel Authorization Number, the Employee Name, the Employee Number, attach a copy of the FCNB statement and forward to: Office of the State Comptroller, Support Services Unit, 55 Elm Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106.
All unused airline tickets must be returned immediately to the Comptroller's Office, Management Services Division, Support Services Unit, 55 Elm Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06106. Unused airline tickets will then be recorded and returned to Sanditz Business Travel Services for reuse by the agency of record.
It is each agency's responsibility to make every effort to use all outstanding, unexpired airline tickets purchased by that agency. This should include, but not be limited to, an inquiry into whether the ticket is refundable and, if not, whether the ticket is transferrable either to another individual or another destination for the same individual. Each month the Comptroller's Office will perform monthly reviews of agency practices regarding the purchase of airline tickets including unused airline tickets.
Upon agency approval, lodging arrangements must be made through Sanditz Business Travel Services. Convention and conference lodging reservations should also be made through Sanditz Business Travel Services unless the conference organization can obtain a better rate.
Upon agency approval, all vehicle rentals must be made through Sanditz Business Travel Services.
Employee travel by rail cannot be reserved through Sanditz Business Travel Services. Agencies must adhere to established procurement policies.
All employee reimbursements from agency funds will be paid as a payroll item through the Comptroller's Payroll Services Division. Please refer to Comptroller's Memorandum No. 97-57 for further information.
Parking permits will no longer be distributed by the Comptroller's Office but will be issued to the employee by their agency with the proper agency head approval and must be validated with an expiration date. These are available through the State's contracted vendor, Vanguard.
Questions may be directed as follows:
NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER
NW:EL:jrs
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