STATE OF CONNECTICUT
NANCY WYMAN COMPTROLLER	OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER 55 ELM STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775	MARK OJAKIAN DEPUTY COMPTROLLER

MEMORANDUM NO. 2001- 40

July 23, 2001

TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES

I. AUTHORITY

The agreement between the State of Connecticut and the subject Professional and Paraprofessional Health Care Bargaining units, NP-6/P-1, effective July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2005, includes the following provisions for reimbursement.

II. TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT (Article 31)

A. Meal Rates (Article 31.1)

 

An employee who is required to travel on employer business will be reimbursed for meals at the following rates:

Employees transporting patient/client during the lunch period and required to stop for lunch with the patient/client will be reimbursed up to $7.00 for lunch effective July 1, 2001.

 

B. Vehicle Use (Article 31.2)

 

An employee who is required to use his/her personal vehicle in the performance of duty will be reimbursed at the current GSA mileage rate, which is 34.5 cents per mile. When employees are required to use their personally owned vehicles to transport patients/ clients in excess of two days in a workweek will be paid $4.50 per day for vehicle use fee. The fee will be paid for each day that the employee is required to use his/her vehicle in the performance of State business.

III. WORKER'S RIGHTS AND SAFETY (Article 34.5i) (New)

The State will provide cell phones (or some comparable communications device) to employees who are responsible for transporting patients/clients. These devices will be based on need and circumstances as determined by the agency.

IV. TRAINING AND TUITION REIMBURSEMENT (Article 35)

A. NP-6/P-1 Training and Tuition Fund (Article 35.3b)

 

The training and tuition funds for NP-6 and P-1 will be a joint fund. The joint fund will have $550,000 appropriated on or about July 1 of each contract year. Funds that are not expended in one contract year will carry over into the next contract year. The tuition funds will expire on June 30, 2005. Applications for tuition reimbursement that are submitted and approved within the final six (6) months of this Agreement may be paid with the remaining available funds up to three (3) months following expiration of this Agreement.

 

B. Tuition Reimbursement (Article 35.3g)

 

Full tuition reimbursement equal to 75% of the per credit rate for undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, however such reimbursement will not exceed the actual cost of each course. Courses need not be health related.

 

Part-time employees, under twenty (20) hours, who have at least 4 years of continuous service will be entitled to participate in the tuition reimbursement program, except that the amount of reimbursement will be fifty (50) percent of the amount specified in this article. The fund for part-time employees is $5,000.

 

C. Combined Education and Training Fund (Article 35.4a)

 

Effective July 1, 2001 a combined education and training fund of $382,000 per contract year will be allocated. Funds not expended during the contract period that expired June 30, 2001 will be rolled over into the new contract. The fund will combine the purposes of the following preexisting funds.

 

D. Career Mobility Fund (Article 35.4a)

 

This fund will fund a bank of leave hours for employees who are pursuing a higher education degree. The cost of such leave hours to be deducted from the Combined Education and Training Fund will be $20.00.

 

E. Conference and Workshop Funds (Article 35.6a)

 

There will be $380,000 appropriated July 1 of each contract year for bargaining unit employees with six (6) or more months of service for attendance to professional seminars, workshops, or conferences. These funds will be combined for NP-6/P-1 employees.

 

Each employee will be entitled to be reimbursed to a maximum of $750.00 per contract year or $1,500 for a two year period toward the cost of fees, travel, food and lodging related for attendance to such events. The entitlement may be combined once in any two year period. Reimbursement for travel, food and lodging will be consistent with Article 32 (Travel Reimbursement) of the Agreement and applicable State travel regulations. Funds not reserved for seminars, workshops or conferences by March 1 of each year may be transferred to the joint tuition reimbursement fund upon request of the union. Funds committed for workshop/conferences in one fiscal year will carry over to the next fiscal year.

 

Part-time employees under twenty (20) hours who have at least one (1) year of continuous service will be entitled to participate in the Conference and Workshop Fund. The amount of annual entitlement will be $175.00 and employees will attend such programs on their own time. A fund of $5,000 will be established for these employees.

V. TRAVEL AND TUITION REIMBURSEMENT - 9916 FUNDS

A. Travel Reimbursement - 9916 Fund

 

Agencies must complete form CO-17XP-PR and send it to the Comptroller's Management Services Division.

 

SID 208 has been established effective for dates of travel after June 30, 2001 for employees using the NP-6/P-1 Conference Workshop funds. SID 206 AND 211 will not be accepted. Any travel authorizations already submitted to the business service section of the Office of the State Comptroller using this fund will be corrected to the new established SID 208. Travel committed to Conference and Workshop funds prior to June 30, 2001 will be paid under SID 206 and 211.

 

B. Tuition Reimbursements - 9916 Fund

 

Payment requests for reimbursement of tuition and other professional development costs from fund 9916 must be processed by submitting a form CO-17XP to the Comptroller's Management Services Division - Support Services Unit.

 

Any tuition reimbursement for courses after May 31, 2001 will require SID 108.

VI. QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this memorandum may be directed to the following divisions in the Office of the State Comptroller:

 

9916 Travel Authorization Approval Processing Unit: (860) 702-3368;

 

9916 Travel Reimbursement Processing Business Services: (860) 702-3335;

 

9916 Tuition Reimbursement Processing Support Services Unit: (860) 702-3346;

 

Memorandum Interpretation - Policy Services Division: (860) 702-3440;

 

Contract Issues: Agency Personnel Officer.

NANCY WYMAN

STATE COMPTROLLER

NW:ED

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