[Pages S12-S20]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MORNING BUSINESS

______

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION TRAVEL REGULATIONS

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed
in the Congressional Record updated U.S. Senate Travel Regulations.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

United States Senate Travel Regulations Adopted by the Senate Committee
on Rules and Administration on December 24, 2024

General Regulations

I. Travel Authorization
A. Only those individuals having an official connection
with the function involved may obligate the funds of said
function.
B. Funds disbursed by the Secretary of Senate may be
obligated by:
1. Members of standing, select, special, joint, policy or
conference committees
2. Staff of such committees
3. Employees properly detailed to such committees from
other agencies
4. Employees of Members of such committees whose salaries
are disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate and employees
appointed under authority of section 111 of Public Law 95-94,
approved August 5, 1977, when designated as ``ex officio
employees'' by the Chairman of such committee. Approval of
the reimbursement voucher will be considered sufficient
designation.
5. Senators, including staff and nominating board members.
(Also individuals properly detailed to a Senator's office
under authority of Section 503(b)(3) of P.L. 96-465, approved
October 17, 1980.)
6. All other administrative offices, including Officers and
staff.
C. An employee who transfers from one office to another on
the same day he/she concludes official travel shall be
considered an employee of the former office until the
conclusion of that official travel.
D. All travel shall be either authorized or approved by the
chairman of the committee, Senator, or Officer of the Senate
to whom such authority has been properly delegated. The
administrative approval authority required will be issued
prior to the expenses being incurred and will specify the
travel to be undertaken unless circumstances in a particular
case prevent such prior approval.
E. Official Travel Authorizations: The General Services
Administration, on behalf of the Committee on Rules and
Administration, has contracted with several air carriers to
provide discount air fares for Members, Officers, and
employees of the Senate only when traveling on official
business. This status is identifiable to the contracting air
carriers by one of the following ways:
1. The use of a government issued travel charge card
2. The use of an ``Official Travel Authorization'' form
which must be submitted to the air carrier prior to
purchasing a ticket. These forms must be personally approved
by the Senator, Committee chairman, or Officer of the Senate
under whose authority the travel for official business is
taking place. Payment must be made in advance by cash, credit
card, check, or money order. The Official Travel
Authorization forms are available in the Senate Disbursing
Office.
II. Funds for Traveling Expenses
A. Individuals traveling on official business for the
Senate will provide themselves with sufficient funds for all
current expenses, and are expected to exercise the same care
in incurring expenses that a prudent person would exercise if
traveling on personal business.
1. Travel Advances
(a) Advances to Committees (P.L. 81-118)
(1) Chairmen of joint committees operating from the
contingent fund of the Senate, and chairmen of standing,
special, select, policy, or conference committees of the
Senate, may requisition an advance of the funds authorized
for their respective committees.
(a) When any duty is imposed upon a committee involving
expenses that are ordered to be paid out of the contingent
fund of the Senate, upon vouchers to be approved by the
chairman of the committee charged with such duty, the receipt
of such chairman for any sum advanced to him[her] or his[her]
order out of said contingent fund by the Secretary of the
Senate for committee expenses not involving personal services
shall be taken and passed by the accounting officers of the
Government as a full and sufficient voucher; but it shall be
the duty of such chairman, as soon as practicable, to furnish
to the Secretary of the Senate vouchers in detail for the
expenses so incurred.

[[Page S13]]

(2) Upon presentation of the properly signed statutory
advance voucher, the Disbursing Office will make the original
advance to the chairman or his/her representative. This
advance may be in the form of a check, or in cash, receipted
for on the voucher by the person receiving the advance. Under
no circumstances are advances to be used for the payment of
salaries or obligations, other than petty cash transactions
of the committee.
(3) In no case shall a cash advance be paid more than seven
(7) calendar days prior to the commencement of official
travel. In no case shall an advance in the form of a check be
paid more than fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the
commencement of official travel. Requests for advances in the
form of a check should be received by the Senate Disbursing
Office no less than five (5) calendar days prior to the
commencement of official travel. The amount of the advance
then becomes the responsibility of the individual receiving
the advance, in that he/she must return the unexpended amount
advanced before or shortly after the expiration of the
authority under which these funds were obtained.
(Regulations Governing Cash Advances for Official Senate
Travel adopted by the Committee on Rules and Administration,
effective July 23, 1987, pursuant to S. Res. 258, October 1,
1987, as applicable to Senate committees)
(4) Travel advances shall be made prior to the commencement
of official travel in the form of cash, direct deposit, or
check. Travel advance requests shall be signed by the
Committee Chairman and a staff person designated with
signature authority.
(5) Cash: Advances for travel in the form of cash shall be
picked up only in the Senate Disbursing Office and will be
issued only to the person traveling (photo ID required), with
exceptions being made for Members and elected Officers of the
Senate. The traveler (or the individual receiving the advance
in the case of a travel advance for a Member or elected
Officer of the Senate) shall sign the travel advance form to
acknowledge receipt of the cash.
(6) In those cases when a travel advance has been paid,
every effort should be made by the office in question to
submit to the Senate Disbursing Office a corresponding travel
voucher within twenty-one (21) days of the conclusion of such
official travel.
(7) Travel advances for official Senate travel shall be
repaid within 30 days after completion of travel. Anyone with
an outstanding advance at the end of the 30 day period will
be notified by the Disbursing Office that they must repay
within 15 days, or their salary may be garnisheed in order to
satisfy their indebtedness to the Federal government.
(8) In those cases when a travel advance has been paid for
a scheduled trip which prior to commencement is canceled or
postponed indefinitely, the traveler should immediately
return the travel advance to the Senate Disbursing Office.
(9) No more than two (2) travel advances per traveler may
be outstanding at any one time.
(10) The amount authorized for each travel advance should
not exceed the estimated total of official out-of-pocket
expenses for the trip in question. The minimum travel advance
that can be authorized for the official travel expenses of
a Committee Chairman and his/her staff is $200.
(11) The aggregate total of travel advances for committees
shall not exceed $5,000, unless otherwise authorized by prior
approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration.
(b) Advances to Senators and their staffs (2 U.S.C. 58(j))
(Regulations for Travel Advances for Senators and Their
Staffs adopted by the Committee on Rules and Administration,
effective April 20, 1983, pursuant to P.L. 97-276)
(1) Travel advances from a Senators' Official Personnel and
Office Expense Account must be authorized by that Senator for
himself/herself as well as for his/her staff. Staff is
defined as those individuals whose salaries are funded from
the Senator's account. An employee in the Office of the
President Pro Tempore, the Deputy President Pro Tempore, the
Majority Leader, the Minority Leader, the Majority Whip, the
Minority Whip, the Secretary for the Conference of the
Majority, or the Secretary for the Conference of the Minority
shall be considered an employee in the office of the Senator
holding such office.
(2) Advances shall only be used to defray official travel
expenses . . .
(3) Travel advances shall be made prior to the commencement
of official travel in the form of cash, direct deposit, or
check. Travel advance requests shall be signed by the Member
and a staff person designated with signature authority.
(4) Cash: Advances in the form of cash shall be picked up
only in the Senate Disbursing Office and will be issued only
to the person traveling (photo ID required), with exceptions
being made for Members and elected Officers of the Senate.
The traveler (or the individual receiving the advance in the
case of a travel advance for a Member or elected Officer of
the Senate) will sign the travel advance form to acknowledge
receipt of the cash.
(5) In no case shall a travel advance in the form of cash
be paid more than seven (7) calendar days prior to the
commencement of official travel. In no case shall an advance
in the form of a direct deposit or check be paid more than
fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the commencement of
official travel. Requests for advances in the form of a
direct deposit or check should be received by the Senate
Disbursing Office no less than five (5) calendar days prior
to the commencement of official travel.
(6) In those cases when a travel advance has been paid,
every effort should be made by the office in question to
submit to the Senate Disbursing Office a corresponding travel
voucher within twenty-one (21) days of the conclusion of such
official travel.
(7) Travel advances for official Senate travel shall be
repaid within 30 days after completion of travel. Anyone with
an outstanding advance at the end of the 30 day period will
be notified by the Senate Disbursing Office that they must
repay within 15 days, or their salary may be garnisheed in
order to satisfy their indebtedness to the Federal
government.
(8) In those instances when a travel advance has been paid
for a scheduled trip which prior to commencement is canceled
or postponed indefinitely, the traveler in question should
immediately return the travel advance to the Senate
Disbursing Office.
(9) The amount authorized for each travel advance should
not exceed the estimated total of official out-of-pocket
travel expenses for the trip in question. The minimum travel
advance that can be authorized for the official travel
expenses of a Senator and his/her staff is $200. No more than
two (2) travel advances per traveler may be outstanding at
any one time.
(10) The aggregate total of travel advances per Senator's
office shall not exceed 10% of the expense portion of the
Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account, or
$5,000, whichever is greater.
(c) Advances to Administrative Offices of the Senate
(Regulations Governing Cash Advances for Official Senate
Travel, adopted by the Committee on Rules and Administration,
effective July 23, 1987, pursuant to S. Res. 258, October 1,
1987, as amended, as applicable to Senate administrative
offices)
(1) Travel advances shall be made prior to the commencement
of official travel in the form of cash, direct deposit, or
check. Travel advance requests shall be signed by the
applicable Officer of the Senate and a staff person
designated with signature authority.
(2) Cash: Advances in the form of cash shall be picked up
only in the Senate Disbursing Office and will be issued only
to the person traveling (photo ID required), with exceptions
being made for Members and elected Officers of the Senate.
The traveler (or the individual receiving the advance in the
case of a travel advance for a Member or elected Officer of
the Senate) will sign the travel advance form to acknowledge
receipt of the cash.
(3) In no case shall a travel advance be paid more than
seven (7) calendar days prior to the commencement of official
travel. In no case shall an advance in the form of a direct
deposit or check be paid more than fourteen (14) calendar
days prior to the commencement of official travel. Requests
for advances in the form of a direct deposit or check should
be received by the Senate Disbursing Office no less than five
(5) calendar days prior to the commencement of official
travel.
(4) In those cases when a travel advance has been paid,
every effort should be made by the office in question to
submit to the Senate Disbursing Office a corresponding travel
voucher within twenty-one (21) days of the conclusion of such
official travel.
(5) Travel advances for official Senate travel shall be
repaid within 30 days after completion of travel. Anyone with
an outstanding advance at the end of the 30 day period will
be notified by the Disbursing Office that they must repay
within 15 days, or their salary may be garnisheed in order to
satisfy their indebtedness to the Federal government.
(6) In those instances when a travel advance has been paid
for a scheduled trip which prior to commencement is canceled
or postponed indefinitely, the traveler in question should
immediately return the travel advance to the Senate
Disbursing Office.
(7) The amount authorized for each travel advance should
not exceed the estimated total of official out-of-pocket
travel expenses for the trip in question. The minimum travel
advance that can be authorized for the official travel
expenses of a Senator Officer and his/her staff is $200. No
more than two (2) travel advances per traveler may be
outstanding at any one time.
(d) Office of the Secretary of the Senate (2 U.S.C. 61a-9a)
(1) . . . The Secretary of the Senate is authorized to
advance, with his discretion, to any designated employee
under his jurisdiction, such sums as may be necessary,
not exceeding $1,000, to defray official travel expenses
in assisting the Secretary in carrying out his duties. . .
(e) Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the
Senate (2 U.S.C. 61f-1a)
(1) For the purpose of carrying out his duties, the
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate is authorized
to incur official travel expenses during each fiscal year not
to exceed sums made available for such purpose under
appropriations Acts. With the approval of the Sergeant at
Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate and in accordance with such
regulations as may be promulgated by the Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration, the Secretary of the Senate is
authorized to advance to the Sergeant at Arms

[[Page S14]]

or to any designated employee under the jurisdiction of the
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, such sums as may be
necessary to defray official travel expenses incurred in
carrying out the duties of the Sergeant at Arms and
Doorkeeper. The receipt of any such sum so advanced to the
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper or to any designated employee
shall be taken and passed by the accounting officers of the
Government as a full and sufficient voucher; but it shall be
the duty of the traveler, as soon as practicable, to furnish
to the Secretary of the Senate a detailed voucher of the
expenses incurred for the travel to which the sum was so
advanced, and make settlement with respect to such sum.
Payments under this section shall be made from funds included
in the appropriations account, within the contingent fund of
the Senate, for the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the
Senate, upon vouchers approved by the Sergeant at Arms and
Doorkeeper.
(COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS FOR
TRAVEL ADVANCES FOR THE OFFICE OF THE SENATE SERGEANT AT
ARMS)
(a) GENERAL--With the written approval of the Sergeant at
Arms or designee, advances from the contingent expense
appropriation account for the Office of the Sergeant at Arms
may be provided to the Sergeant at Arms or the Sergeant at
Arms' staff to defray official travel expenses, as defined by
the U. S. Senate Travel Regulations. Staff is defined as
those individuals whose salaries are funded by the line item
within the ``Salaries, Officers, and Employees''
appropriation account for the Office of the Sergeant at Arms.
(b) FORMS--Travel advance request forms shall include the
date of the request, the name of the traveler, the dates of
the official travel, the intended itinerary, the authorizing
signature of the Sergeant at Arms or his designee, and a
staff person designated with signature authority.
(c) PAYMENT OF ADVANCES--
(i) Travel advances shall be paid prior to the commencement
of official travel in the form of cash, direct deposit, or
check.
(ii) Advances in the form of cash shall be picked up only
in the Senate Disbursing Office and will be issued only to
the person traveling (photo ID required), with exceptions
being made for Members and elected Officers of the Senate.
The traveler (or the individual receiving the advance in the
case of a travel advance for a Member or elected Officer of
the Senate) will sign the travel advance form to acknowledge
receipt of the cash.
(iii) In no case shall a travel advance in the form of cash
be paid more than seven (7) calendar days prior to the
commencement of official travel. In no case shall a travel
advance in the form of a direct deposit or check be paid more
than fourteen (14) days prior to the commencement of official
travel. Requests for travel advances in the form of a direct
deposit or check should be received by the Senate Disbursing
Office no less than five (5) calendar days prior to the
commencement of official travel.
(d) REPAYMENT OF ADVANCES--
(i) The total of the expenses on a travel voucher shall be
offset by the amount of the corresponding travel advance,
providing for the payment (or repayment) of the difference
between the outstanding advance and the total of the official
travel expenses.
(ii) In those cases when a travel advance has been paid,
every effort should be made to submit to the Senate
Disbursing Office a corresponding travel voucher within
twenty-one (21) days of the conclusion of such official
travel.
(iii) Travel Advances for official Senate travel shall be
repaid within 30 days after completion of travel. Anyone with
an outstanding travel advance at the end of the 30 day period
will be notified by the Senate Disbursing Office that they
must repay within 15 days, or their salary may be garnisheed
in order to satisfy their indebtedness to the Federal
Government.
(iv) In those instances when a travel advance has been paid
for a scheduled trip which prior to commencement is cancelled
or postponed indefinitely, the traveler in question should
immediately return the travel advance to the Senate
Disbursing Office.
(e) LIMITS--
(i) To minimize the payment of travel advances, whenever
possible, travelers are expected to utilize the corporate and
individual travel cards approved by the Committee on Rules
and Administration.
(ii) The amount authorized for each travel advance should
not exceed the estimated total of official out-of-pocket
travel expenses for the trip in question.
(iii) The minimum travel advance that can be authorized for
official travel expenses is $200. No more than two (2) cash
advances per traveler may be outstanding at any one time.
2. Government Travel Plans
(a) Government Charge Cards
(1) Individual government charge cards authorized by the
General Services Administration and approved by the Committee
on Rules and Administration are available to Members,
Officers, and employees of the Senate for official travel
expenses.
(a) The employing Senator, chairman, or Officer of the
Senate should authorize only those staff who are or will be
frequent travelers. The Committee on Rules and
Administration reserves the right to cancel the annual
renewal of the card if the employee has not traveled on
official business during the previous year.
(b) All reimbursable travel expenses may be charged to
these accounts including but not limited to per diem expenses
and incidentals. Direct pay vouchers to the charge card
vendor (currently Bank of America) may be submitted for the
Airfare, train, and bus tickets charged to this account. All
other travel charges on the account must be paid to the
traveler for him/her to personally reimburse the charge card
vendor.
(c) Timely payment of these Individually Billed travel
accounts is the responsibility of the cardholder. The General
Services Administration contract requires payment to the
account within 60 days before suspension is enforced on the
account. The account is cancelled and the cardholder's credit
is revoked when a past due balance is carried on the card for
120 days.
(2) One Centrally Billed government charge account
authorized by the General Services Administration and
approved by the Committee on Rules and Administration are
available to each
(3) Member, Committee, and Administrative Office for
official transportation expenses in the form of airfare,
train, and bus tickets, and rental cars.
(a) Direct pay vouchers
(b) to the charge card vendor (currently Bank of America)
may be submitted for the airfare, train, and bus tickets, and
rental car expenses charged to this account.
(c) Other transportation costs, per diem expenses, and
incidentals are not authorized charges for these accounts
unless expressly authorized by these regulations or through
prior approval from the Committee on Rules and
Administration.
(d) Timely payment of these Centrally Billed travel
accounts is the responsibility of the cardholder, usually the
Administrative Director or Chief Clerk of the office. The
General Services Administration contract requires payment to
the account within 60 days before suspension is enforced on
the account. The account is cancelled and the cardholder's
credit is revoked when a past due balance is carried on the
card for 120 days.
III. Foreign Travel
(1) A centrally billed account may be established through
the approved Senate vendor (currently the Combined Airlines
Ticket Office (CATO)) and will be charged against an account
number issued to each designated office; there are no charge
cards issued for such an account.
A. Reimbursement of foreign travel expenses is not
authorized from the contingent fund of Member offices.
B. Committees, including all standing, select, and special
committees of the Senate and all joint committees of the
Congress whose funds are disbursed by the Secretary of the
Senate, are authorized
C. funds for foreign travel from their committee budget and
through S. Res. 179, 95-1, notwithstanding Congressional
Delegations which are authorized foreign travel funds under
the authority of the Mutual Security Act of 1954 (22 U.S.C.
1754).
D. (Restrictions)--amendment to Rule XXXIX of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, pursuant to S. Res. 80, agreed to
January 28, 1987.
1. (a) Unless authorized by the Senate (or by the President
of the United States after an adjournment sine die), no funds
from the United States Government (including foreign
currencies made available under section 502(b) of the Mutual
Security Act of 1954 (22 U.S.C. 1754(b), as amended) shall be
received by any Member of the Senate whose term will expire
at the end of a Congress after----
(1) the date of the general election in which his successor
is elected; or
(2) in the case of a Member who is not a candidate in such
general election, the earlier of the date of such general
election or the adjournment sine die of the second regular
session of that Congress
(b) The travel restrictions provided by subparagraph (a)
with respect to a Member of the Senate whose term will expire
at the end of a Congress shall apply to travel by
(1) any employee of the Member;
(2) any elected Officer of the Senate whose employment will
terminate at the end of a Congress; and
(3) any employee of a committee whose employment will
terminate at the end of a Congress.
2. No Member, Officer, or employee engaged in foreign
travel may claim payment or accept funds from the United
States Government (including foreign currencies made
available under section 502(b) of the Mutual Security Act of
1954 (22 U.S.C. 1754(b)) for any expense for which the
individual has received reimbursement from any other source;
nor may such Member, Officer, or employee receive
reimbursement for the same expense more than once from the
United States Government. No Member, Officer, or employee
shall use any funds furnished to him[/her] to defray ordinary
and necessary expenses of foreign travel for any purpose
other than the purpose or purposes for which such funds were
furnished.
3. A per diem allowance provided a Member, Officer, or
employee in connection with foreign travel shall be used
solely for lodging, food, and related expenses and it is the
responsibility of the Member, Officer, or employee receiving
such an allowance to return to the United States Government
that portion of the allowance received which is not actually
used for necessary lodging, food, and related expenses.
IV. Reimbursable Expenses
Travel expenses (i.e., transportation, lodging, meals and
incidental expenses) which

[[Page S15]]

will be reimbursed are limited to those expenses essential to
the transaction of official business while away from the
official duty station as well as for Members while on
official business in Washington, D.C.
A. Member Duty Station(s): The official duty station of
Senate Members shall be considered to be either their usual
place of residence in their home state or the metropolitan
area of Washington, D.C.
1. Each Member shall certify in writing at the beginning of
each Congress to the Senate Disbursing Office his/her usual
place of residence in the home state; such certification
document shall include a statement that the Senator has read
and agrees to the pertinent travel regulations on permissible
reimbursements.
2. For purposes of this provision, ``usual place of
residence'' in the home state shall encompass the area within
thirty-five (35) miles of the residence (by the most direct
route). If a Member has no ``usual place of residence'' in
his/her home state, he/she may designate a ``voting
residence,'' or any other ``legal residence,'' pursuant to
state law (including the area within thirty-five (35) miles
of such residence), as his/her duty station.
B. Officer and Employee Duty Station
1. In the case of an officer or employee, reimbursement for
official travel expenses other than interdepartmental
transportation shall be made only for trips which begin and
end in Washington, D.C., or, in the case of an employee
assigned to an office of a Senator in the Senator's home
state, on trips which begin and end at the place where such
office is located.
2. Travel may begin and/or end at the Senate traveler's
residence when such deviation from the duty station locale is
more advantageous to the government.
3. For purposes of these regulations, the ``duty station''
shall encompass the area within thirty five (35) miles from
where the Senator's home state office or designated duty
station is located.
C. No employee of the Senate, relative or supervisor of the
employee may directly benefit monetarily from the expenditure
of appropriated funds which reimburse expenses associated
with official Senate travel. Therefore, reimbursements are
not permitted for mortgage payments, or rental fees
associated with any type of leasehold interest.
D. A duty station for employees, other than Washington,
D.C., may be designated by Members, Committee Chairmen, and
Officers of the Senate upon written designation of such
station to the Senate Disbursing Office. Such designation
shall include a statement that the Member or Officer has read
and agrees to the pertinent travel regulations on permissible
reimbursements. The duty station may be the city of the
office location or the city of residence.
E. For purposes of these regulations, the metropolitan area
of Washington, D.C., shall be defined as follows:
1. The District of Columbia
2. Maryland Counties of
(a) Charles
(b) Montgomery
(c) Prince Georges
3. Virginia Counties of
(a) Arlington
(b) Fairfax
(c) Loudoun
(d) Prince William
4. Virginia Cities of
(a) Alexandria
(b) Fairfax
(c) Falls Church
(d) Manassas
(e) Manassas Park
5. Airport locations of
(a) Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall
Airport
(b) Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
(c) Washington Dulles International Airport
F. When the legislative business of the Senate requires
that a Member be present, then the round trip actual
transportation expenses incurred in traveling from the city
within the United States where the Member is located to
Washington, D.C., may be reimbursed from official Senate
funds.
G. Any deviation from this policy will be considered on a
case by case basis upon the written request to, and approval
from, the Committee on Rules and Administration.
V. Travel Expense Reimbursement Vouchers
A. All persons authorized to travel on official business
for the Senate should keep a memorandum of expenditures
properly chargeable to the Senate, noting each item at the
time the expense is incurred, together with the date, and the
information thus accumulated should be made available for the
proper preparation of travel vouchers which must be itemized
on an official expense summary report and stated in
accordance with these regulations. The official expense
summary report form is available at the Senate Disbursing
Office or through the Senate Intranet.
B. Members seeking reimbursement for expenses while on
official business in Washington, D.C., shall submit a monthly
official expense summary report and receipts for expenses
incurred, with a signature certifying that they have incurred
the eligible expenses for which they seek reimbursement while
on official business in Washington, D.C. Reimbursements shall
not exceed the daily rate for meals, incidentals, and lodging
as determined by the General Services Administration for the
Washington, D.C., area.
C. Computer generated vouchers should be submitted with a
signed original. Every travel voucher must show in the space
provided for such information on the voucher form the dates
of travel, the official travel itinerary, the value of the
transportation, per diem expenses, incidental expenses, and
conference/training fees incurred.
D. Travel vouchers must be supported by receipts for
expenses in excess of $50. In addition, the Committee on
Rules and Administration reserves the right to request
additional clarification and/or certification upon the audit
of any expense seeking reimbursement from the contingent fund
of the Senate regardless of the expense amount.
E. When presented independently, credit card receipts such
as VISA, MASTER CHARGE, or DINERS CLUB, etc. are not
acceptable documentation for lodging. If a hotel bill is lost
or misplaced, then the credit card receipt accompanied by a
certifying letter from the traveler to the Financial Clerk of
the Senate will be considered necessary documentation. Such
letter must itemize the total expenses in support of the
credit card receipt.

Transportation Expenses

I. Common Carrier Transportation and Accommodations
A. Transportation includes all necessary official travel on
railroads, airlines, helicopters, public transportation,
taxicabs or other mode of transportation hired for a fee, and
other usual means of conveyance. Transportation may include
fares and such expenses incidental to transportation such as
but not limited to baggage transfer. When a claim is made for
common carrier transportation obtained with cash, the travel
voucher must show the amount spent, including Federal
transportation tax, and the mode of transportation used.
1. Train Accommodations
(a) Sleeping-car accommodations: The lowest first class
sleeping accommodations available shall be allowed when night
travel is involved. When practicable, through sleeping
accommodations should be obtained in all cases where more
economical to the Senate.
(b) Parlor-car and coach accommodations: One seat in a
sleeping or parlor car will be allowed. Where adequate coach
accommodations are available, coach accommodations should be
used to the maximum extent possible, on the basis of
advantage to the Senate, suitability and convenience to the
traveler, and nature of the business involved.
2. Airplane Accommodations
(a) First-class and air-coach accommodations: It is the
policy of the Senate that persons who use commercial air
carriers for transportation on official business shall use
less than first-class accommodations instead of those
designated first-class with due regard to efficient conduct
of Senate business and the travelers' convenience, safety,
and comfort.
(b) Use of United States-flag air carriers: All official
air travel shall be performed on United States-flag air
carriers except where travel on other aircraft (1) is
essential to the official business concerned, or (2) is
necessary to avoid unreasonable delay, expense, or
inconvenience.
B. Change in Travel Plans: When a traveler finds he/she
will not use accommodations which have been reserved for him/
her, he/she must release them within the time limits
specified by the carriers. Likewise, where transportation
service furnished is inferior to that called for by a ticket
or where a journey is terminated short of the destination
specified, the traveler must report such facts to the proper
official. Failure of travelers to take such action may
subject them to liability for any resulting losses.
1. ``No show'' charges, if incurred by Members or staff
personnel in connection with official Senate travel, shall
not be considered payable or reimbursable from the contingent
fund of the Senate.
2. Senate travelers exercising proper prudence can make
timely cancellations when necessary in order to avoid ``no
show'' assessments.
3. A Member shall be permitted to make more than one
reservation on scheduled flights with participating airlines
when such action assists the Member in conducting his/her
official business.
C. Compensation Packages: In the event that a Senate
traveler is denied passage or gives up his/her reservation
due to overbooking on transportation for which he/she held a
reservation and this results in a payment of any rebate, this
payment shall not be considered as a personal receipt by the
traveler, but rather as a payment to the Senate, the agency
for which and at whose expense the travel is being performed.
1. Such payments shall be submitted to the appropriate
individual for the proper disposition when the traveler
submits his/her expense account.
2. Through fares, special fares, commutation fares,
excursion, and reduced-rate round trip fares should be used
for official travel when it can be determined prior to the
start of a trip that any such type of service is practical
and economical to the Senate.
3. Round-trip tickets should be secured only when, on the
basis of the journey as planned, it is known or can be
reasonably anticipated that such tickets will be utilized.
D. Ticket Preparation Fees: Each Chairman, Senator, or
Officer of the Senate may, at his/her discretion, authorize
in extenuating circumstances the reimbursement of penalty
fees associated with the cancellation of through fares,
special fares, commutation fares, excursion, reduced-rate
round trip fares and fees for travel arrangements, provided
that reimbursement of such fees does

[[Page S16]]

not exceed the rates prescribed by the Committee on Rules and
Administration.
E. Frequent Flyer Miles: Travel promotional awards (e.g.
free travel, travel discounts, upgrade certificates, coupons,
frequent flyer miles, access to carrier club facilities, and
other similar travel promotional items) obtained by a Member,
officer or employee of the Senate while on official travel
may be utilized for personal use at the discretion of the
Member or officer pursuant to this section.
1. Travel Awards may be retained and used at the sole
discretion of the Member or officer only if the Travel Awards
are obtained under the same terms and conditions as those
offered to the general public and no favorable treatment is
extended on the basis of the Member, officer or employee's
position with the Federal Government.
2. Members, officers and employees may only retain Travel
Awards for personal use when such Travel Awards have been
obtained at no additional cost to the Federal Government. It
should be noted that any fees assessed in connection with the
use of Travel Awards shall be considered a personal expense
of the Member, officer or employee and under no circumstances
shall be paid for or reimbursed from official funds.
3. Although this section permits Members, officers and
employees of the Senate to use Travel Awards at the
discretion of the Member or officer, the Committee encourages
the use of such Travel Awards (whenever practicable) to
offset the cost of future official travel.
F. Indirect Travel: In case a person, for his/her own
convenience, travels by an indirect route or interrupts
travel by direct route, the extra expense will be borne by
the traveler. Reimbursement for expenses shall be allowed
only on such charges as would have been incurred by the
official direct route. Personal travel should be noted on the
traveler's expense summary report when it interrupts official
travel.
G. Miscellaneous Transportation During Official Travel: The
cost of public transportation, taxicabs or other mode of
transportation hired for a fee when used in connection with
official travel, will be allowed as an official
transportation expense.
H. Dual Purpose Travel: Dual purpose travel occurs when a
Senator, staffer, or other official traveler conducts both
Senatorial office business and Committee office business
during the same trip. The initial point at which official
business is conducted will determine the fund which will be
charged for travel expenses from and to Washington, D.C.
Examples include:
1. If committee business is conducted at the first stop in
the trip, travel expenses from Washington, D.C., to said
point and return will be chargeable to the committee's funds.
Additional travel expenses from said point to other points in
the United States, incurred by reason of conducting
senatorial business, will be charged to the Senators'
Official Personnel and Office Expense Account.
2. If senatorial business is conducted at the first stop in
the trip, travel expenses from Washington, D.C., to said
point and return will be chargeable to the Senators' Official
Personnel and Office Expense Account. Committee funds will be
charged with any additional travel expenses incurred for the
purpose of performing committee business.
I. Interrupted Travel: If a traveler interrupts official
travel for personal business, the traveler may be reimbursed
for transportation expenses incurred which are less than or
equal to the amount the traveler would have been reimbursed
had he/she not interrupted travel for personal business.
Likewise, if a traveler departs from or returns to a city
other than the traveler's duty station or residence for
personal business, then the traveler may be reimbursed for
transportation expenses incurred which are less than or equal
to the amount the traveler would have been reimbursed had the
witness departed from and returned to his/her duty station or
residence.
II. Baggage
A. The term ``baggage'' as used in these regulations means
Senate property and personal property of the traveler
necessary for the purposes of the official travel.
B. Baggage in excess of the weight or of size greater than
carried free by transportation companies will be classed as
excess baggage. Where air-coach or air-tourist accommodations
are used, transportation of baggage up to the weight carried
free on first-class service is authorized without charge to
the traveler; otherwise excess baggage charges will be an
allowable expense.
C. Necessary charges for the transfer of baggage will be
allowed. Charges for the storage of baggage will be allowed
when such storage was solely on account of official business.
Charges for porters and checking baggage at transportation
terminals will be allowed.
III. Use of Conveyances: When authorized by the employing
Senator, Chairman, or Officer of the Senate, certain
conveyances may be used when traveling on official Senate
business. Specific types of conveyances are privately
owned, special, and private airplane.
A. Privately Owned
1. Chairmen of committees, Senators, Officers of the
Senate, and employees, regardless of subsistence status and
hours of travel, shall, whenever such mode of transportation
is authorized or approved as more advantageous to the Senate,
be paid the appropriate mileage allowance in lieu of actual
expenses of transportation. This amount should not exceed the
maximum amount authorized by statute for use of privately
owned motorcycles, automobiles, or airplanes, when engaged in
official business within or outside their designated duty
stations. It is the responsibility of the office to fix such
rates, within the maximum, as will most nearly compensate the
traveler for necessary expenses.
2. In addition to the mileage allowance there may be
allowed reimbursement for the actual cost of automobile
parking fees (except parking fees associated with commuting);
ferry fees; bridge, road, and tunnel costs; and airplane
landing and tie- down fees.
3. When transportation is authorized or approved for
motorcycles or automobiles, mileage between points traveled
shall be certified by the traveler. Such mileage should be in
accordance with the Standard Highway Mileage Guide. Any
substantial deviations shall be explained on the
reimbursement voucher.
4. In lieu of the use of taxicab, payment on a mileage
basis at a rate not to exceed the maximum amount authorized
by statute will be allowed for the round-trip mileage of a
privately owned vehicle used in connection with an employee
going from either his/her place of abode or place of business
to a terminal or from a terminal to either his/her place of
abode or place of business: Provided, that the amount of
reimbursement for round-trip mileage shall not in either
instance exceed the taxicab fare for a one-way trip between
such applicable points, notwithstanding the obligations of
reasonable schedules.
5. Parking Fees: Parking fees for privately owned vehicles
may be incurred in the duty station when the traveler is
engaged in interdepartmental transportation or when the
traveler is leaving their duty station and entering into a
travel status. The fee for parking a vehicle at a common
carrier terminal, or other parking area, while the traveler
is away from his/her official station, will be allowed only
to the extent that the fee, plus the allowable mileage
reimbursement, to and from the terminal or other parking
area, does not exceed the estimated cost for use of a taxicab
to and from the terminal.
6. Mileage for use of privately owned airplanes shall be
certified from airway charts issued by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, and
will be reported on the reimbursement voucher and used in
computing payment. If a detour was necessary due to adverse
weather, mechanical difficulty, or other unusual conditions,
the additional air mileage may be included in the mileage
reported on the reimbursement voucher and, if included, it
must be explained.
7. Mileage shall be payable to only one of two or more
employees traveling together on the same trip and in the same
vehicle, but no deduction shall be made from the mileage
otherwise payable to the employee entitled thereto by reason
of the fact that other passengers (whether or not Senate
employees) may travel with him/her and contribute in
defraying the operating expenses. The names of Senate
Members or employees accompanying the traveler must be
stated on the travel voucher.
8. When damages to a privately owned vehicle occur due to
the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any Member,
Officer, or employee of the Senate while acting within the
scope of his/her employment, relief may be sought under the
Federal Tort Claims Act.
B. Special
1. General:
(a) The hire of boat, automobile, aircraft, or other
conveyance will be allowed if authorized or approved as
advantageous to the Senate whenever the Member or employee is
engaged on official business outside his/her designated duty
station.
(b) Where two or more persons travel together by means of
such special conveyance, that fact, together with the names
of those accompanying him/her, must be stated by each
traveler on his/her travel voucher and the aggregate cost
reimbursable will be subject to the limitation stated above.
(c) If the hire of a special conveyance includes payment by
the traveler of the incidental expenses of gasoline or oil,
rent of garage, hangar, or boathouse, subsistence of
operator, ferriage, tolls, operator waiting time, charges for
returning conveyances to the original point of hire, etc.,
the same should be first paid, if practicable, by the person
furnishing the accommodation, or his/her operator, and
itemized in the bill.
2. Rental Cars:
(a) Reimbursements for rental of special conveyances will
be limited to the cost applicable to a conveyance of a size
necessary for a single traveler regardless of the number of
authorized travelers transported by said vehicle, unless the
use of a larger class vehicle on a shared cost basis is
specifically approved in advance by the Committee on Rules
and Administration, or the form 'Request for a Waiver of the
Travel Regulations' is submitted with the voucher, and found
in order upon audit by the Rules Committee.
(b) For administrative purposes, reimbursement may be
payable to only one of two or more Senate travelers traveling
together on the same trip and in the same vehicle.
(c) Government Rate: In connection with the rental of an
automobile for the use in conducting Senate business it
should be noted that the Defense Travel Management Office
(DTMO), a division of the Department

[[Page S17]]

of Defense, arranges rental car agreements for the
government.
(1) These negotiated car rental rates are for federal
employees traveling on official business and include
unlimited mileage, plus full comprehensive and collision
coverage (CDW) on rented vehicles at no cost to the traveler.
(2) For guidance on rate structure and the companies
participating in these rate agreements, call the approved
Senate vendor (currently the Combined Airline Ticket Office
(CATO)).
(3) Individuals traveling on behalf of the United States
Senate should use these companies to the maximum extent
possible since these agreements provide full coverage with no
extra fee. The Senate will not pay for separate insurance
charges; therefore, any individuals who choose to use non-
participatory car rental agencies may be personally
responsible for any damages or liability accrued while on
official Senate business.
(d) Insurance: In connection with the rental of vehicles
from commercial sources, the Senate will not pay or reimburse
for the cost of the loss/damage waiver (LDW), collision
damage waiver (CDW) or collision damage insurance available
in commercial rental contracts for an extra fee.
(1) The waiver or insurance referred to is the type offered
a renter to release him/her from liability for damage to the
rented vehicle in amounts up to the amount deductible on the
insurance included as part of the rental contract without
additional charge.
(2) The cost of personal accident insurance is a personal
expense and is not reimbursable.
(3) Accidents While On Official Travel: Collision damage to
a rented vehicle, for which the traveler is liable while on
official business, will be considered an official travel
expense of the Senate up to the deductible amount contained
in the rental contract. Such claims shall be considered by
the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate on a case by case basis
and, when authorized, settled from the contingent fund of the
Senate under the line item--Reserve for Contingencies. This
is consistent with the long-standing policy of the government
to self-insure its own risks of loss or damage to government
property and the liability of government employees for
actions within the scope of their official duties.
(4) However, when damages to a rented vehicle occurs due to
the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any Member,
Officer, or employee of the Senate while acting within the
scope of his/her employment, relief may be sought under the
Federal Tort Claims Act.
3. Charter Aircraft:
(a) Reimbursements for charter aircraft will be limited to
the charges for a twin-engine, six seat plane, or comparable
aircraft. Charter of aircraft may be allowed notwithstanding
the availability of commercial facilities, if such commercial
facilities are not such that reasonable schedules may be
kept. When charter aircraft if used, an explanation and
detail of the size of the aircraft, i.e., seating capacity
and number of engines, shall be provided on the face of the
voucher.
(b) In the event charter facilities are not available at
the point of departure, reimbursement for charter from
nearest point of such availability to the destination and
return may be allowed.
(c) When a charter aircraft larger than a twin-engine, six
seat plane is used, the form `Request for a Waiver of the
Travel Regulations' is submitted with the voucher.
C. Corporate/Private Aircraft: Reimbursement of official
expenses for the use of a corporate or private aircraft is
allowable from the contingent fund of the Senate provided the
traveler complies with the prohibitions, restrictions, and
authorizations specified in these regulations. Moreover,
pursuant to the Ethics Committee Interpretive Ruling 444,
excess campaign funds may be used to defray official expenses
consistent with the regulations promulgated by the Federal
Election Commission.
1. An amendment to Rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the
Senate, paragraph 1(c)(1)(C), enacted September 14, 2007,
pursuant to P.L. 110-81, states:
(C)(i) Fair market value for a flight on an aircraft
described in item (ii) shall be the pro rata share of the
fair market value of the normal and usual charter fare or
rental charge for a comparable plane of comparable size, as
determined by dividing such cost by the number of Members,
officers, or employees of Congress on the flight.
(ii) A flight on an aircraft described in this item is any
flight on an aircraft that is not--
(I) operated or paid for by an air carrier or commercial
operator certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration
and required to be conducted under air carrier safety rules;
or
(II) in the case of travel which is abroad, an air carrier
or commercial operator certificated by an appropriate foreign
civil aviation authority and the flight is required to be
conducted under air carrier safety rules.
(iii) This subclause shall not apply to an aircraft owned
or leased by a governmental entity or by a Member of
Congress or a Member's immediate family member (including
an aircraft owned by an entity that is not a public
corporation in which the Member or Member's immediate
family member has an ownership interest), provided that
the Member does not use the aircraft anymore than the
Member's or immediate family member's proportionate share
of ownership allows.
2. Prior to the commencement of official travel on a
corporate or private aircraft, the traveler or the traveler's
designee shall contact a charter company in the departure or
destination city to request a written estimate of the cost of
a flight between the two cities on a similar aircraft of
comparable size being provided by the corporation or private
entity.
(a) For example, if a Learjet 45 XR aircraft is being
provided by the corporation or private entity, the traveler
or the traveler's designee shall request a written estimate
of the cost to charter a Learjet 45 XR aircraft from the
departure city to the destination city.
(b) If no charter company is located in either the
departure or destination city which rents a similar aircraft
of comparable size, a charter company nearest either the
destination or departure city which does so shall be
contacted for a written estimate.
3. Following the completion of official travel on a
corporate or private aircraft, reimbursement for related
expenses may be processed on direct pay vouchers payable to
each individual traveler, to the corporation or private
entity, or to the travel charge card vendor. The written
estimate received from the charter company shall be attached
to the voucher for processing.
IV. Interdepartmental Transportation
A. The reimbursement for interdepartmental transportation
is authorized as a travel expense pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 58(e)
but only for the incidental transportation expenses incurred
within the duty station in the course of conducting official
Senate business. Such reimbursement would include the
following expenses:
1. Mileage when using a privately owned vehicle
2. Public transportation, taxicab, parking, auto rental, or
other mode of transportation hired for a fee.
B. Pursuant to S. Res. 294, agreed to April 29, 1980,
section 2.(1), reimbursements and payments shall not be made
for commuting expenses, including parking fees incurred in
commuting.
Subsistence Expenses
I. Per Diem Expenses
A. Allowance
1. Per diem expenses include all charges for meals,
lodging, personal use of room during daytime, baths, all fees
and tips to waiters, porters, baggagemen, bell boys, hotel
servants, dining room stewards and others on vessels,
laundry, cleaning and pressing of clothing, and fans in
rooms. The term ``lodging'' does not include accommodations
on airplanes or trains, and these expenses are not
subsistence expenses.
(a) Laundry: Laundry expenses must be incurred during the
mid-way point of a trip. Reimbursable laundry expenses are
for the refreshing of clothing during a trip, but not the
maintenance of the clothing.
(b) Meals: Reimbursable expenses incurred for meals while
on official travel include meals and tips for the traveler
only and may not include alcohol.
2. Per diem expenses will not be allowed an employee at
his/her permanent duty station and will be allowed only when
associated with round trip travel outside his/her permanent
duty station.
(a) Training: Meals in the duty station are only
reimbursable when they are incurred during a training
session. If the cost of the meal is included in the training
session, then a meal certification form should be included
with the voucher. The Committee on Rules and Administration
will consider these on a case by case basis. Meal
certification forms are available at the Disbursing Office or
on the Senate intranet.
(1) Training is defined as a planned, prepared, and
coordinated program, course, curriculum, subject, system, or
routine of instruction or education, in scientific,
professional or technical fields which are or will be
directly related to the performance by the employee of
official duties for the Senate, in order to increase the
knowledge, proficiency, ability, skill and qualifications of
the employee in the performance of official duties.
(2) Meetings in the duty station where meals are served,
such as but not limited to Chamber of Commerce monthly
meetings do not constitute training. Therefore, the meals
associated with these meetings are not an authorized
reimbursable expense.
3. In any case where the employee's tour of travel requires
more than two months' stay at a temporary duty station,
consideration should be given to either a change in official
station or a reduction in the per diem allowance.
4. Where for a traveler's personal convenience/business
there is an interruption of travel or deviation from the
direct route, the per diem expenses allowed will not exceed
that which would have been incurred on uninterrupted travel
by a usually traveled route and the time of departure from
and return to official business shall be stated on the
voucher.
5. Per diem expenses will be allowed through the time the
traveler departs on personal business and will be recommenced
at the time he/she returns to official business. Such dates
and times shall be stated on the voucher.
B. Rates
1. The per diem allowances provided in these regulations
represent the maximum allowance, not the minimum. It is the
responsibility of each office to see that travelers are
reimbursed only such per diem expenses as are justified by
the circumstances affecting the travel. Maximum rates for
subsistence expenses are established by the General

[[Page S18]]

Services Administration and are published in the Federal
Register. Maximum per diem rates for Alaska, Hawaii, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and possessions of the United
States are established by the Department of Defense and are
also published in the Federal Register. In addition, per diem
rates for foreign countries are established by the Department
of State and are published in the document titled, ``Maximum
Travel Per Diem for Foreign Areas.''
(a) Per diem expenses reimbursable to a Member or employee
of the Senate in connection with official travel within the
continental United States shall be made on the basis of
actual expenses incurred, but not to exceed the maximum rate
prescribed by the Committee on Rules and Administration for
each day spent in a travel status. Any portion of a day while
in a travel status shall be considered a full day for
purposes of per diem entitlement.
(b) When travel begins or ends at a point in the
continental United States, the maximum per diem rate
allowable for the portion of travel between such place and
the place of entry or exit in the continental United States
shall be the maximum rate prescribed by the Committee on
Rules and Administration for travel within the continental
United States. However, the quarter day in which travel
begins, in coming from, or ends, in going to, a point outside
the continental United States may be paid at the rate
applicable to said point, if higher.
(c) In traveling between localities outside the continental
United States, the per diem rate allowed at the locality from
which travel is performed shall continue through the quarter
day in which the traveler arrives at his/her destination:
Provided, that if such rate is not commensurate with the
expenses incurred, the per diem rate of the destination
locality may be allowed for the quarter day of arrival.
(d) Ship travel time shall be allowed at not to exceed the
maximum per diem rate prescribed by the Committee on Rules
and Administration for travel within the continental United
States.
C. Computations
1. The date of departure from, and arrival at, the official
station or other point where official travel begins and ends,
must be shown on the travel voucher. Other points visited
should be shown on the voucher but date of arrival and
departure at these points need not be shown.
2. For computing per diem allowances official travel begins
at the time the traveler leaves his/her home, office, or
other point of departure and ends when the traveler returns
to his/her home, office, or other point at the conclusion of
his/her trip.
(a) The maximum allowable per diem for an official trip is
computed by multiplying the number of days on official
travel, beginning with the departure date, by the maximum
daily rate as prescribed by the Committee on Rules and
Administration. If the maximum daily rate for a traveler's
destination is higher than the prescribed daily rate, then
the form Request for a Waiver of the Travel Regulations must
be submitted with the voucher showing the maximum daily rate
for that location and found in order upon audit by the Rules
Committee.
(b) Total per diem for an official trip includes lodging
expenses (excluding taxes), meals (including taxes and tips),
and other per diem expenses as defined by these regulations.

Incidental Expenses

I. Periodicals: Periodicals purchased while in a travel
status should be limited to newspapers and news magazines
necessary to stay informed on issues directly related to
Senate business.
II. Traveler's Checks/Money Orders: The service fee for
preparation of traveler's checks or money orders for use
during official travel is allowable.
III. Communications
A. Communication services such as telephone, telegraph, and
faxes, may be used on official business when such expeditious
means of communications is essential. Government-owned
facilities should be used, if practical. If not available,
the cheapest practical class of commercial service should be
used.
B. Additionally, one personal telephone call will be
reimbursed for each day that a Senator or staff member is in
a travel status. The calls may not exceed an average of five
minutes a day, and cannot be reimbursed at a rate higher than
$5.00 without itemized documentation.
IV. Stationery: Stationery items such as pens, paper,
batteries, etc. which are necessary to conduct official
Senate business while in a travel status are authorized.
V. Conference Center/Meeting Room Reservations: The fee for
the reservation of a meeting room, conference room, or
business center while on official travel is allowable.
VI. Other: This category would be used (with full
explanation on the Expense Summary Report for Travel) to
disclose any expense which would occur incidentally while on
official travel, and for which there is no other expense
category, i.e., interpreting services, hotel taxes, baggage
cart rental, etc.

Conference and Training Fees

I. Training of Senators' Office Staff: The Senators'
Official Personnel and Office Expense Account is available to
defray the fees associated with the attendance by the Senator
or the Senator's employees at conferences, seminars,
briefings, or classes which are or will be directly related
to the performance of official duties.
A. When such fees (actual or reduced) are less than or
equal to $500, have a time duration of not more than five (5)
days, and have been asked to be waived or reduced for
Government participation, reimbursement shall be made as an
official travel expense. However, if the fee or time duration
for meetings is in excess of the aforementioned,
reimbursement shall be made as a non-travel expense.
B. Reimbursement shall not be allowed for tuition or fees
associated with classes attended to earn credits towards an
advanced degree or certification.
C. The costs of meals that are considered an integral,
mandatory and non-separable element of the conference,
seminar, briefing, or class will be allowed as part of the
attendance fee when certified by the registrant. The meal
certification form, which must accompany the reimbursement
voucher, is available in the Disbursing Office or through the
Senate Intranet.
II. Training of Committee Employees: Section 202(j) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 provides for the
expenditure of funds available to standing committees of the
Senate for the training of professional staff personnel under
certain conditions. It is the responsibility of each
committee to set aside funds within its annual funding
resolution to cover the expenses of such training.
A. Prior approval for attendance by professional staff at
seminars, briefings, conferences, etc., as well as committee
funds earmarked for training, will not be required when all
of the following conditions are met:
1. The sponsoring organization has been asked to waive or
reduce the fee for Government participation.
2. The fee involved (actual or reduced) is not in excess of
$500.
3. The duration of the meeting does not exceed five (5)
days.
B. When such fees are less than or equal to $500, have a
time duration of not more than five (5) days, and have been
requested to be waived or reduced for Government
participation, reimbursement shall be made as a non-training,
official travel expense. However, if the fee or time duration
for meetings is in excess of the aforementioned,
reimbursement shall be made as an official training expense.
Reimbursement shall not be allowed for tuition or fees
associated with classes attended to earn credits towards an
advanced degree or certification.
C. If the fee or time duration for meetings is in excess of
the aforementioned, advance approval by the Committee on
Rules and Administration must be sought. Training requests
should be received sufficiently in advance of the training to
permit appropriate consideration by the Committee on Rules
and Administration.
D. The costs of meals that are considered an integral,
mandatory, and non-separable element of the conference,
seminar, briefing, or class will be allowed as part of the
attendance fee when certified by the registrant. The meal
certification forms which must accompany the reimbursement
voucher are available in the Disbursing Office or through the
Senate Intranet.
III. Training of Administrative Offices Staff: The
administrative approval of the voucher is the only approval
required by the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Training expenses of staff shall be limited to those fees
associated with the attendance by staff at conferences,
seminars, briefings, or classes which are or will be directly
related to the performance of official duties. However,
reimbursement shall not be allowed for tuition or fees
associated with classes attended to earn credits towards an
advanced degree or certification.

Special Events

I. Retreats: Reimbursement of official travel expenses for
office staff retreats is allowable from the contingent fund
provided they follow the restrictions and authorizations in
these regulations. Reimbursement of expenses for meeting
rooms and equipment used during the retreat also is
allowable. The vouchers for retreat expenses should be noted
as retreat vouchers.
A. Discussion of Interpretative Ruling of the Select
Committee on Ethics, No. 444, issued February 14, 2002
An office retreat may be paid for with either or both
official funds (with Rules Committee approval) or principal
campaign committee funds. Private parties may not pay
expenses incurred in connection with an office retreat.
Campaign workers may attend, at campaign expense, office
retreats if their purpose in attending is to engage in
official activities, such as providing feedback from
constituents on legislative or representational matters.
B. When processing direct pay vouchers payable either to
each individual traveler or to the vendor providing the
retreat accommodations, prior approval by the Committee on
Rules and Administration is not required. Retreat expenses,
including but not limited to per diem, may be charged to the
office's official centrally billed government travel charge
card and paid on direct vouchers to the charge card vendor.
Any deviation from this policy will be considered on a case
by case basis upon the written request to, and approval from,
the Committee on Rules and Administration.
C. Spreadsheet of Expenses
1. The Member office, Committee, or Administrative office,
must attach to the retreat voucher(s) a spreadsheet detailing
each

[[Page S19]]

day of the retreat broken out by breakfast, lunch, dinner,
and lodging for each traveler attending the retreat.
2. For each traveler, the spreadsheet should list his/her
duty station, additional per diem expenses incurred outside
of the retreat, and any other retreat attendee the traveler
shared a room with during the retreat. Any non-staff members
attending the retreat also should be detailed on the
spreadsheet. The Waiver of the Travel Regulations form does
not need to be attached to retreat voucher(s) for the sharing
of rooms.
3. The per diem expenses for staff members attending a
retreat within their duty station are not reimbursable but
should be detailed on the spreadsheet. All expenses for non-
staff members attending the retreat are not reimbursable,
but their attendance at the retreat must be taken into
account when computing a per traveler cost on the
spreadsheet.
4. An example of this spreadsheet can be found on the
Senate Intranet.
II. Funerals: Members who represent the Senate at the
funeral of a Member or former member may be reimbursed for
the actual and necessary expenses of their attendance,
pursuant to S. Res. 263, agreed to July 30, 1998.
Additionally, the actual and necessary expenses of a
committee appointed to represent the Senate at the funeral of
a deceased Member or former Member may be reimbursed pursuant
to S. Res. 458, agreed to October 4, 1984.
A. Pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 58e, which authorizes reimbursement
for travel while on official business within the United
States, members and their staff may be reimbursed for the
actual and necessary expenses of attending funerals within
their home state only.
B. Examples of funerals that may be considered official
business include, but are not limited to, funerals for
military service members, first responders, or public
officials from the Member's state.

Senators' Office Staff

I. Legislative Authority (2 U.S.C. 58(e), as amended)
(e) Subject to and in accordance with regulations
promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration of
the Senate, a Senator and the employees in his office shall
be reimbursed under this section for travel expenses incurred
by the Senator or employee while traveling on official
business within the United States. The term `travel expenses'
includes actual transportation expenses, essential travel-
related expenses, and, where applicable, per diem expenses
(but not in excess of actual expenses). A Senator or an
employee of the Senator shall not be reimbursed for any
travel expenses (other than actual transportation expenses)
for any travel occurring during the sixty days immediately
before the date of any primary or general election (whether
regular, special, or runoff) in which the Senator is a
candidate for public office (within the meaning of section
301(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971), unless
his candidacy in such election is uncontested. For purposes
of this subsection and subsection 2(a)(6) of this section, an
employee in the Office of the President Pro Tempore, Deputy
President Pro Tempore, Majority Leader, Minority Leader,
Majority Whip, Minority Whip, Secretary of the Conference of
the Majority, or Secretary of the Conference of the Minority
shall be considered to be an employee in the office of the
Senator holding such office.
II. Regulations Governing Senators' Official Personnel and
Office Expense Accounts Adopted by the Committee on Rules and
Administration Pursuant to Senate Resolution 170 agreed to
September 19, 1979, as amended.
Section 1. For the purposes of these regulations, the
following definitions shall apply:
(a) Documentation means invoices, bills, statements,
receipts, or other evidence of expenses incurred, approved by
the Committee on Rules and Administration.
(b) Official expenses means ordinary and necessary business
expenses in support of the Senators' official and
representational duties.
Section 2. No reimbursement will be made from the
contingent fund of the Senate for any official expenses
incurred under a Senator's Official Personnel and Office
Expense Account, in excess of $50, unless the voucher
submitted for such expenses is accompanied by documentation,
and the voucher is certified by the properly designated staff
member and approved by the Senator.
Section 3. Official expenses of $50 or less must either be
documented or must be itemized in sufficient detail so as to
leave no doubt of the identity of, and the amount spent for,
each item. Items of a similar nature may be grouped together
in one total on a voucher, but must be itemized individually
on a supporting itemization sheet.
Section 4. Travel expenses shall be subject to the same
documentation requirements as other official expenses, with
the following exceptions:
(a) Hotel bills or other evidence of lodging costs will be
considered necessary in support of per diem.
(b) Documentation will not be required for reimbursement of
official travel in a privately owned vehicle.
Section 5. No documentation will be required for
reimbursement of the following classes of expenses, as these
are billed and paid directly through the Sergeant at Arms and
Doorkeeper:
(a) official telegrams and long distance calls and related
services;
(b) stationery and other office supplies procured through
the Senate Stationery Room for use for official business.
Section 6. The Committee on Rules and Administration may
require documentation for expenses incurred of $50 or less,
or authorize payment of expenses incurred in excess of $50
without documentation, in special circumstances.
Section 7. Vouchers for the reimbursement of official
travel expenses to a Senator, employee, detailee pursuant to
section 503(b)(3) of PL 96-465, or individual serving on a
nominee recommendation panel pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 58(h) shall
be accompanied by an ``Expense Summary Report--Travel''
signed by such person. Vouchers for the reimbursement to any
such individual for official expenses other than travel
expenses shall be accompanied by an ``Expense Summary
Report--Non- Travel'' signed by such person.

Committee and Administrative Office Staff

(Includes all committees of the Senate, the Office of the
Secretary of the Senate, and the Office of the Sergeant at
Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate)
I. Legislative Authority (2 U.S.C. 68b)
No part of the appropriations made under the heading
`Contingent Expenses of the Senate' may be expended for per
diem and subsistence expenses (as defined in section 5701 of
Title 5) at rates in excess of the rates prescribed by the
Committee on Rules and Administration; except that (1) higher
rates may be established by the Committee on Rules and
Administration for travel beyond the limits of the
continental United States, and (2) in accordance with
regulations prescribed by the Committee on Rules and
Administration of the Senate, reimbursement for such expenses
may be made on an actual expense basis of not to exceed the
daily rate prescribed by the Committee on Rules and
Administration in the case of travel within the continental
limits of the United States.
II. Incidental Expenses: The following items may be
authorized or approved when related to official travel:
1. Commissions for conversion of currency in foreign
countries.
2. Fees in connection with the issuance of passports, visa
fees; costs of photographs for passports and visas; costs of
certificates of birth, health, identity; and affidavits; and
charges for inoculations which cannot be obtained through a
federal dispensary when required for official travel outside
the limits of the United States.
III. Hearing Expenses (committees only)
A. In connection with hearings held outside of Washington,
D.C., committees are authorized to pay the travel expenses of
official reporters having company offices in Washington,
D.C., or in other locations, for traveling to points outside
the District of Columbia or outside such other locations,
provided:
1. Said hearings are of such a classified or security
nature that their transcripts can be accomplished only by
reporters having the necessary clearance from the proper
federal agencies;
2. Extreme difficulty is experienced in the procurement of
local reporters; or
3. The demands of economy make the use of Washington, D.C.,
reporters or traveling reporters in another area highly
advantageous to the Senate; and further provided, that should
such hearings exceed five days in duration, prior approval
(for the payment of reporters' travel expenses) must be
obtained from the Committee on Rules and Administration.
IV. Witnesses Appearing Before the Senate (committees only)
A. The authorized transportation expenses incurred and
associated with a witness appearing before the Senate at a
designated place of examination pursuant to S. Res. 259,
agreed to August 5, 1987, will be those necessary
transportation expenses incurred in traveling from the
witness' place of residence to the site of the Senate
examination and the necessary transportation expenses
incurred in returning the witness to his/her residence.
B. If a witness departs from a city other than the witness'
city of residence to appear before the Senate or returns to a
city other than the witness' city of residence after
appearing before the Senate, then Senate committees may
reimburse the witness for transportation expenses incurred
which are less than or equal to the amount the committee
would have reimbursed the witness had the witness departed
from and returned to his/her residence. Any deviation from
this policy will be considered on a case by case basis upon
the written request to, and approval from, the Committee on
Rules and Administration.
C. Service fees for the preparation or mailing of passenger
coupons for indigent or subpoenaed witnesses testifying
before Senate committees shall be considered reimbursable for
purposes of official travel.
D. Transportation expenses for witnesses may be charged to
the Committee's official centrally billed government travel
charge card and paid on direct vouchers to the charge card
vendor. Additionally, per diem expenses for indigent
witnesses may be charged to the Committee's official
government charge card and paid on direct vouchers to the
charge card vendor.
V. Regulations Governing Payments and Reimbursements from
the Senate Contingent Funds for Expenses of Senate Committees
and Administrative Offices
(Adopted by the Committee on Rules and Administration on
July 23, 1987, as authorized by S. Res. 258, 100th Congress,
1st session, these regulations supersede regulations adopted
by the Committee on October 22, 1975, and April 30, 1981, as
amended.)

[[Page S20]]

Section 1. Unless otherwise authorized by law or waived
pursuant to Section 6, herein, no payment or reimbursement
will be made from the contingent fund of the Senate for any
official expenses incurred by any Senate committee (standing,
select, joint, or special), commission, administrative
office, or other authorized Senate activity whose funds are
disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate, in excess of $50,
unless the voucher submitted for such expenses is accompanied
by documentation, and the voucher is certified by the
properly designated staff member and approved by the Chairman
or elected Senate Officer. The designation of such staff
members for certification shall be done by means of a letter
to the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administration.
``Official expenses,'' for the purposes of these regulations,
means ordinary and necessary business expenses in support of
a committee's or administrative office's official duties.
Section 2. Such documentation should consist of invoices,
bills, statements, receipts, or other evidence of expenses
incurred, and should include ALL of the following
information:
(a) date expense was incurred;
(b) the amount of the expense;
(c) the product or service that was provided;
(d) the vendor providing the product or service;
(e) the address of the vendor; and
(f) the person or office to whom the product or service was
provided.
Expenses being claimed should reflect only current charges.
Original copies of documentation should be submitted.
However, legible facsimiles will be accepted.
Section 3. Official expenses of $50 or less must either be
documented or must be itemized in sufficient detail so as to
leave no doubt of the identity of, and the amount spent for,
each item. However, hotel bills or other evidence of lodging
costs will be considered necessary in support of per diem
expenses and cannot be itemized.
Section 4. Documentation for services rendered on a
contract fee basis shall consist of a contract status report
form available from the Disbursing Office. However, other
expenses authorized expressly in the contract will be subject
to the documentation requirements set forth in these
regulations.
Section 5. No documentation will be required for the
following expenses:
(a) salary reimbursement for compensation on a ``When
Actually Employed'' basis;
(b) reimbursement of official travel in a privately owned
vehicle;
(c) foreign travel expenses incurred by official
congressional delegations, pursuant to S. Res. 179, 95th
Congress, 1st session;
(d) expenses for receptions of foreign dignitaries,
pursuant to S. Res. 247, 87th Congress, 2nd session, as
amended; and
(e) expenses for receptions of foreign dignitaries pursuant
to Sec. 2 of P.L. 100-71 effective July 11, 1987.
Section 6. In special circumstances, the Committee on Rules
and Administration may require documentation for expenses
incurred of $50 or less, or authorize payment of expenses
incurred in excess of $50 without documentation.
Section 7. Cash advances from the Disbursing Office are to
be used for travel and petty cash expenses only. No more than
$5000 may be outstanding at one time for Senate committees or
administrative offices, unless otherwise authorized by law or
resolution, and no more than $300 of that amount may be used
for a petty cash fund. The individual receiving the cash
advance will be personally liable. The Committee on Rules and
Administration may, in special instances, increase these non-
statutory limits upon written request by the Chairman of that
committee and proper justification.
Section 8. Documentation of petty cash expenses shall be
listed on an official petty cash itemization sheet available
from the Disbursing Office and should include ALL of the
following information:
(a) date expense was incurred;
(b) amount of expense;
(c) product or service provided; and
(d) the person incurring the expense (payee).
Each sheet must be signed by the Senate employee receiving
cash and an authorizing official (i.e., someone other than
the employee(s) authorized to certify vouchers). Original
receipts or facsimiles must accompany the itemization sheet
for petty cash expenses over $50.
Section 9. Petty cash funds should be used for the
following incidental expenses:
(a) postage;
(b) delivery expenses;
(c) interdepartmental transportation (reimbursements as
defined in United States Senate Travel Regulations);
(d) single copies of publications (not subscriptions);
(e) office supplies not available in the Senate Stationery
Room; and
(f) official telephone calls made from a staff member's
residence or toll charges incurred within a staff member's
duty station.
Petty cash funds should not be used for the procurement of
equipment.
Section 10. Committees are encouraged to maintain a
separate checking account only for the purpose of a petty
cash fund and with a balance not in excess of $300.
Section 11. Vouchers for the reimbursement of official
travel expenses to a committee chairman or member, officer,
employee, contractor, detailee, or witness shall be
accompanied by an ``Expense Summary Report--Travel'' signed
by such person. Vouchers for the reimbursement to any such
individual for official expenses other than travel expenses
shall be accompanied by an ``Expense Summary Report--Non-
Travel'' signed by such person.

____________________