4100 Meal Expense Reimbursement
Posted on October 21, 2021 at 12:49 PM by Kansas Department of Administration
| (A) Meal expense determination. Employees may be reimbursed for meal expense while in travel status. The allowed meals are based on the time in which the employee is in travel status. Meal allowances on the day of departure are reimbursed as follows: Time of departure Meals allowed
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| Unless a reduction is made for provided meals (paragraph 4301), employees are reimbursed for all three meals on days in travel status between the departure and returning days. Meal allowances on the day in which the employee returns to the official station or domicile are reimbursed as follows: |
| Time of return Meals allowed 12:01 A.M.-6:00 A.M. no meals allowed6:01 A.M.-12:00 Noon breakfast 12:01 P.M.-6:00 P.M. breakfast and lunch 6:01 P.M.-12:00 Midnight breakfast, lunch, and dinner
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| (B) Time adjustment when residing outside the official station. When an employee begins travel from his or her domicile located in an area other than the city designated as the employee's official station, the employee's actual departure time must be adjusted for excess travel time incurred. For reimbursement purposes, travel time begins from the employee's official station when it is closer to the destination. Likewise, if the employee returns directly to his or her domicile from the last point of official business, the employee's actual return time must be adjusted for excess travel time incurred for not returning to the official station. The departure and return times are adjusted as follows: When an employee begins travel from his or her domicile located in an area other than the city designated as the employee's official station, the employee's actual departure time must be adjusted for travel time incurred. For reimbursement purposes, travel time begins from the employee's official station when it is closer to the destination. Likewise, if the employee returns directly to his or her domicile from the last point of official business, the employee's actual return time must be adjusted for travel time incurred for not returning to the official station. The departure and return times are adjusted as follows: |
| 1. Departure time adjustment: |
| 2. Return time adjustment: For mileage reimbursement when residing outside the official station see paragraph 3100(D). |
| (C) Meal allowance rate. The meal allowance rates are as follows (includes all tips associated with meals): Out-of-state $11.25 $12.25 $23.50 Out-of-state high-cost $11.75 $13.25 $25.00 Out-of-state special designated $15.50 $17.00 $32.50 high-cost area International* $16.25* $17.25* $33.50* *or actual not to exceed $105 per day |
| A complete listing of Border Cities is provided in Appendix A and a complete listing of high-cost and special designated high-cost geographic areas is provided in Appendix B. See paragraph 4300 for information that may affect the meal allowance paid for travel to high-cost geographic areas. |
| (D) Exception to the meal allowance rate for international travel. Rather than reimburse employees using the meal allowance rate, agencies may pay meal allowance for international travel as follows: Rather than reimburse employees using the meal allowance rate, agencies may pay meal allowance for international travel as follows:International Travel: Actual expense incurred with a daily limitation of $105. Travelers may choose either the meal allowance rate or actual expense method of reimbursement. The reimbursement method selected must be used for the entire trip. A combination of methods is not allowed. If the actual expense method is selected, receipts must be available with the documentation for the travel expense report. |
| (E) Exception to the meal allowance rate for single day trips. The agency head or designee may authorize reimbursement to employees for one meal per day in the following circumstances when lodging expense is not incurred: (1) the employee is required to travel on official state business and the employee’s workday, including travel time, is extended three hours or more beyond the employee’s regularly scheduled work day; or (2) the employee is required to attend a conference or a meeting as an official guest or participant and a meal is served during the required attendance time. A meal cannot be reimbursed if the place at which the official business is conducted is within 30 miles of the employee’s official station or if a meal is provided at no cost to the employee. Each request for reimbursement shall identify the date, departure time, arrival time, destination, meal requested, and the purpose of travel. The meal requested for reimbursement (e.g., lunch) should be shown in the "Expense Type" field in SMART, as well as the employee’s scheduled work hours for the day (e.g., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) Receipts are not required and there is no provision to reimburse an employee if the actual cost of a meal exceeds the per-meal allowance rate. One breakfast, lunch or dinner may be paid, as determined by the agency head or designee, at the following per-meal allowance rates: The agency head or designee may authorize reimbursement to employees for one meal per day in the following circumstances when lodging expense is not incurred: (1) the employee is required to travel on official state business and the employee’s workday, including travel time, is extended three hours or more beyond the employee’s regularly scheduled work day; or (2) the employee is required to attend a conference or a meeting as an official guest or participant and a meal is served during the required attendance time. A meal cannot be reimbursed if the place at which the official business is conducted is within 30 miles of the employee’s official station or if a meal is provided at no cost to the employee. Each request for reimbursement shall identify the date, departure time, arrival time, destination, meal requested, and the purpose of travel. The meal requested for reimbursement (e.g., lunch) should be shown in the "Expense Type" field in SMART, as well as the employee’s scheduled work hours for the day (e.g., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) Receipts are not required and there is no provision to reimburse an employee if the actual cost of a meal exceeds the per-meal allowance rate. One breakfast, lunch or dinner may be paid, as determined by the agency head or designee, at the following per-meal allowance rates:
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| Area Breakfast Lunch Dinner In-state/border city $11.25 $12.25 $23.50Out-of-state $11.25 $12.25 $23.50 Out-of-state high-cost $11.75 $13.25 $25.00 Out-of-state special designated $15.50 $17.00 $32.50 high-cost area
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| Frequently asked questions regarding reimbursement of a meal without overnight travel can be found at http://www.da.ks.gov/ar/employee/travel/FaqMealReimburse.htm. |
| (References: K.A.R. 1-16-3c, 1-16-18, K.S.A. 75-3201, 75-3207, 75-3207a) |
