Fiscal Operations Manual
Section 411: Travel
Effective: 02/01/1982
Revised: 01/10/2013

Prior to departure, the traveler must contact the appropriate Business Center regarding the applicable policy for lodging expenses. Unit policy for lodging may be based on either approved lodging per diem or actual lodging receipts and must be applied to all travelers from the same unit.

Lodging Per Diem – Submission of lodging receipts to substantiate the expense is not required.  Lodging per diem is determined by the traveler’s lodging location. For the day the traveler leaves on a trip, the per diem rate specified for where the traveler will spend the night is used. When there is more than one lodging location during the trip, use the specified rate for where the traveler will spend the night. For the day the traveler returns from the trip, the per diem rate specified for the last location where the traveler stayed overnight is used.

Actual Lodging Receipts – Travelers must submit a valid lodging receipt obtained from the lodging establishment to receive reimbursement. For the Portland Metropolitan Area, lodging will be reimbursed at actual and reasonable cost only – per diem will not be applicable. Some hotels and motels offer reduced rates for government employees.  However, those rates may not be within the per diem rate. The excess amount of room rate over the allowed per diem rate will not be paid, regardless of funding source. For group travel, the room rate may be calculated by total room costs divided by total number of travelers (itemized receipts and a rooming list are required). Lodging taxes are considered Miscellaneous Expenses.

Conference Lodging - Actual and reasonable lodging expenses over the allowable lodging per diem rate are reimbursed as a conference lodging exception when documentation is provided.  Appropriate documentation regarding the conference lodging rate should include a copy of conference registration information showing location, dates of conference, conference hotel(s), and single room rate. If registration materials are not available from the traveler or the conference website, the head of the department should sign and date a statement specifying that the event meets the criteria for a “conference exception”.  The statement must also include a brief description of the event, the agenda, the date(s), location, attendees, and the single room lodging rate.  This statement must accompany each attending employee’s travel reimbursement request and will be retained for audit. Lodging taxes are included under Miscellaneous Expenses.

Non-Commercial Lodging - Travelers utilizing non-commercial lodging facilities (e.g.: travel trailer, motor home, staying with family members or friends) are provided a daily payment of $25.00 regardless of duration or location.

Lodging Rates for travel to and within the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, are the OUS approved rates as shown in the Section .710 Summary of Travel and Transportation Rates under OUS 95.100 Travel and Transportation Administration and Expenses. For travel to or within Alaska and Hawaii, the OSU Lodging and Meal & Incidental Expense per diem rates equal the federal rate using the Federal Specific Locality Table.

Room taxes are not included in the lodging per diem rate for domestic travel; however, room taxes are included in foreign per diem rates. Report room taxes separately in “Other Expenses” on the OSU Travel Reimbursement Request.