1. (a) For official travel to and from, or within, any designated high-cost geographic area in which the traveler is required to sleep away from home, the applicable subsistence allowance rate for that designated high-cost geographic area may be paid. However, reimbursement on this basis shall not be allowable if the area is only an intermediate stopover at which no official duty is performed or if the subsistence expenses incurred relate to relocation, to travel to seek residence quarters, or to travel to report to a new permanent duty station or to temporary quarters.

2. (b) Reimbursement for travel in designated high-cost geographic areas shall be at the prescribed designated high-cost geographic area rate, unless the agency establishes a reduced rate as provided in K.A.R. 1-16-15. If an out-of-state trip is to two or more destination cities with different subsistence allowance rates, the subsistence allowance rate shall change subject to and on application of the appropriate meals allowance as determined by the time of arrival at the second destination city.

   1. (cv) (1) If an employee is required or authorized to attend a conference, the agency head or the agency head's designee may approve reimbursement or direct payment of actual lodging expenses. Before the date of travel, the employee shall submit to the agency head or the agency head's designee conference materials indicating that the conference will be held at or in connection with a lodging establishment with rates exceeding both the applicable lodging expense limitation established under K.A.R. 1-16-18 and the exception provided in K.S.A. 75-3207a, and amendments thereto.

      1. (2) The reimbursement or direct payment of actual lodging expenses shall be effective for the approved conference and for official state business related to the conference and shall be applicable only to the state employee attending the conference.
      2. (3) For purposes of this regulation, the term "conference" shall mean any seminar, association meeting, clinic, colloquium, convention, symposium, or similar gathering that is attended by a state employee in pursuit of a goal, obligation, function, or duty imposed upon a state agency or performed on behalf of a state agency.

(Authorized by and implementing K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 75-3207a; effective, E-80-10, July 11, 1979; effective May 1, 1980; amended May 1, 1981; amended, E-82-14, July 1, 1981; amended May 1, 1982; amended, T-84-20, July 26, 1983; amended May 1, 1984; amended May 1, 1985; amended, T-87-26, Oct. 1, 1986; amended May 1, 1987; amended, T-89-1, Jan. 7, 1988; amended Oct. 1, 1988; amended July 1, 1990; amended, T-1-1-1-93, Jan. 1, 1993; amended Feb. 22, 1993; amended April 1, 1996; amended July 1, 1998; amended July 1, 1999; amended July 1, 2010; amended Feb. 5, 2016.)