1. A. Applies to both in-state and out-of-state. State Sponsored Conferences: agencies must solicit three bona fide competitive quotes in accordance with the current Governor’s Small Purchase Executive Order.

   1. 1. Attendee Verification. All state sponsored conferences must have a sign-in sheet or some type of attendee acknowledgment to justify the number of meals charged.

   2. 2. Conference Lunch Allowance. Lunch directly billed to an agency in conjunction with a state sponsored conference shall not exceed the combined breakfast and lunch rates of the conference location. Any gratuity not required by the caterer must not exceed 20 percent of the total meal cost.

      Example: If the GSA meal rates for New Orleans are $17 for breakfast and $18 for lunch, the conference lunch allowance will be $35.

   3. 3. Breakfast and dinner require approval from the Commissioner of Administration. Approvals for higher education entities can be made by the entity head or his/her designee.
   4. 4. Conference Refreshment Allowance. Cost for break allowances for meetings, conferences, or conventions are not to exceed $5.50 per person. Refreshments are allowed twice per day, morning and afternoon. Gratuity may be added if refreshments are being catered.
   5. 5. Conference Lodging Allowances. Conference lodging rates should be within the published PPM 49 lodging rates for the conference location but cannot exceed 50 percent over the published rate without prior approval from the Commissioner of Administration.

Authority Note

AUTHORITY NOTE: Published in accordance with R.S. 39:231.

Historical Note

HISTORICAL NOTE: Written by the Office of the Governor, Division of Administration, November 1, 1972, published LR 1:179 (April 1975), amended LR 1:338 (August 1975), LR 2:312 (October 1976), LR 5:93 (May 1979), LR 6:405 (August 1980), LR 7:7 (January 1981), LR 8:406 (August 1982), LR 15:820 (October 1989), LR 16:965 (November 1990), LR 26:1256 (June 2000), LR 27:807 (June 2001), republished LR 27:1495 (September 2001), LR 28:1130 (June 2002), LR 30:1116 (June 2004), LR 31:1191 (June 2005), LR 32:941 (June 2006), republished LR 33:1323 (July 2007), amended LR 34:1308 (July 2008), LR 35:1201 (July 2009), LR 36:1657 (July 2010), LR 37:2058 (July 2011), LR 38:1485, (July 2012), LR 39:1669 (July 2013), LR 40:1062 (June 2014), LR 41:1054 (June 2015), LR 42:993 (July 2016), LR 43:1122 (June 2017), LR 44:1186 (June 2018), LR 45:824 (June 2019), LR 46:853 (June 2020), LR 47:827 (June 2021), LR 47:1064 (July 2021), LR 48:1456 (June 2022), LR 48:2525 (October 2022), LR 49:1022 (June 2023), LR 51:764 (June 2025), effective July 1, 2025, LR 52:000 (June 2026), effective July 1, 2026.