1. (a) Chapter 19 funds may be used to pay travel expenses incurred by the voter registrar and full-time permanent voter registration staffers to attend voter registration seminars and demonstrations. Chapter 19 funds cannot be used to reimburse fully a trip by the voter registrar, unless the purpose of the trip is exclusively related to voter registration. If a voter registrar wishes to travel to a seminar or meeting in which voter registration is not the only topic, the Agency will determine the appropriate portion of the trip expenses that are reimbursable pursuant to Chapter 19 and reimburse the registrar accordingly.
2. (b) All voter registrars who seek reimbursement from Chapter 19 funds should plan their travel to achieve maximum economy and efficiency. A comparison should be made between different modes of travel for the lowest and most economical option. All trips which include reimbursable travel must receive prior written approval from the Agency. An electronic travel request through the web-based application must state the purpose of the trip, itinerary, mode of transportation, and estimated expenses. A Chapter 19 Electronic Travel Request, prescribed by the Agency, and Chapter 19 Purchase Request must be submitted for each traveler within 30 days of the completion of travel. Travel reimbursement requests must include attached receipts for airfare, rental cars, lodging, seminar registration fees, and miscellaneous expenses. Chapter 19 funds will not cover expenses for valet parking or alcohol. Travel advances will be approved, if at all, on a case-by-case basis. Travel advance funding will not be made for meals, hotel taxes or miscellaneous expenses. Travel advance requests must be submitted through the web-based application in the form of a travel request and include a Chapter 19 Purchase Request for each traveler. No further Chapter 19 Purchase Request will be processed until the final accounting of any advanced travel is received.
3. (c) Chapter 19 travelers must obtain the lowest cost airfare. Under no circumstances will the amount of a first class ticket be paid with Chapter 19 funds. Voter registrars are to share rental cars whenever practicable. The Agency must give prior approval for the use of a rental car and the voter registrar must make a proper deduction or reimbursement whenever there is personal use of a rental car. The rental of luxury cars will be disallowed, except in special circumstances requiring the use of large cars, i.e., several employees traveling together. Travel by personal car is reimbursable at the rate set in the State of Texas Travel Allowance Guide (the "Guide") per mile with mileage computed using the originating county seat as the departure point and computing final mileage using the Official State Mileage Guide. Travel by personal car is reimbursable as long as it is less than airfare to the same destination. If more than one person is traveling to the same destination by personally owned automobile, the travelers are to ride together in a single automobile if practicable.
4. (d) Voter registrars who seek reimbursement from Chapter 19 funds for a trip with a final destination within Texas will receive the actual cost of lodging and meals, but such rates may not exceed the rates set by the Guide. Voter registrars who seek reimbursement from Chapter 19 funds for a trip with a final destination outside Texas will receive the actual cost of lodging and meals not to exceed the out-of-state meals and lodging rates set by the Comptroller of Public Accounts for that location. The out-of-state rate for a city is available from the Comptroller of Public Accounts or the Agency. The voter registrar must be away from his or her home county for at least six consecutive hours to qualify for the partial per diem allowed by the Guide. When requesting Chapter 19 reimbursement, the voter registrar must submit receipts for lodging, airfare, and miscellaneous expenses with the electronic submission of the Chapter 19 Purchase and Travel Request. Amounts in excess of the maximum amounts allowed by the Travel Guide will not be reimbursed. A Meal Itemization Worksheet, prescribed by the Agency, must be entered showing actual costs of meals and signed by each traveler requesting reimbursement as an attachment to your electronic submission. Receipts for such meal costs are not required to be attached. Texas Government Code, §2113.101, prohibits reimbursement for the purchase of alcoholic beverages, gratuities, and tips.

Source Note:The provisions of this §81.23 adopted to be effective October 1, 1995, 20 TexReg 7277; amended to be effective January 3, 2007, 31 TexReg 10755.