1. (a) Except as provided by this section, the Secretary of State shall reimburse from the state primary fund, the actual travel expenses for the county chair or the county chair's designee to attend the Secretary of State's Election Law Seminar for County Chairs. (The Secretary of State shall provide travel reimbursement forms at the seminar.)

2. (b) The Secretary of State shall reimburse the county chair or the county chair's designee for:

   1. (1) mileage (if driving personal vehicle);
   2. (2) airfare (coach only);
   3. (3) airport transfers;
   4. (4) airport parking;
   5. (5) lodging; and
   6. (6) any other reasonable expenses related to an individual's attendance at the Election Law Seminar for County Chairs.
3. (c) The Secretary of State shall use the Official State Mileage Guide to determine distances traveled to attend the Election Law Seminar for County Chairs. The Secretary of State shall reimburse mileage claims based on $0.485 per mile from the county seat.
4. (d) The Secretary of State shall reimburse actual lodging expenses in an amount not to exceed $85 per day, plus applicable taxes.
5. (e) As provided by the Texas General Appropriations Act, the Secretary of State shall not make reimbursements for gratuities or tips.
6. (f) The county chair or the chair's designee must submit actual receipts to the Secretary of State in order to be reimbursed for airfare, lodging, parking, or airport transfers.
7. (g) The Secretary of State shall make all travel reimbursement warrants payable to the county chair no later than 60 days after the seminar. If a request for reimbursement is submitted after this date, the Office of the Secretary of State shall deny the request.

Source Note:The provisions of this §81.126 adopted to be effective November 18, 2003, 28 TexReg 10201; amended to be effective November 27, 2005, 30 TexReg 7719; amended to be effective December 9, 2007, 32 TexReg 9105.