Revision Date: 04/17/2026
Last Review: 04/17/2026
Responsible Office: Comptroller’s Office
Reference: PPM 49 State of Louisiana General Travel Regulations
Policy:
Travel Policy
All Louisiana Tech University faculty and staff traveling on official business are governed by the general travel regulations of the State of Louisiana, Division of Administration, Policy and Procedure Memorandum No. 49 (PPM 49), located on the Louisiana Office of State Travel web site at https://www.doa.la.gov/doa/ost/. Links to PPM 49 are also located on the Comptroller’s webpage at https://www.latech.edu/administration/finance/comptroller/travel.php
Travel Approvals
All Louisiana Tech University faculty and staff travel must be approved in advance by the employee’s department head, dean, the appropriate vice president, and the President or his designee. Travel approvals should be processed in Workday using the spend authorization business process. The Business Purpose field in the Spend Authorization should be selected to match the purpose of travel as closely as possible, and the “Description” field should be used to further clarify as needed.
Approval for International Travel
All requests for international travel must be approved by the University President or his designee. International travel is defined as all travel to destinations outside the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and Saipan. In order to obtain approval, a memorandum requesting permission for travel outside the continental United States must be attached to the spend authorization in Workday. A complete explanation of the purpose of the travel must be provided. The spend authorization must include the details of anticipated expenditures and the source of funding. Under no circumstances shall travel be initiated before the final approval is obtained.
Travel to Adversarial Countries
Official travel to countries designated as “adversarial” according to 15 CFR Section 7.4 (at present, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela) is subject to provisions of Louisiana Revised Statute LRS 17:1826.4), including review and acknowledgement of guidance “which relates to countries under sanctions or other restrictions imposed by the state or federal government, including any federal license requirement; customs rules; export controls; restrictions on taking institution property, including intellectual property, abroad; restrictions on presentations, teaching, and interactions with foreign colleagues; and other subjects important to the research and academic integrity of the institution.”
In addition, after the travel is completed, the traveler is required to
- report any gifts of funds or promises to pay offered by a foreign adversary or any entity representing the interests of a foreign adversary,
- report payments and honoraria received during the travel and activities, including for transportation, food, and lodging.
The University is required to submit an annual report of all employment-related travel requests and approvals to foreign adversary countries including expense reimbursements for transportation, food, and lodging.
Claims for Reimbursement
All claims for reimbursement for travel must be submitted on an expense report in Workday. Supporting documentation must be attached including, but not limited to, a conference agenda for conference travel, or a memo explaining the activities undertaken for other types of travel. An expense report should be submitted immediately upon return from travel. Travel reimbursements must be requested and recorded during the fiscal year the travel occurred.
The traveler is responsible for ensuring that the travel expense report accurately reflects the travel dates, and the reimbursement requests conform to the provisions of PPM 49. If a processed expense report results in an overpayment to the traveler, the excess amount should be reimbursed to the Comptroller (Cashier’s window) within 30 days of discovery or being notified. The repayment should be accompanied by information as to the account(s) from which the overpayment was paid.
Use of Motor Vehicles and the Driver Safety Program
All faculty, staff, and students traveling on official business must complete the Driver Safety program. Employees of the University will be allowed to and are certified to operate state or state-leased vehicles. Employees may also elect to use their personal vehicle with limited reimbursement. Students not employed by the University may be certified to utilize a personal vehicle when it is the best and/or only method of transportation available.
Additional information regarding the Driver Safety program is located in Policy 4209: Driver Safety Program and Vehicle Operation and Maintenance and on the Environmental Health and Safety webpage located at https://www.latech.edu/administration/administration-facilities/environmental-health-safety/.
Non-Employee Travel in Motor Vehicles
Travelers who are not employees of the State of Louisiana are not authorized to drive state-owned or state-rented vehicle unless deemed an “authorized traveler” by the President or his/her designee during the approval of the spend authorization.
Anyone who is not an employee of the State of Louisiana must sign the Acknowledgement of Non-State Employees Utilizing State Vehicles form, located on the Comptroller’s Office travel webpage at https://www.latech.edu/administration/finance/comptroller/travel.php and on the Office of State Travel’s website, https://www.doa.la.gov/media/jcfji2il/nse-acknowledgement.pdf , prior to riding in or driving a state-owned or state-rented vehicle.
Travel-related Resources
Travel-related resources including the annual travel guide update, links to Office of Travel website and PPM 49, the hotel exemption form, vehicle rentals, the state liability travel card program, frequently asked questions, and other relevant information are located on the Comptroller’s travel webpage at https://www.latech.edu/administration/finance/comptroller/travel.php
Definitions:
Not Applicable.
Procedures:
Not Applicable.