SECTION 20.411. State Agency Reimbursement and Reporting

(a) State agency officials and employees shall adhere to applicable laws and the regulations and guidelines of the comptroller governing travel vouchers.

(b) Reimbursement for Travel Expenses. State agencies shall not approve and the comptroller shall not pay travel vouchers for services at rates higher than contract rates, unless an exception in §20.408 of this title (relating to Exceptions to the Use of Contract Travel Services) or §20.409 of this title (relating to State Agency Contracts and Requests for Exceptions) applies. Travel vouchers submitted for reimbursement shall indicate the claimed exception in a manner prescribed by the comptroller.

(c) Audits. The comptroller may conduct pre-payment and post-payment audits of travel reimbursement requests; the audits may include a review of the propriety of claimed exceptions from the use of contract travel services.

(d) False claims for reimbursement. All claims for travel reimbursement are subject to Government Code, §403.071 relating to claims and available money. Any person who knowingly makes a false claim against the state is subject to the penalties in Government Code, §403.071(f) and other applicable laws.

Source Note: The provisions of this §20.411 adopted to be effective January 24, 2017, 42 TexReg 237; amended to be effective December 20, 2023, 48 TexReg 7615