General Policy

ITRC provides travel cost reimbursement for ITRC events, conferences, and other approved meetings for the following membership areas: state, public/tribal/emeritus stakeholders, and academia. All travelers must be pre-approved in order to be eligible for reimbursement. Travel costs include but are not limited to airfare, meals, and incidentals at per diem rates, applicable registration fees, and lodging. Travel reimbursement is provided by ITRC according to federal guidelines, as well as ITRC's Travel Policy.

All individual reimbursement claims must be emailed to Evan Madden and Devin Seckar within 30 days of the completion of travel; ITRC will not reimburse claims submitted later than 30 days. Click the button above to download ITRC's Reimbursement Form. 

Traveling to an ITRC Meeting or Event?

ITRC Team Members must seek approval from Team Leadership to travel to ITRC Team Meetings and Events. Once approved by the team to travel, all individuals must submit travel estimates to the team's Program Advisor for review and approval from ITRC. ITRC travelers are expected to refer to the team's Logistics Sheet for each travel event for important information. Reach out to your Team Program Advisor to begin this process. 

Traveling to a Non-ITRC Meeting or Event?

ITRC members that wish to travel to a non-ITRC event must complete an Outreach Request Form to be eligible for reimbursement. ITRC staff will review each request in accordance with our Outreach Guidance and get back to the individual within two to four business days on the status of their request. 

Important Things to Note:

• ITRC's travel budget is limited; please consider all cost-saving measures.
• No more than 3 travelers from any one state will be reimbursed.
• Original receipts for all expenses of $25 or greater must be submitted electronically with the reimbursement claim (excluding meal receipts, see Per Diem (M&IE) section below for more details).
• Approved travelers must make every attempt to purchase their airline ticket as early as possible and to obtain the lowest available airfare. When determining the lowest airfare, costs will be compared among all applicable airlines. Pre-approval from the ITRC Director is required for any airfare above $700.00.
• Local travel (e.g., transportation from the airport to the hotel/meeting and vice versa) must be less than $50 each way. If more than $50, you must show justification that it was the best option for yourself and ITRC.
• Vehicle travel (transportation to and from the meeting with a personal or rental car) must be justified as a less expensive method of travel prior to approval. Total mileage claims of 100 miles or greater must be accompanied by proof of itinerary that shows starting point, ending point, and total miles of the trip.

Reimbursement Request Requirements

• Airfare: ITRC will reimburse travelers for non-refundable coach airfare tickets (including one carry-on bag and seat selection when purchasing your ticket).  Preapproval from the ITRC Director is required for airfare exceeding $700 and must be requested at least 2 weeks prior to the travel date.
  • ITRC will not reimburse travelers for upgraded amenities (e.g., extra legroom, exit row, priority boarding, more than one checked bag).
  • Acceptable airfare receipts include email confirmation receipts, the customer's copy of the ticket, or a paid airline invoice (must reflect the traveler's name, the dates, and destinations of travel, and the total costs paid).
• Personal Vehicle Expenses: Pre-approval from the ITRC Director must be requested at least 2 weeks prior to travel for car mileage claims totaling 600 miles or more roundtrip. A cost estimate must be submitted prior to pre-approval that shows cost savings to ITRC of driving vs. flying.
  • The cost estimate must include mileage costs and parking as well as airline quotes from various airlines and associated air travel costs.
• Rental Car: Pre-approval from the ITRC Director is required for reimbursement of rental car charges. Pre-approval and reimbursement will only be provided in cases where the cost of taxis/shuttles would exceed the cost of a rental car or in other mitigating circumstances. A cost comparison must be submitted prior to pre-approval showing rental car charges (gas and parking, etc.) as compared to the cost of taxis/shuttles.
  • ITRC cannot reimburse state vehicle mileage or gas.
• Lodging: Hotel arrangements will be at the best available government, convention, or corporate rate provided by hotels and must be supported by a complete hotel receipt that itemizes the daily rate, taxes, and room-night usage claimed by the traveler (credit card receipts, etc., that do not reflect this itemized information are not acceptable substitutes).
  • In cases where ITRC has established a special room block and meeting rate at or near the meeting location (or at an overflow hotel), those facilities must be used, and their contracted rate will be the maximum amount of lodging costs reimbursable to an individual. ITRC reserves the right to limit reimbursement to either the government rate or contract rate in any case where the traveler pays a higher rate for his/her hotel room.
  • Travelers will only be reimbursed for the number of travel days/hotel nights indicated in the ITRC announcement of the sponsored event. Should the traveler have an individual requirement for additional days/nights based on travel distance, inadequate flight schedules, etc., it is their responsibility to contact the ITRC Director and resolve the matter prior to travel.
• Parking (Airport, Train Station, & Hotel): ITRC will reimburse for the cost of economy parking lots or standard weekly or long-term airport or rail station parking costs.
  • For hotel parking, ITRC will reimburse up to the full cost of self-parking. If self-park is not available, ITRC will reimburse the full cost of valet parking.
  • A receipt is required when the total cost of the parking exceeds $25, regardless of the daily rate.
• Per Diem (M&IE): Hotel, meal, and incidental charges (tips) must be within the federal per diem rates. Federal per diem rates are an allowance for lodging (excluding taxes), meals, and related incidental expenses. Claims for meals will not be reimbursed when a meal is provided by ITRC or at a sponsored event.
• Cancellation of Trip: If a traveler is unable to travel once airline tickets have been purchased or hotel reservations are nonrefundable, the traveler is responsible for cancelling all reservations and informing ITRC staff. If the cancellation is due to a last-minute supervisor's decision or a personal emergency, the traveler may be reimbursed for the airfare cancellation fee and one night's hotel charges. If a traveler does not cancel the reservations, they will not be reimbursed by ITRC.
• Disabilities/special needs: Reasonable upgraded accommodations for any point of travel (e.g., on a plane or in a hotel) may be used due to a medical disability or special need. Reasonable accommodations can be accounted for only when there are no free, alternative means to accommodate the traveler's needs. In order to qualify for reimbursement, the disability or special need must be certified by a medical authority (e.g., a licensed medical practitioner) and approved by the ITRC Director before the accommodation/upgrade is purchased.

Non-Reimbursable Items

ITRC will not reimburse travelers for the following items:

• Personal items, alcoholic beverages, ATM fees, entertainment, or pay-TV services
• Additional cost for upgraded (i.e., extra leg room, exit row), business or first-class tickets
• Travel Insurance
• Travel agency fees if not required by state agency
• Airfare if miles were used to pay for the flight
• A 2nd checked bag
• Tips (note: $5 is included within your Per Diem for this)