(2) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section, the term:(a) “Agency” or “public agency” means any office, department, agency, division, subdivision, political subdivision, board, bureau, commission, authority, district, public body, body politic, county, city, town, village, municipality, or any other separate unit of government created pursuant to law.
(b) “Agency head” or “head of the agency” means the highest policymaking authority of a public agency, as herein defined.
(c) “Authorized person” means:1. A person other than a public officer or employee as defined herein, whether elected or commissioned or not, who is authorized by an agency head to incur travel expenses in the performance of official duties.
2. A person who is called upon by an agency to contribute time and services as consultant or adviser.
3. A person who is a candidate for an executive or professional position.
(d) “Class A travel” means continuous travel of 24 hours or more away from official headquarters.
(e) “Class B travel” means continuous travel of less than 24 hours which involves overnight absence from official headquarters.
(f) “Class C travel” means travel for short or day trips where the traveler is not away from his or her official headquarters overnight.
(g) “Common carrier” means train, bus, commercial airline operating scheduled flights, or rental cars of an established rental car firm.
(h) “Employee” or “public employee” means an individual, whether commissioned or not, other than an officer or authorized person as defined herein, who is filling a regular or full-time authorized position and is responsible to an agency head.
(i) “Foreign travel” means travel outside the United States.
(j) “Officer” or “public officer” means an individual who in the performance of his or her official duties is vested by law with sovereign powers of government and who is either elected by the people, or commissioned by the Governor and has jurisdiction extending throughout the state, or any person lawfully serving instead of either of the foregoing two classes of individuals as initial designee or successor.
(k) “Travel day” means a period of 24 hours consisting of four quarters of 6 hours each.
(l) “Travel expense,” “traveling expenses,” “necessary expenses while traveling,” “actual expenses while traveling,” or words of similar nature mean the usual ordinary and incidental expenditures necessarily incurred by a traveler.
(m) “Travel period” means a period of time between the time of departure and time of return.
(n) “Traveler” means a public officer, public employee, or authorized person, when performing authorized travel.
(3) AUTHORITY TO INCUR TRAVEL EXPENSES.—(a) All travel must be authorized and approved by the head of the agency, or his or her designated representative, from whose funds the traveler is paid. The head of the agency shall not authorize or approve such a request unless it is accompanied by a signed statement by the traveler’s supervisor stating that such travel is on the official business of the state and also stating the purpose of such travel.
(b) Travel expenses of travelers shall be limited to those expenses necessarily incurred by them in the performance of a public purpose authorized by law to be performed by the agency and must be within the limitations prescribed by this section.
(c) Travel by public officers or employees serving temporarily in behalf of another agency or partly in behalf of more than one agency at the same time, or authorized persons who are called upon to contribute time and services as consultants or advisers, may be authorized by the agency head. Complete explanation and justification must be shown on the travel expense voucher or attached thereto.
(d) Travel expenses of public employees for the sole purpose of taking merit system or other job placement examinations, written or oral, shall not be allowed under any circumstances, except that upon prior written approval of the agency head or his or her designee, candidates for executive or professional positions may be allowed travel expenses pursuant to this section.
(e) Travel expenses of public officers or employees for the purpose of implementing, organizing, directing, coordinating, or administering, or supporting the implementation, organization, direction, coordination, or administration of, activities related to or involving travel to a terrorist state shall not be allowed under any circumstances. For purposes of this section, “terrorist state” is defined as any state, country, or nation designated by the United States Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism.
(f) The agency head, or a designated representative, may pay by advancement or reimbursement, or a combination thereof, the costs of per diem of travelers for foreign travel at the current rates as specified in the federal publication “Standardized Regulations (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas)” and incidental expenses as provided in this section.
(g) A traveler who becomes sick or injured while away from his or her official headquarters and is therefore unable to perform the official business of the agency may continue to receive subsistence as provided in subsection (6) during this period of illness or injury until such time as he or she is able to perform the official business of the agency or returns to his or her official headquarters, whichever is earlier. Such subsistence may be paid when approved by the agency head or his or her designee.
(h) The State Surgeon General or a designee may authorize travel expenses incidental to the rendering of medical services for and on behalf of clients of the Department of Health. The Department of Health may establish rates lower than the rate provided in this section for these travel expenses.
(i) The head of a law enforcement agency may authorize travel expenses for an employee of the agency whose duties are those of a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(1), to attend a funeral service within the state of a law enforcement officer who was killed in the line of duty. (4) OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS.—The official headquarters of an officer or employee assigned to an office shall be the city or town in which the office is located except that:(a) The official headquarters of a person located in the field shall be the city or town nearest to the area where the majority of the person’s work is performed, or such other city, town, or area as may be designated by the agency head provided that in all cases such designation must be in the best interests of the agency and not for the convenience of the person.
(b) When any state employee is stationed in any city or town for a period of over 30 continuous workdays, such city or town shall be deemed to be the employee’s official headquarters, and he or she shall not be allowed per diem or subsistence, as provided in this section, after the said period of 30 continuous workdays has elapsed, unless this period of time is extended by the express approval of the agency head or his or her designee.
(c) A traveler may leave his or her assigned post to return home overnight, over a weekend, or during a holiday, but any time lost from regular duties shall be taken as annual leave and authorized in the usual manner. The traveler shall not be reimbursed for travel expenses in excess of the established rate for per diem allowable had he or she remained at his or her assigned post. However, when a traveler has been temporarily assigned away from his or her official headquarters for an approved period extending beyond 30 days, he or she shall be entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses at the established rate of one round trip for each 30-day period actually taken to his or her home in addition to pay and allowances otherwise provided.
775.082 or s. 775.083. Whoever shall receive an allowance or reimbursement by means of a false claim shall be civilly liable in the amount of the overpayment for the reimbursement of the public fund from which the claim was paid. (11) TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AND VOUCHER FORMS.—(a) Authorization forms.—The Department of Financial Services shall furnish a uniform travel authorization request form which shall be used by all state officers, employees, and authorized persons when requesting approval for the performance of travel to a convention or conference. The form shall include, but not be limited to, provision for the name of each traveler, purpose of travel, period of travel, estimated cost to the state, and a statement of benefits accruing to the state by virtue of such travel. A copy of the program or agenda of the convention or conference, itemizing registration fees and any meals or lodging included in the registration fee, shall be attached to, and filed with, the copy of the travel authorization request form on file with the agency. The form shall be signed by the traveler and by the traveler’s supervisor stating that the travel is to be incurred in connection with official business of the state. The head of the agency or his or her designated representative shall not authorize or approve such request in the absence of the appropriate signatures. A copy of the travel authorization form shall be attached to, and become a part of, the support of the agency’s copy of the travel voucher.
(b) Voucher forms.—1. The Department of Financial Services shall furnish a uniform travel voucher form which shall be used by all state officers, employees, and authorized persons when submitting travel expense statements for approval and payment. No travel expense statement shall be approved for payment by the Chief Financial Officer unless made on the form prescribed and furnished by the department. The travel voucher form shall provide for, among other things, the purpose of the official travel and a certification or affirmation, to be signed by the traveler, indicating the truth and correctness of the claim in every material matter, that the travel expenses were actually incurred by the traveler as necessary in the performance of official duties, that per diem claimed has been appropriately reduced for any meals or lodging included in the convention or conference registration fees claimed by the traveler, and that the voucher conforms in every respect with the requirements of this section. The original copy of the executed uniform travel authorization request form shall be attached to the uniform travel voucher on file with the respective agency.
2. Statements for travel expenses incidental to the rendering of medical services for and on behalf of clients of the Department of Health shall be on forms approved by the Department of Financial Services.
(12) ADVANCEMENTS.—Notwithstanding any of the foregoing restrictions and limitations, an agency head or his or her designee may make, or authorize the making of, advances to cover anticipated costs of travel to travelers. Such advancements may include the costs of subsistence and travel of any person transported in the care or custody of the traveler in the performance of his or her duties.
(13) DIRECT PAYMENT OF EXPENSES BY AGENCY.—Whenever an agency requires an employee to incur either Class A or Class B travel on emergency notice to the traveler, such traveler may request the agency to pay his or her expenses for meals and lodging directly to the vendor, and the agency may pay the vendor the actual expenses for meals and lodging during the travel period, limited to an amount not to exceed that authorized pursuant to this section. In emergency situations, the agency head or his or her designee may authorize an increase in the amount paid for a specific meal, provided that the total daily cost of meals does not exceed the total amount authorized for meals each day. The agency head or his or her designee may also grant prior approval for a state agency to make direct payments of travel expenses in other situations that result in cost savings to the state, and such cost savings shall be documented in the voucher submitted to the Chief Financial Officer for the direct payment of travel expenses. The provisions of this subsection shall not be deemed to apply to any legislator or to any employee of the Legislature.
(14) APPLICABILITY TO COUNTIES, COUNTY OFFICERS, DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARDS, SPECIAL DISTRICTS, AND METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS.—(a) The following entities may establish rates that vary from the per diem rate provided in paragraph (6)(a), the subsistence rates provided in paragraph (6)(b), or the mileage rate provided in paragraph (7)(d) if those rates are not less than the statutorily established rates that are in effect for the 2005-2006 fiscal year:1. The governing body of a county by the enactment of an ordinance or resolution;
2. A county constitutional officer, pursuant to s. 1(d), Art. VIII of the State Constitution, by the establishment of written policy;
3. The governing body of a district school board by the adoption of rules;
4. The governing body of a special district, as defined in s. 189.012, except those special districts that are subject to s. 166.021(9), by the enactment of a resolution; or 5. Any metropolitan planning organization created pursuant to s. 339.175 or any other separate legal or administrative entity created pursuant to s. 339.175 of which a metropolitan planning organization is a member, by the enactment of a resolution. (b) Rates established pursuant to paragraph (a) must apply uniformly to all travel by the county, county constitutional officer and entity governed by that officer, district school board, special district, or metropolitan planning organization.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, counties, county constitutional officers and entities governed by those officers, district school boards, special districts, and metropolitan planning organizations, other than those subject to s. 166.021(9), remain subject to the requirements of this section. (15) CLASS C TRAVEL.—Moneys appropriated from the State Treasury may not be used to pay per diem or subsistence related to Class C travel.
(16) STATEWIDE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.—(a) For purposes of this subsection, “statewide travel management system” means the system developed by the Department of Management Services to:1. Collect and store information relating to public officer or employee travel information;
2. Standardize and automate agency travel management;
3. Allow for travel planning and approval, expense reporting, and reimbursement; and
4. Allow travel information queries.
(b) Each executive branch state government agency and the judicial branch must report on the statewide travel management system all public officer and employee travel information, including, but not limited to, name and position title; purpose of travel; dates and location of travel; mode of travel; confirmation from the head of the agency or designee authorization, if required; and total travel cost. Each executive branch state government agency and the judicial branch must use the statewide travel management system for purposes of travel authorization and reimbursement.
(c) Travel reports made available on the statewide travel management system may not reveal information made confidential or exempt by law.
History.—ss. 1, 3, ch. 22830, 1945; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 23892, 1947; ss. 1, 3, ch. 25040, 1949; ss. 1, 3, ch. 26910, 1951; s. 1, ch. 28303, 1953; s. 1, ch. 29628, 1955; s. 1, ch. 57-230; s. 1, ch. 61-183; s. 1, ch. 61-43; s. 1, ch. 63-5; s. 1, ch. 63-192; s. 1, ch. 63-122; s. 1, ch. 63-400; ss. 2, 3, ch. 67-371; ss. 1, 2, ch. 67-2206; s. 1, ch. 69-193; s. 1, ch. 69-381; ss. 12, 23, 31, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 65, ch. 71-136; s. 1, ch. 72-213; s. 1, ch. 72-217; s. 1, ch. 72-324; s. 26, ch. 72-404; s. 1, ch. 73-169; s. 1, ch. 74-15; s. 1, ch. 74-246; s. 1, ch. 74-365; ss. 1, 2, ch. 75-33; s. 1, ch. 76-166; s. 2, ch. 76-208; ss. 1, 2, ch. 76-250; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 77-231; ss. 1, 2, ch. 77-437; s. 2, ch. 78-95; s. 51, ch. 79-190; s. 1, ch. 79-205; s. 1, ch. 79-303; s. 1, ch. 79-412; ss. 1, 2, ch. 81-207; ss. 1, 2, ch. 83-307; s. 1, ch. 85-140; s. 1, ch. 87-407; s. 4, ch. 88-235; s. 12, ch. 89-291; s. 18, ch. 91-45; s. 1, ch. 94-139; s. 1403, ch. 95-147; s. 26, ch. 95-312; s. 5, ch. 96-310; s. 43, ch. 96-399; s. 23, ch. 98-136; s. 9, ch. 99-8; s. 7, ch. 99-155; s. 16, ch. 99-399; ss. 48, 53, ch. 2001-254; ss. 46, 79, ch. 2002-402; s. 2, ch. 2003-125; s. 123, ch. 2003-261; s. 49, ch. 2003-399; s. 5, ch. 2004-5; s. 32, ch. 2004-269; s. 23, ch. 2005-71; s. 12, ch. 2006-1; s. 6, ch. 2006-18; ss. 14, 53, ch. 2006-26; s. 1, ch. 2006-41; s. 3, ch. 2006-54; s. 2, ch. 2007-196; s. 6, ch. 2008-6; s. 13, ch. 2008-153; s. 2, ch. 2010-4; s. 4, ch. 2011-143; s. 58, ch. 2014-22; s. 103, ch. 2019-116; s. 6, ch. 2019-118; s. 95, ch. 2020-114; s. 56, ch. 2021-37; s. 82, ch. 2022-157; s. 32, ch. 2023-8; s. 2, ch. 2023-145; s. 71, ch. 2023-240.
1Note.—Section 71, ch. 2023-240, amended paragraph (4)(d) “[i]n order to implement Specific Appropriation 2654 of the 2023-2024 General Appropriations Act.”