Wisconsin Code § 20.916

Traveling expenses
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(1) EMPLOYEES TO BE REIMBURSED. State officers and employees shall be reimbursed for actual, reasonable, and necessary traveling expenses incurred in the
discharge of their duties in accordance with sub. (9). The officers
and employees of any state agency shall, when for reasons of
economy or efficiency they are stationed at any other place than
an official location of such state agency, receive their actual, reasonable, and necessary traveling and other expenses when called
to such official location for temporary service.
(1m) REIMBURSEMENT OF VOLUNTEERS. Except where reimbursement is required by law, an individual who volunteers his or
her services to a state agency may, at the discretion of the appointing authority of the state agency receiving the services, be
reimbursed by the state agency for actual, reasonable, and necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of the services.
Reimbursement shall not exceed the maximum amounts established for state officers and employees under sub. (8).
(2) REIMBURSEMENT OF JOB APPLICANTS. Subject to rules of
the administrator of the division of personnel management in the
department of administration, reimbursement may be made to
applicants for all or part of actual and necessary travel expenses
incurred in connection with oral examination and employment
interviews.
(3) FURNISHING OF GROUP TRANSPORTATION TO PLACE OF
WORK. The department of health services, the department of corrections, and the department of natural resources may, with the
approval of the governor and the department of administration,
provide group transportation, in the absence of convenient and
public scheduled transportation, for employees to and from the
Mendota and Winnebago mental health institutes and the centers
for the developmentally disabled in the case of employees of the
department of health services, to the Taycheedah Correctional Institution and the Fox Lake Correctional Institution in the case of
employees of the department of corrections, and to and from its
temporary branch offices located at the Nevin Fish Hatchery
grounds in the case of employees of the department of natural resources. Any employee, if injured while being so transported,
shall be considered to have been in the course of his or her
employment.
(4) USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILES. (a) If any
state agency determines that the duties of any employee require
the use of an automobile, it may authorize such employee to use a
privately owned automobile in the employee’s work for the state,
and reimburse the employee for such use at a rate set at least biennially by the division of personnel management in the department
of administration under sub. (8), subject to the approval of the
joint committee on employment relations.
(b) Upon recommendation of the head of the state agency and
approval by the secretary of administration, an additional reimbursement at the rate of one cent per mile may be paid to any em-

ployee for the use of the employee’s privately owned automobile
when used as an emergency vehicle or under conditions that may
cause excessive wear or depreciation, including pulling trailers or
under conditions that require the installation of special
equipment.
(c) For travel between points that are conveniently reached by
railroad, bus, or commercial airplane without unreasonable loss
of time, the allowance for the use of a privately owned automobile shall not exceed the lowest cost of the most practical means
of public transportation between such points. The department of
administration shall establish guidelines for the most practical
means of public transportation. The cost of meals and lodging
paid by the state and the cost of the use of a state-owned automobile not chargeable to an employee may not exceed the cost that
would have been incurred had the most practical form of public
transportation been used, at the most appropriate time, if a practical form of public transportation is available.
(d) All allowances for the use of a privately owned automobile
shall be paid upon the certification of the amounts payable by the
head of the state agency to the department of administration.
(e) When an assigned or pool state-owned automobile is
available and tendered to an employee, and the employee exercises the option to use the employee’s privately owned automobile on state business, the mileage allowance shall be at a rate
equal to the approximate cost per mile of operation of state automobiles, including depreciation, as determined by the secretary
of administration.
(4m) USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED MOTORCYCLES. (a) In this
subsection, “motorcycle” has the meaning given under s. 340.01
(32).
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, if any
state agency determines that an employee’s duties require the use
of a motor vehicle, and use of a privately owned motor vehicle is
authorized by the agency under similar circumstances, the agency
shall authorize the employee to use a privately owned motorcycle
for the employee’s duties and shall reimburse the employee for
the use of the motorcycle at rates determined at least biennially by
the administrator of the division of personnel management in the
department of administration under sub. (8), subject to the approval of the joint committee on employment relations. No state
agency may authorize an employee to use or reimburse an employee for the use of a privately owned motorcycle under this
paragraph if more than one individual is transported on the motorcycle. All allowances for the use of a motorcycle shall be paid
upon approval and certification of the amounts payable by the
head of the state agency for which the employee performs duties
to the department of administration.
(5) USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED AIRCRAFT. (a) If the use of a
privately owned or chartered aircraft is more efficient and economical for the conduct of state business than commercial transportation, the head of a state agency may authorize an employee
to charter an aircraft with or without a pilot; and may authorize
any member or employee to use a privately owned aircraft and reimburse the member or employee for such use of a privately
owned aircraft at a rate set at least biennially by the division of
personnel management in the department of administration under
sub. (8), subject to the approval of the joint committee on employment relations.
(b) The head of the state agency whose members or employees are authorized to use their own aircraft in their work for the
state shall ensure that employees adhere to any license and insurance requirements prescribed by the department of
administration.
(6) PAYMENT FOR UNAUTHORIZED TRAVEL PROHIBITED. The
payment of travel expenses not authorized by statute is prohibited. Any unauthorized payment made shall be recoverable as for
debt from the person to whom made.
(7) PERSONAL USE OF STATE VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT. With
the approval of the secretary of administration, a state officer or
employee may use a state-owned motor vehicle or state-owned
aircraft for personal use. An officer or employee shall reimburse
the state for personal use of a state-owned motor vehicle at the
same reimbursement rate provided an employee by the state for
the use of his or her privately owned automobile on state business
as approved in the schedule under sub. (8). An officer or employee shall reimburse the state for personal use of a state-owned
aircraft at a rate determined by the secretary of administration
that covers all costs associated with the operation of the aircraft.
(8) UNIFORM TRAVEL SCHEDULE AMOUNTS; ALLOWANCES.
(a) The administrator of the division of personnel management in
the department of administration shall recommend to the joint
committee on employment relations uniform travel schedule
amounts for travel by state officers and employees whose compensation is established under s. 20.923 or 230.12. Such amounts
shall include maximum permitted amounts for meal and lodging
costs, other allowable travel expenses under sub. (9) (d) , and
porterage tips, except as authorized under s. 16.53 (12) (c) . In
lieu of the maximum permitted amounts for expenses under sub.
(9) (b) , (c), and (d), the administrator may recommend to the
committee a per diem amount and method of reimbursement for
any or all expenses under sub. (9) (b), (c), and (d).
(b) The approval process for the uniform travel schedule
amounts under this subsection shall be the same as that provided
under s. 230.12 (3) (b). The approved amounts for the uniform
travel schedule shall be incorporated into the compensation plan
under s. 230.12 (1).
(9) REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES. (a) Definitions. In this subsection, unless the context otherwise requires:
1d. “Appointing authority” has the meaning given in s.
230.03 (4).
1m. “Employee” means any officer or employee of the state
and any legislator or board member entitled to actual, reasonable
and necessary expenses.
2. “Headquarters city”, “headquarters village” and “headquarters town” include the area within the city, village or town
limits, if any, where an employee’s permanent work site is located
and the area within a radius of 15 miles from the employee’s permanent work site.
3. “Reasonable” means not extreme or excessive.
(b) Lodging. Subject to the limitations under sub. (8) and s.
16.53 (12) (c), all reimbursement claims for lodging must be accompanied by a receipt.
(c) Meals. Subject to the limitations under sub. (8) and s.
16.53 (12) (c), employees shall be reimbursed for all reasonable
amounts expended for their own meals incurred in the performance of their official duties. Receipts for meals are not required
except for claims in excess of the maximum amount, which must
be accompanied by a receipt and full explanation of the reasonableness of such expense.
(d) Other allowable travel expenses. Employees shall be reimbursed for actual, reasonable, and necessary expenses, including specifically laundry, telephone, facsimile, porterage, and tips,
when traveling on state business, but not to exceed any limitations
or maximums established by the administrator of the division of
personnel management in the department of administration under
sub. (8) and s. 16.53 (12) (c).
(e) Expenses in an employee’s headquarters city, village, or
town. Employees who are headquartered in a city, village, or
town in which the expense occurs shall be reimbursed for their
actual, reasonable, and necessary expenses incurred in the dis-

charge of official duties only on the approval of the appointing
authority of the state agency at which the employee is employed.
This does not apply to travel between an employee’s residence
and the city, village, or town in which the employee is headquartered, which shall not be reimbursable.
(f) Transportation. Employees shall be reimbursed for their
actual transportation expenses when traveling in the performance
of their official duties, subject to the following limitations:
1. ‘Scheduled air travel.’ Reimbursement for air travel shall
be limited to the lowest appropriate airfare, as determined by the
administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration. An employee may be reimbursed for
air travel at a rate other than the lowest appropriate airfare only if
the employee submits a written explanation of the reasonableness
of the expense.
2. ‘Train.’ Travel by train shall be limited to coach, if available, unless overnight, where accommodations should be limited
to roomette.
3. ‘Reimbursement.’ Receipt limits for all claims for reimbursement of transportation expense shall be established by the
administrator of the division of personnel management in the department of administration in the compensation plan under s.
230.12.
(10) APPLICABILITY. This section shall not apply to officers
or employees of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

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