30 ILCS 105/12-2

(30 ILCS 105/12-2) (from Ch. 127, par. 148-2)

Sec. 12-2. Travel Regulation Council; State travel reimbursement.

(a) The chairmen of the travel control boards established by Section 12-1, or their designees, shall together comprise the Travel Regulation Council. The Travel Regulation Council shall be chaired by the Director of Central Management Services, who shall be a nonvoting member of the Council, unless he is otherwise qualified to vote by virtue of being the designee of a voting member. No later than March 1, 1986, and at least biennially thereafter, the Council shall adopt State Travel Regulations and Reimbursement Rates which shall be applicable to all personnel subject to the jurisdiction of the travel control boards established by Section 12-1. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Council shall be required to adopt regulations and reimbursement rates. If the Council fails to adopt regulations by March 1 of any odd-numbered year, the Director of Central Management Services shall adopt emergency regulations and reimbursement rates pursuant to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. As soon as practicable after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Travel Regulation Council and the Higher Education Travel Control Board shall adopt amendments to their existing rules to ensure that reimbursement rates for public institutions of higher education, as defined in Section 1-13 of the Illinois Procurement Code, are set in accordance with the requirements of subsection (f) of this Section.

(b) Mileage for automobile travel shall be reimbursed at the allowance rate in effect under regulations promulgated pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5707(b)(2). In the event the rate set under federal regulations increases or decreases during the course of the State's fiscal year, the effective date of the new rate shall be the effective date of the change in the federal rate.

(c) Rates for reimbursement of expenses other than mileage shall not exceed the actual cost of travel as determined by the United States Internal Revenue Service.

(d) Reimbursements to travelers shall be made pursuant to the rates and regulations applicable to the respective State agency as of the effective date of this amendatory Act, until the State Travel Regulations and Reimbursement Rates established by this Section are adopted and effective.

(e) Lodging in Cook County, Illinois and the District of Columbia shall be reimbursed at the maximum lodging rate in effect under regulations promulgated pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5701-5709. For purposes of this subsection (e), the District of Columbia shall include the cities and counties included in the per diem locality of the District of Columbia, as defined by the regulations in effect promulgated pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5701-5709. Individual travel control boards may set a lodging reimbursement rate more restrictive than the rate set forth in the federal regulations.

(f) Notwithstanding any other law, travel reimbursement rates for lodging and mileage for automobile travel, as well as allowances for meals, shall be set for public institutions of higher education at the maximum rates established by the federal government for travel expenses, subsistence expenses, and mileage allowances under 5 U.S.C. Subchapter I and regulations promulgated thereunder. If a rate set under federal regulations increases or decreases in the course of the State's fiscal year, the effective date of the new rate shall be the effective date of the change in the federal rate.

(Source: P.A. 102-1119, eff. 1-23-23.)