Meals

• Approving authorities are responsible to assure the appropriateness of meal expenditures in excess of per diem rates and are subject to audit scrutiny. Exceptions should not be routinely approved.
• The cost of alcoholic beverages can NEVER be reimbursed.
• Additional reimbursement is not appropriate if a meal has been pre-paid as part of a conference, hotel free breakfast plan or the like.
• The cost of lunch may not be reimbursed unless the travel involved absence overnight or unless the traveler starts their travel more than two (2) hours prior to the traveler's normal starting time for work and/or extends more than two (2) hours after the traveler's normal quitting time, if the travel meets these two (2) hour requirements, then breakfast and dinner may also be reimbursed.
• A partial day’s travel related to an overnight trip (that is, the day you leave for an overnight trip or the day you return from an overnight trip) provides eligibility for certain meals depending on the start and end times of the travel. Departure from home at 6 AM or earlier on the first day of the trip entitles the traveler to all 3 meals. Likewise, arrival at home at 7 PM or later on the last day of the trip entitles the traveler to all 3 meals. Contact the Travel Desk for guidance on other partial day situations.
• Start/end time of trip must be shown on the expense statement for first and last day of travel, and for all one-day trips.

• A per diem rate for each meal is published by UMBC based on the rate approved by the UMS Board of Regents each year.
• No receipt is required to receive the per diem for a meal.
• Meals may be reimbursed with an original, detailed receipt from the vendor in excess of the per diem rate in exceptional cases, pursuant to limits imposed by the department and the availability of funds.

• Meals are reimbursed without receipts at the current U. S. Department of State Meals and Incidental Expense per diem rate for the area visited. A current list of these rates is available on the web at www.state.gov/www/perdiems/index.html.
• Meals may be reimbursed with an original, detailed receipt from the vendor in excess of the State Department MIE rates in exceptional cases pursuant to limits imposed by the department and the availability of funds.