Travel
The guidance herein is intended as a summary of relevant Senate Rules, federal law, and related standards of conduct. The application of ethics laws, rules and standards of conduct is fact-specific, and the information herein is not meant as a substitute for obtaining the Committee’s advice and guidance on a particular matter. Providing advisory guidance to Members, officers, and employees is an important part of the Committee’s work, and the Committee strongly encourages Members, officers, and employees to contact the Committee and seek advice whenever possible.
Privately sponsored travel is any gift of travel and travel-related expenses for travel outside the Senate duty station, including transportation, lodging, food and refreshments, and conference fees and materials, whether paid for directly, reimbursed, or provided directly, from a private individual or entity, in connection with a Member’s, officer’s, or employee’s official Senate duties. Incorporating reforms from the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA), Pub. L. 110–81 (2007), Senate Rule 35.2 permits Members, officers, and employees to accept privately sponsored travel only with the prior written approval of the Committee.
The Committee’s approval process is governed by the Regulations and Guidelines for Privately Sponsored Travel. The Travel Regulations contain detailed requirements regarding who may sponsor travel; time limits for trips; and the type and amount of expenses that can be reimbursed. In order to obtain Committee approval, Members, officers, and employees must submit a complete travel package to the Committee no later than 30 days prior to the departure date of a proposed trip. To determine the due date for travel packages, please use the Travel Calculator.
Travel sponsors and staff can request approval for privately sponsored travel through the Committee’s travel app, available at pst.senate.gov. Contact the Committee with any further questions.
Travel that is paid for by the Senate or accepted under a different exception to the Gifts Rule does not require the prior written approval of the Committee. This may include travel paid for by the federal government or a state or local government (Senate Rule 35.1(c)(16)); travel paid for by a foreign government (Senate Rule 35.1(c)(15)); travel provided in connection with an outside activity and not offered or enhanced because of your Senate position (Senate Rule 35.1(c)(7)(A)); travel provided on the basis of personal friendship (Senate Rule 35.1(c)(4)); and travel provided by a campaign committee or to attend a campaign event
(Senate Rule 35.1(c)(7)(C)). For more information, see Gifts.
The following chart is intended to assist Members, officers, and employees in navigating the requirements of various types of travel. This chart is intended as a summary only, and does not contemplate every possible scenario. Please consult the relevant authorities, including but not limited to federal law, Senate Rules, and Regulations and Guidelines for Privately Sponsored Travel.
|
Sponsor |
Permissible Trip Purpose |
Time Limit |
Limits on Lobbyist Participation |
Committee Approval Required |
Post-Travel Reporting |
|
Private entity that retains or employs a lobbyist or foreign agent |
Official only |
1 day |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, file with the Office of Public Records within 30 days |
|
Private entity that does not retain or employ a lobbyist or foreign agent, or is a § 501(c)(3) organization |
Official only |
3 days (domestic) 7 days (international) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, file with the Office of Public Records within 30 days |
|
Federal, state, or local government |
Official or unofficial |
None |
No |
No |
None |
|
Foreign government |
Official only |
None |
No |
No |
Yes FGDA File with Committee within 30 days MECEA Financial disclosure filers only – report on Part 6 |
|
Outside activity (e.g., job interview) |
Unofficial only |
None |
No |
No |
Financial disclosure filers only – report on Part 6 |
|
Personal friendship |
Unofficial only |
None |
Yes |
Yes if the value exceeds $250 |
Financial disclosure filers only – report on Part 6 |
|
Campaign |
Unofficial only |
None |
No |
No |
No Senate reporting, but FEC reporting requirements may apply |
Under certain circumstances, Senate Members, officers, and employees may accept necessary travel expenses from a private entity to attend a meeting, speaking engagement, fact-finding trip, or similar event connected with the official duties of that Member, officer, or employee.
To accept such travel expenses, you must obtain the Committee’s prior written approval. The rules governing privately sponsored travel can be found in the Regulations and Guidelines for Privately Sponsored Travel.
For more information about accepting travel that is unrelated to your official duties, see Gifts.
Sponsors and staff can request approval for privately sponsored travel using through the Committee’s travel app, available at pst.senate.gov. You must request the Committee’s approval at least 30 days in advance of the trip. If the 30-day deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, your travel package is due by the close of the next business day. Please use the Travel Calculator to determine the deadline for your travel package.
If the trip complies with the Committee’s regulations, the Committee will issue you a written approval letter.
No. No Senate Member, officer, or employee may accept reimbursement for necessary expenses of privately sponsored fact-finding travel connected with the performance of official duties for travel within their duty station.
A Senator’s duty station is the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. During adjournment, sine die, or the August recess period, the Senator’s usual place of residence in the home state is also considered the Senator’s duty station.
A Senate employee’s duty station, if other than Washington, D.C., is defined as the 35 mile radius surrounding the duty station city, which is designated when the employee is appointed.
For Washington, D.C., the duty station encompasses the District of Columbia; the Maryland counties of Charles, Montgomery, and Prince Georges; the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, and Prince William; the Virginia cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park; and airport locations of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The Committee has numerous resources for travel sponsors. For the complete list, see Travel Resources section below.
Probably not. If you file your post-travel paperwork with the Office of Public Records within 30 days of the conclusion of the trip, as required by the travel regulations, you are not required to report the travel expenses on your Financial Disclosure Report.
However, if you file your post-travel paperwork late, you must report the travel expenses on Part 6 (Travel) of your Financial Disclosure Report.
Trip extensions for any purpose require pre-approval from the Committee and, in the case of an employee, the approval of your supervising Senator or officer.
As a general rule, if you extend your stay for personal reasons, you are personally responsible for the cost of any incremental increases in expenses incurred because of your personal travel (including any food, lodging, or increases in airfare or other transportation costs due to the extension of the travel). The same general rule applies for extensions for an official purpose. In the case where an employee is seeking an official extension, the Senate office, and not the employee, is responsible for the increased cost. Depending on the length of your proposed trip extension, and the purpose of the extension, you or your Senate office may be required to pay part, or, in some cases, all, of your transportation costs to and from the trip location. Prior to making any travel arrangements related to your proposed trip extension for specific guidance, please contact the Committee.
No. MECEA travel falls under a separate statutory framework administered by the U.S. Department of State, so Committee approval is not required. To ensure your MECEA trip has been approved, contact the State Department’s Congressional Liaison prior to traveling.
If you are required to file Financial Disclosure Reports, you must report MECEA travel on Part 6 (Travel) of your Financial Disclosure Report. For additional information about reporting travel expenses, please review the Committee’s Financial Disclosure Instructions.
- 5 U.S.C. §§ 13101-13111 – Ethics in Government Act (Financial Disclosure)
- 5 U.S.C. § 7353 – Anti-Solicitation
- 5 U.S.C. § 7342 – Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act
- 18 U.S.C. § 201 – Bribery and Illegal Gratuity
- 22 U.S.C. § 2451 – Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act
- Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, Pub. L. 110-81 (2007)
- Gifts Quick Reference Guide
- Travel Chart
- Employee Privately Sponsored Travel Checklist
- Member and Officer Privately Sponsored Travel Checklist
- Privately Sponsored Travel Checklist for Sponsors
- Travel Regulations - Quick Reference Guide
- Privately Sponsored Travel Portal - Traveler User Guide
- Dear Colleague: Updated Travel Regulations
- Dear Colleague: Foreign Travel Per Diem (June 2011)
- Privately Sponsored Travel Portal
- Travel Calculator
- General Services Administration Per Diem Rates Look-Up
- Department of State Foreign Per Diem Rates by Location
- Senate Gift Rule/Outside Paid Travel Database
- Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act Database
- Department of Justice Foreign Agents Registration Act Filings
- Employee Pre-Travel Authorization (Form RE-1)
- Private Sponsor Travel Certification Form
- Joint Sponsor Travel Certification Form
- Grantmaking Organization Certification Form
- Request for Trip Extension Form
- Request for Trip Modification Form
- Employee Post-Travel Disclosure of Travel Expenses (Form RE-2)
- Senators and Officers Post-Travel Disclosure of Travel Expenses (Form RE-3)
- Cover Sheet for Amendment of Post Travel Submission Form
- Reporting Acceptance of Gifts from a Foreign Government or Multinational Organization Form
