WHEREAS, travel is often an integral part of the delivery of state services and helps accomplish desired objectives such as improving client contact, staff training, and coordination of government services; and

WHEREAS, it is important to guarantee that all state funds are spent in the most economical and fiscally responsible manner;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mike Lowry, Governor of the State of Washington, by virtue of the power vested in me, do hereby order the following standards for travel expenditures in state agencies:

I. State agency directors shall take primary responsibility for ensuring that any travel by agency employees is directly work-related, obtained at the most economical price, and is both critical and necessary for state business. To this end, all out-of-state travel by agency employees must have prior approval by the head of the agency, or other top-level management staff specifically designated by the agency head.

II. All travel outside the contiguous United States, Alaska, or British Columbia engaged in by agency heads must have prior approval from my office.

III. Agencies must maintain internal records documenting the reason for all out-of-state travel, and for any in-state travel exceeding 24 hours in duration. At a minimum, this documentation must contain the following information: the purpose of the trip and how it relates to the employee's work assignment; a description of expected benefits; and a statement of whether an alternative approach could have achieved the same result.

IV. Agencies are directed to develop and implement alternatives to travel, as weir as less expensive means of travel. These methods should include, but are not limited to: