Dear WH&LA Lodging Members:
This morning we learned from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) that new Federal Employee Lodging and Meals Per Diem rates (the maximum amounts that federal employees traveling on federal business can be reimbursed for, without special agency approval) will go into effect from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.
The Federal Lodging Per Diem Rates for all Wisconsin counties not listed as a "Non-Standard Areas" will go up
from $93 to $94 for Federal Lodging Per Diem Rates. This rate is referred to as the "CONUS" Rate (Continental U.S.) and is the same for every other state as well.
"NON-STANDARD AREAS"
In Wisconsin, the same 8 counties currently designated as "Non-Standard Areas" will continue to be authorized with higher rates, most with changes to be made to these rates:
- Columbia
- Dane
- Door
- Milwaukee
- Outagamie
- Racine
- Sheboygan
- Waukesha
The same 4 "Non-Standard Area" counties that are currently provided with two different seasonal rates will also continue to split them out:
- Columbia
- Dane
- Door
- Sheboygan
The only counties in the "Non-Standard Areas"holding to the same Lodging Per Diems as this year will be Milwaukee ($120), and the "off-season" rates ($100) in Columbia
The only Lodging Per Diem rate that declined was prime season months in Door County, which went from $99 to $98.
All of the other " Non-Standard Area"rates will be increased starting October 1st, with increases ranging from $1 to $5. The WH&LA has created a new WH&LA Issue Brief for our lodging members called
Federal Lodging & Meal Per Diem Rates effective Oct. 1, 2018
detailing the specifics that properties may wish to keep handy for reference throughout the year.
MEALS & INCIDENTALS PER DIEMS
The daily Meals & Incidentals Rate for Federal employees will go down in the following 3 counties: Outagamie (from $64 to $61), Waukesha (from $59 to $56), and Sheboygan (from $59 to $56). It went up in the other 5 "Non-Standard Rate areas" by a range of $2 - $7, all of which is noted in WH&LA's new Issue Brief linked above.
For all of the other counties not on the "Non-Standard Areas" list, the good news is the Continental U.S. "CONUS" rate for Meals & Incidentals will go up from $51 daily to $55 starting October 1st.
Please note that the
State Lodging Per Diem Rates for state employees traveling on state business has not changed this year again due primarily to negative media coverage this year on legislator and UW System employee travel expenses, challenging our efforts to gain sufficient support for approval of any state lodging per diem increases. The WH&LA will continue to work on this.
