ATTACHMENT II - Florida Department of Management Services



| |DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES |

|[pic] |ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY |

|TITLE: Vehicle Usage | |

| |POLICY NUMBER |

| | |

| | |

| |Financial Management Services |

| |08-107 |

| | |

| |(formerly 2.08) |

|EFFECTIVE: June 5, 2008 | |

|REVISED: June 17, 2013 | |

PURPOSE

This policy establishes the Department of Management Services (DMS/department) guidelines and procedures for managing and operating state-owned and leased vehicles for department employees and authorized individuals using vehicles for official state business.

SCOPE

This policy is applicable to employees and authorized individuals using vehicles for official state business for DMS.

AUTHORITY

Chapter 110, F.S. Public Officers, Employees, and Records

Chapter 284, Part II, F.S.

Chapter 287, Part II, F.S.

Chapters 60B-1 Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) and other applicable

Rules of the Department of Management Services

DISTRIBUTION

|The following individuals should be notified | |

|of this policy |Method of notification |

|All DMS Employees |DMS Communication via employee distribution lists |

| |DMS Web site |

|DMS Executive Leadership |Executive Leadership meetings |

POLICY

DMS provides state-owned vehicles to its employees to support the departmental mission and travel needs. This policy provides DMS employees with a clear understanding of the rules and regulations that relate to the use of state-owned or leased vehicles provided by DMS.

A. General Information

1. State employees or authorized individuals using state-owned vehicles for official state business must follow state rules and regulations.

2. State employees or authorized individuals are required to follow the instructions on the brochure “WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ‘KNOW BEFORE YOU GO” and a wallet card for the OptaComp Workers’ Compensation Claim Reporting. The brochure and wallet card are maintained in each vehicle.

3. The division director must make sure its employees are familiar with these policies, and provide for training on reporting requirements.

4. Vehicles may only be used for official state business, not personal purposes.

5. Divisions should appoint a vehicle coordinator. Name, location, and telephone number of the vehicle coordinator must be provided to the Bureau of Financial Management Services.

6. Each year, division directors should review vehicle usage to make recommendations or reassign vehicles.

7. No smoking in state-owned vehicles.

8. State employees or authorized individuals using a state-owned vehicle must possess and carry a valid and appropriate driver’s license. The Inspector General’s Office will verify the validity of driver’s licenses on an annual basis.

9. Employees who use their personal vehicle for official state business must have insurance that meets state insurance requirements of $10,000 personal injury protection and $10,000 property damage liability insurance.

B. Acquisition of Vehicles

To purchase a vehicle, the division director contacts the budget office for assistance and use DMS Fleet Management form MP6301-Request for Purchase of Mobile Equipment.

1. The Budget Office is contacted to ensure that funds have been appropriated by the Legislature or approved by the Executive Office of the Governor after consultation with the legislative appropriations committees.

2. Submit MP6301 form to Fleet Management for approval.

C. Assignment of Vehicles

Vehicles are purchased and assigned to meet the department’s needs (smaller vehicles for fuel efficiency, hybrids, sedan, station wagon, passenger van, or truck). Any exception requires written justification. Assign vehicles to:

1. Pool or Office

a. Vehicle is assigned to a group of employees in an office or to a group of offices. There must be a separate log of usage maintained for each vehicle.

2. Employee

a. When the assignment can be fiscally justified (mileage reimbursements exceed vehicle cost).

b. When a specialized task necessitates or requires a special use vehicle (e.g. when a 4-wheel drive vehicle is needed to accomplish a job).

c. The employee must park the vehicle at the official headquarters of the employee or a designated off-site facility when not in use. Except as specified in Chapter 60B-1.007, F.A.C., the employee’s home cannot be designated as an off-site facility

3. Special Assignment

In accordance with Chapter 60B-1, F.A.C., when a vehicle is assigned to an employee for regular and routine use to and from home, the vehicle coordinator must complete required approval paperwork. A state-owned vehicle may be assigned to a DMS employee whose residence is his/her official base of operation, or whose job responsibilities require them to be away from their official base of operation. In this case, the employee must park the vehicle at home or official base of operation when not in use. Vehicles may be assigned to employees for overnight use as a perquisite or for emergency service. A vehicle is considered a perquisite if the employee needs it to accomplish his/her job. A vehicle may be assigned for emergency service if the employee’s duties require him/her to respond to emergency calls after normal working hours.

4. Internal Revenue Service Requirements Assignment

The Internal Revenue Service considers use of a state-owned vehicle to or from an employees’ home as a fringe benefit. The employee annually reports this fringe benefit to the Internal Revenue Service and their appropriate personnel office. For more tax information, refer to IRS Publication 463-Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Travel.

5. Occasional Overnight Usage

An employee may be allowed to occasionally take a vehicle to his/her residence when this practice best serves efficient department needs. An example is when an employee is leaving for official state business the next day and the acquisition of a vehicle makes it more efficient to allow the employee to leave from his/her residence versus going to the office the next day to pick up the vehicle prior to leaving. This is only to be an occasional usage procedure.

6. Emergency Usage

The secretary or deputy secretary may assign a vehicle to an employee for emergency calls, for his/her residence for protection of life and property. It is not necessary to obtain DMS approval for emergency usage. However, it is necessary to report this as a fringe benefit to the Internal Revenue Service and the appropriate personnel office.

D. Vehicle Maintenance

1. The vehicle coordinator oversees the vehicle’s administrative needs.

a. The vehicle coordinator appoints someone to make sure all state-owned vehicles have routine maintenance. If a vehicle needs maintenance while on official state business, the driver must contact the vehicle coordinator beforehand for approval.

b. All state-owned vehicles must follow the manufacturer’s required service schedule, but it is recommended that the oil be changed every 5,000 miles and the belts changed at least every 24 months.

c. The driver is to be aware of the vehicles’ working condition and must report any problems to the local vehicle coordinator.

d. All preventive maintenance records are maintained for the life of the vehicle.

e. The vehicle coordinator keeps a current monthly vehicle activity log for each state-owned vehicle.

2. Traffic Laws

Any individual operating a vehicle for official state business must follow all applicable state and local traffic laws. The state will not pay for traffic tickets. The vehicle’s driver is personally responsible for citations received during the operation of a vehicle for official state business. If the notice of violation is sent to the department, the notice will be given to the driver of the vehicle. The individual must pay the fine by the due date and provide proof of payment to the department. Any fees or other applicable charges due to late payment or nonpayment must be paid by the individual.

E. Vehicle Abuse and Misuse

1. Every employee in the department prevents and reports vehicle abuse and misuse.

2. The following, at a minimum, are examples of vehicle abuse and misuse:

a. Excessive idling of engine while vehicle is stationary, excluding standing in traffic.

b. Operating a vehicle with insufficient oil, coolants or air pressure in tires.

c. Failing to report malfunction, defects and damage affecting the vehicle’s mechanical condition and safe operation.

d. Operating the vehicle in an improperly selected gear, transporting weight that exceeds vehicle standards, or shifting into reverse when traveling forward.

e. Distributing loads improperly in cargo area of vehicle.

f. Driving at an excessive speed.

g. Failing to use seat belts or other occupant and cargo restraint systems.

3. Any employee who abuses or misuses a vehicle may be subject to disciplinary action.

F. Vehicle Security

Management at every level is charged with the security of vehicles assigned to their office. Use the following guidelines:

1. When not in use, park all state-owned vehicles in an area designated by the division.

2. Lock vehicles overnight and when not in use.

3. Remove ignition keys and lock the vehicle when left unattended.

4. Take reasonable measures to protect state-owned equipment stored in the vehicle.

5. Place all work materials in the trunk including books, papers, laptops and other state issued equipment.

G. Other Requirements, Licensing, Safety Belts, and Fuel Purchases

1. All state-owned vehicles carry an official license plate. After the disposal of a vehicle, assigned plates may be transferred to another vehicle; however, no interim transfer may be made.

2. All occupants of a state-owned, leased, personal, or rented vehicle operated on official state business must use seatbelts or other occupant restraint systems. If an accident resulting in injury occurs and seat belts were not used, and failure to comply with laws and ordinances contribute to injuries involved, workers’ compensation benefits may be reduced under the provisions of Section 440.09 (4), (5), F.S.

3. Operate all state-owned, leased, rented, and personal vehicles in a safe and courteous manner in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, or ordinances. Failure to do so is considered improper use and subjects employees to disciplinary action.

4. Purchase commercial fuel at commercial self-service facilities to reduce cost of commercial fuel.

a. Fuel purchased for official state use with the state petroleum credit cards, personal credit cards, and at state-operated fuel stations, must be used for official purposes only. Promotional items including trading stamps, rebates, and other gifts received by an employee, incidental to such purchase are property of the department and turned in to the Bureau of Financial Management Services. If the promotional item is valued less than $2.00 or has no useful purpose for the department (such as free food or beverages), the employee may use the item. Violation of this requirement shall be subject to disciplinary actions and in appropriate cases, to criminal prosecution.

b. Fuel purchased from state-operated fuel stations is not assessed state fuel taxes.

c. Do not purchase fuel for state-owned vehicles with the state purchasing card.

H. Driving Under the Influence

You may not transport alcoholic beverages or drugs (chemical substances), excluding controlled substances prescribed by your physician, in state-owned vehicles. You may not drive under the influence of alcohol or any chemical substances. Violation of this requirement will be subject to disciplinary actions and in appropriate cases, to criminal prosecution.

I. Use of Cell Phone or BlackBerry While Driving

To ensure safety, the use of a cell phone, BlackBerry, or Texting while driving vehicles on state business is prohibited. When responding to a mission critical or emergency conversation, the driver of the vehicle is to pull off the road before receiving or making a call. A driver’s first responsibility is the safe operation of the vehicle and safe driving deserves your full attention.

J. Records Pertaining to State-Owned Vehicles

The documents and records referred to below are maintained by the vehicle coordinator:

1. Potential vehicle purchasers must have budget authority and DMS approval to purchase a vehicle (Form MP 6301). Offices should coordinate with the budget office and the purchasing section before purchasing a vehicle.

2. After buying a vehicle, the office of origin completes the Application for Certificate of Title. List the owner’s name as DMS. List the address as 4050 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee, FL 32399. Upon completion, send the original form, copy of the journal transfer to cover all fees, copy of the dealer’s invoice to the Bureau of Financial Management Services. Hand-deliver tag and title paperwork to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). Do not mail titles and tags to DHSMV.

3. Employees operating state-owned vehicles must complete and maintain a monthly activity log. The log should be filled out each time the vehicle is used. The employee who operates the state-owned vehicle must maintain the vehicle record and ensure that collected data is forwarded, no later than the tenth of the month, to the vehicle coordinator for the appropriate division.

4. Automobile Accident Reporting Procedures

Every state-owned vehicle has a logbook assigned to the specific vehicle tag number. This vehicle logbook contains the Automobile Accident Report form, vehicle activity log, fuel card, DMS office name, and contact name and phone number. During operation, keep the logbook in the vehicle in case of an accident where the individual driving the vehicle is unconscious or unable to speak. Employees must report accidents to the appropriate authorities. The following criteria and procedures are to be followed:

a. Accident Claim Reports

If you are involved in an automobile accident during official state business involving a state-owned, personal, or leased vehicle in which there is bodily injury, extensive property damage, or which results in the vehicle being inoperable, you must

• Report immediately to the Division of Risk Management (850)413-3122.

• Have the accident investigated by law enforcement.

• Get the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the accident.

• Report any accident immediately to your supervisor.

• Don’t promise to pay anything.

• At the scene of the accident, do not discuss details of the accident with anyone except the investigating law enforcement officer.

• Obtain a copy of the accident report, if available, and forward it to the Division of Risk Management.

• Obtain information about the other driver(s) from the investigating law enforcement officer.

If the driver is unable to make the report, the local vehicle coordinator makes the call. If the accident occurs on a holiday, weekend or after working hours, the telephone report must be made during the morning of the next business day. Within 48 hours after the accident, send a completed Automobile Accident Report form to:

Department of Insurance

Division of Risk Management

Bureau of State Liability Claims

200 East Gaines Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0337

Forward a copy to:

Department of Management Services

Bureau of Financial Management Services

4050 Esplanade Way

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0950

A copy of the form and police report is retained on file in the originating office.

b. Other Information

Photos of the damage, copies of insurance cards, information of the individuals involved in the accident, and any other appropriate information accompanies all automobile accident reports.

c. Injuries in an automobile accident:

Immediately report all work related injuries suffered in an automobile accident to OptaComp Toll free at 1-877-518-2583. Also notify your supervisor immediately of any injuries suffered in a work related automobile accident.

K. Vehicle Usage Review

In compliance with Section 287.16, F.S., every two years, each division reviews all state and personal vehicle usage to calculate the break-even mileage at which it becomes cost-effective for the state to provide assigned motor vehicles to employees.

L. Florida Equipment Electronic Tracking (FLEET) System Requirements

1. Create a New Record - Enter all state-owned motor vehicles into FLEET within 30 calendar days from the date a vehicle is received and the appropriate FLEET Location Code.

2. Monthly Activity Log - Keep current vehicle usage record for all state-owned vehicles. Use this log to record the daily use of each vehicle; including mileage, fuel, oil consumption and its cost, and other related costs, including tires and maintenance.

3. Monthly FLEET Updates – Each division updates FLEET using information from the monthly activity log. The updates must be made no later than the 15th day of each month for the previous month’s activity.

5. FLEET Disposal Procedures – Disposed state-owned vehicles must be deleted from FLEET within 30 calendar days of disposal. Each division provides the necessary information to the Bureau of Financial Management Services to notify them that the deletion of records from the system has taken place.

M. SunPass Transponders

In February 2011, Florida Turnpike Enterprise completed its first conversion to an all- electronic open road tolling. As a result of the conversion, the Department has decided to use the SunPass System. Toll-By-Plate carries an administrative fee of $2.00 for each day tolls are incurred. To avoid any administrative fees, the SunPass System shall be used by DMS employees. There are two options to use the SunPass System: purchase a transponder that can be used in more than one vehicle or purchase a SunPass Mini which can only be used in one vehicle. The Property Custodian for each Division is responsible for tracking and maintaining the equipment

1. For program areas that have state vehicles assigned to them that will be traveling in areas where there is all-electronic open road tolling aa SunPass Mini should be installed.  

2. SunPass transponders should be purchased for travelers using Avis rentals or their personal vehicles.  It is the responsibility of the traveler to keep up with the transponder. If the transponder is lost, the traveler must reimburse DMS by remittance of check or money order, or the cost can be deducted from their travel reimbursement.

3. Program areas will be responsible for loading and reloading their SunPass.  This can be done online or at a SunPass kiosk at various retail locations throughout the state.

4. A traveler can also use a personal transponder when traveling in an Avis rental or when using their personal vehicle.  After the trip, the traveler will need to print a copy of the toll charges online and include it in their travel reimbursement package in order to be reimbursed. Travelers should turn the Avis transponder to the “off” position so that no administrative charges are incurred.

5. If a traveler receives a Toll-By-Plate invoice for not having a transponder or because it did not read properly the administrative fees, it will be the responsibility of the traveler to reimburse the department.   These fees cannot be deducted from the reimbursement because they are billed monthly and will be paid after the reimbursement is processed.    The traveler will need to reimburse DMS by check or money order.

6. If a traveler is using an Avis rental and does not use a transponder, resulting in an Avis eToll charge, the traveler will be responsible for any administrative fees or surcharges associated with the toll charges.  An invoice will not be received for this.  Avis will use the rental car billing information to charge the fees to the renter’s purchasing card.  Travelers will need to print their invoice at:



The websites below can further explain the new all-electronic tolling and SunPass.





RESPONSIBILITIES

|Individual |Responsibilities |

|or Group | |

|Bureau of Financial Management|Provides guidance to divisions and employees. |

|Services |Maintains appropriate paperwork regarding state-owned vehicles. |

|Employee |Adheres to this policy. |

| |Responsible for the state-owned vehicle they operate. |

|Supervisors |Ensures that employees are adhering to this policy. |

|Vehicle Coordinator |Completes and maintain appropriate paperwork regarding their division’s state-owned vehicles. |

| |Assists employees with issues regarding state-owned vehicles. |

|Inspector General |Verify validity of driver licenses for individuals using state owned vehicles on an annual basis. |

ASSOCIATED FORMS

Request for Purchase of Mobile Equipment - Form MP6301

Automobile Accident Report Form

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