Committees
Senate Committee Witness Expense Claim Procedure and Guidelines
Thank you for agreeing to be a witness at a Senate committee. This document describes when and how to claim eligible expenses related to your appearance. It also provides guidelines on how to fill out the expense claim form.
If you believe you will incur expenses related to your appearance as a witness, please read these guidelines in their entirety. You may wish to have them close by for reference when preparing for your appearance and as you fill in the form afterwards. You’ll be able to download the form after reading the guidelines.
Submitting your expenses correctly will ensure the Senate can process them and provide you with any reimbursement as quickly as possible.
Note that the term ‘you’ is used throughout these guidelines. For clarity, ‘you’ refers to the committee witness whose expenses are being claimed.
Procedure
Before your appearance
Indicating your intention to travel
Inform the clerk of the committee as soon as possible that you intend to claim expenses. Indicate if more than one witness in your organization wishes to claim travel expenses. (The chair of the committee must pre-approve any request for a second witness from an organization; contact the clerk of the committee for more information.)
Making travel arrangements
If you anticipate that you will incur travel expenses, you must review the expense guidelines below before making any arrangements. When booking travel, remember that you may only claim expenses for:
- The most direct and economical mode of travel available between your residence/workplace and the location of the committee appearance.
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- Direct: The Senate will not reimburse costs incurred for indirect routes or stopovers taken for personal or non-Senate-related business.
- Economical: Where at all practical, please purchase reduced-fare tickets.
- The minimum number of nights’ lodging required for your appearance.
- Eligible expenses for meals while you are travelling.
Please refer to the guidelines below for more details about travel expenses that are eligible for reimbursement.
Keeping your travel documentation
Before and during travel, keep copies of all receipts, invoices, and travel vouchers. You will be asked to submit these with the claim form following your appearance.
Handling cancellations
If your appearance before the committee is rescheduled or cancelled by the committee, any costs or penalties incurred when making changes to lodging reservations or cancelling/changing travel tickets will be covered by the committee up to the amount of the reduced-ticket price.
If credits are issued when tickets are cancelled, you will be required to use those credits to travel to a future meeting of the committee, should you be rescheduled as a witness.
Preparing to appear by Zoom
If you are appearing by Zoom, you must confirm with the clerk of the committee that you have an approved headset or if you intend to purchase one. You cannot appear by Zoom if you do not use an approved headset.
Seeking accessibility accommodations or mental health support
If you require exemptions to these guidelines for accessibility reasons, some additional costs may be eligible for reimbursement.
Some costs related to mental health support and/or counselling in relation to your appearance may also be eligible for reimbursement.
Please discuss your requirements with the clerk of the committee before incurring any expenses.
After your appearance
Submitting your claim on time
You must submit your claim no later than 60 calendar days from the date of your appearance as a witness. All claims beyond this limit may be denied.
Making sure your reimbursement claims are valid
Improperly prepared claims without the witness’ signature and/or not supported by receipts or other documentation may be returned to the witness by the clerk of the committee, with reasons given for not processing the claim.
For your claim to be considered, you must:
- Submit it to the clerk of the committee using the Senate Committee Witness Expense Claim Form (this form can be downloaded from the bottom of this page, but you can request a paper or PDF copy from the clerk of the committee);
- Submit all requested receipts, invoices, vouchers with the claim form;
- Clearly identify the date, type and purpose of each expense;
- Sign the form.
Sending your claim to the committee
The Senate accepts both scanned/photographed and original copies of the claim form, receipts and other documentation. Please consult the clerk of the committee if you need further clarification.
Once the form is completed and signed, you must send it and all supporting documentation to the clerk of the committee by email or by regular mail at the address below (postage free):
Witness Expense Guidelines
1.0. Transportation
Please note that witnesses who reside in the National Capital Region are not eligible to claim travel, lodging or meal / incidental expenses covered in this section. Please consult the clerk of the committee if you are not sure if your place of residence falls in the National Capital Region.
Travel by air, train and/or bus
1.1. Air, train and/or bus receipts: The receipt for tickets demonstrating proof of payment must accompany the claim form if air, train or bus fare is claimed.
You will be reimbursed up to a maximum of one return economy fare incurred for the most direct route of transportation between your place of residence/workplace and the location where you appeared before the committee.
Travel by personal vehicle
1.2. Kilometric rates: If you are claiming travel by personal vehicle, National Joint Council rates per province and territory (cents per kilometer, taxes included) apply, up to the maximum equivalent economy airfare. If you travel across multiple provinces and/or territories, please claim the rate for the province or territory of registration of the vehicle.
1.3. Route map: You must include with your claim the link to, or printout of, the route you took (e.g. in Google Maps). The map must indicate the start and end addresses and the number of kilometers claimed.
1.4. Parking: Parking charges may be reimbursed. You must include original parking receipts with your claim.
1.5. Taxis: Reimbursement for taxis may be approved. You must include original taxi receipts with your claim.
2.0. Lodging
2.1. Maximum room charge: The Senate will only reimburse the minimum number of lodging nights required for your appearance. You must consult with the clerk of the committee before claiming any additional lodging nights.
You must request the government rate at the time of booking your hotel. Only the room charge will be reimbursed, up to a maximum of $300 per night (including applicable fees) plus GST plus provincial sales tax OR HST. Room service and other expenses of a personal nature will not be reimbursed.
If you are staying in the National Capital Region, you can consult our list of hotels within walking distance of the Senate.
You must submit receipts for hotel lodging with your claim.
2.2. Private non-commercial lodging: You may request reimbursement for private non-commercial lodging (e.g. staying with a friend or family member) at the rate of $50 per night. You do not need to submit receipts for private non-commercial lodging with your claim.
2.3 Other lodging expenses: Other lodging expenses not included in these guidelines may also be reimbursable. Please consult with the clerk of the committee before incurring any such expenses. You may need to submit receipts for other lodging expenses with your claim.
3.0 Meals and Incidentals
The Senate will reimburse the cost of meals and incidentals (e.g. laundry, dry cleaning), up to the maximum daily allowances established by the National Joint Council.
Which meals are eligible to be claimed is determined by the time you leave your residence/workplace for the committee meeting and the time you return to your residence/workplace:
If you departed your residence/workplace after…
9 a.m. Not eligible for breakfast allowance
2 p.m. Not eligible for breakfast and lunch allowances
8 p.m. Not eligible for any daily meal allowances
If you returned to your residence/workplace…
Before noonEligible for breakfast allowance
After noonEligible for breakfast and lunch allowances
After 7 p.m.Eligible for all meal allowances
You may not claim a meal where a complimentary meal has been provided (e.g., breakfast included at hotel or airplane/train meals).
You may claim incidentals for each full or partial day on travel status when your travel includes at least one overnight stay.
You do not need to submit receipts for meals or incidentals with your claim.
4.0. Headsets
If you are appearing before the committee via Zoom and do not have an approved headset, you must purchase a model from the List of Approved Headsets before your appearance.
You may submit a claim for reimbursement for an approved headset with proof of purchase after your appearance, up to a maximum amount of $250 per approved headset before taxes and shipping.
5.0. Accommodations and support
5.1 If you require accessibility accommodations for travel, lodging or other expenses related to your appearance before the committee, some costs may be eligible for reimbursement.
5.2 If you require mental health support or other culturally appropriate counselling (i.e., meeting with an Elder) in relation to your testimony, you may claim up to $500 for reimbursement. You must provide a receipt for the provided service with your claim.
Please consult the clerk of the committee about your needs before incurring any accommodation or support expenses.
By downloading the Senate Committee Witness Expense Claim Form, you agree that you have read and will adhere to these guidelines.