Use of State Vehicles Policy

Policy Statement

State-owned, leased, privately-owned, or rental vehicles for which transportation costs are to be reimbursed by SUNY Brockport, will be used only for official University business.

Purpose/Scope

The purpose of this policy is to outline requirements for requesting and operating University vehicles.

Applicability

This policy applies to all SUNY Brockport faculty, staff, and students, plus employees of the Brockport Auxiliary Services Corporation and the Research Foundation for SUNY. 

Definitions

State Vehicles — Vehicles owned, leased, or rented by the University or by a university-related entity such as the Brockport Auxiliary Services Corporation, the Brockport Foundation, and the Research Foundation for SUNY.

LENS (License Event Notification Service) — LENS supplies information about driving qualifications and eligibility of drivers.

Policy Procedures

General Policy and Procedures

1. State vehicles will be operated in accordance with the guidelines, which are in the glove compartment of each State-owned, leased, or rented passenger vehicle.
2. When using a personal or rental vehicle, operators must adhere to the guidelines established within the Office of General Services’ Business Services Center’s Transportation by Car.
3. Student-owned vehicles may not be used for official University business. Official University business does not include instructional and research activities. Students on official Research Foundation business shall follow the Research Foundation Travel Handbook.
4. All designated drivers of State vehicles must have a valid driver license and must be an employee of New York State or under contractual agreement with New York State. LENS checks will be conducted on all drivers of State vehicles.
5. Whenever a State vehicle is requested, its destination and driver must be clearly designated on the Vehicle Request Form.
6. State vehicles may be used for transporting students only for the purpose of field trips required for an instructional or research program or to intercollegiate competitions in such fields as athletics, communication, theater, and other social, cultural, and educational programs authorized by the President or their designee, provided such trips are accompanied by a member of the campus staff. This campus staff member’s name is to be indicated on the Vehicle Request Form. State vehicles may also be used for the transfer of students for medical care when deemed appropriate by Health Center or University Police.
7. In the event of travel outside of New York State, use of a rental vehicle is encouraged and use of a personal vehicle is strongly discouraged.
8. Assignment of State Vehicles to State Employees:
   • A State vehicle may be assigned to the President for the President’s or SUNY Associate’s exclusive use.
   • A State vehicle may be assigned to the Chief of the University Police Department for their exclusive use. If a vehicle is assigned, the vehicle may be an unmarked car, equipped with radios, sirens, and lights, and the car may otherwise be designated as a “qualified non-personal use vehicle,” as defined by the Internal Revenue Code (and its regulations, as amended from time to time) and applicable New York State policies and procedures. The Chief of the University Police Department is responsible for the overall management of the University Police Department, and therefore, the safety of SUNY Brockport. The Chief is always on-call to respond to critical incidents for the 24-hour, seven days a week, operation. The assignment of a car is permitted for business use and commuting to and from home/work. Incidental personal uses such as stops within a reasonable distance of route to and from work are permitted. No unofficial passengers are permitted.
   • A State vehicle may be assigned to an employee for exclusive use when the employee’s responsibilities require extensive travel on business essential to the University. However, if the University determines that personal use exceeds business use, or that it is more cost-effective to reimburse the employee for use of their personal vehicle, rental vehicle, public transportation, or a combination of these for University travel rather than assigning the employee a vehicle for exclusive use, the assignment of a vehicle may be terminated.
   • A State vehicle may also be assigned to an employee by the President when the President determines that such assignment is in the best interest of the University, considering the efficient use and assignment of University resources (including fiscal and personnel), for the health, safety and business demands of SUNY Brockport.

Procedures for Obtaining State Vehicles

1. State vehicles owned, leased, or rented by the State and assigned to the University are reserved in the Facilities and Planning Service Center in the west end of the Commissary.
2. Requests for vehicle reservations must be made by completing the Vehicle Request Form and submitting it to the Facilities and Planning Service Center. A request form must be completed prior to securing a vehicle. Assignments for vehicles are made on a first come, first served basis.
3. State employees or authorized groups using a State vehicle must have a valid driver license, be physically competent, and be properly authorized to use the vehicle. The Office of Facilities and Planning is charged with controlling the use and assignment of State vehicles. In view of this, the Office of Facilities and Planning staff are authorized to request pertinent documents and information from the users of State vehicles. LENS will be utilized to determine all drivers’ eligibility. Vehicles will not be released until these documents have been submitted.
4. On the day of the trip, the authorized driver secures the keys from the Facilities and Planning Service Center (in the Commissary Building). For weekend trips, keys must be obtained before the close of business on Friday.
5. On return from the trip, the authorized driver will return the vehicle to the designated location at the Commissary Building. The vehicle keys and fully completed Vehicle Request Form are to be delivered to the Facilities and Planning Service Center during regular business hours. If returning after hours, travelers are to use the “key drop” located in the garage door.
6. Any accidents, including names of witnesses, are to be reported to the Director of Campus Services, 5th Floor of the Allen Administration Building.
7. All charges for use of State vehicles relating to official University business or by approved University-related groups will be charged against department budgets or billed directly, plus administrative overhead, if applicable. If a bill direct invoice is overdue, the department or approved University-related group may forfeit the privilege of the use of a State vehicle.
8. The department or approved University-related groups will be responsible for the replacement cost of the E-ZPass electronic tag if lost, damaged or stolen while in the possession of the authorized driver.
9. The operator of a State vehicle is personally responsible for payment of any traffic violations received while in possession of a State vehicle.

Links to Related Procedures and Information

NYS Enterprise Contract Pricing – For questions, please contact Accounts Payable.
Office of General Services’ Business Services Center’s Transportation by Car
Rental Vehicle Pricing
Research Foundation Travel Handbook
Vehicle Rental Procedures
Vehicle Request Form

Contact Information

Assistant Director of Facilities Operations

History (in descending order)

Approval

This policy was approved by President’s Cabinet on 2022-10-03