Description: The authority to approve business travel by a state employee generally is vested in the employee's department. Once the trip has been approved, the employee or a designated department staff member makes the arrangements for the employee's transportation and accommodation needs. This decentralized approach to state employee travel was questioned during legislative deliberations on the budget for 1982-83. As a result, the Legislature included in SB 1326--the budget companion bill--a provision requiring the Legislative Analyst's office to report on the transportation needs of state employees and the feasibility and desirability of establishing "travel centers" in the Department of General Services. In response to the requirement contained in SB 1326, we conducted a study of alternatives for arranging travel by state employees in a more cost-effective manner, including the use of travel centers.