EMPLOYEE TRANSIT SUBSIDY REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM (REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM)

The Personnel Department, Employee Benefits Division offers the Reimbursement Program to eligible City employees, which provides a nontaxable subsidy of up to $100 per month to City employees who commute to work via public transit (bus, commuter train, or light rail) and submit the required documentation (such as a copy of the back of your TAP Card) and valid proof(s) of purchase(s) within specified monthly timeframes.

REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM RULES AND PROCEDURES

  1. Employees may be reimbursed for their transit commuting expenses of up to 100 per month (maximum). Should the monthly expense be less than 100 per month (maximum). Should the monthly expense be less than 100, the reimbursement will be for the amount for which valid proof of purchase(s) for public transit has been submitted. Monthly reimbursements may not be combined with submissions for other monthly reimbursements.

  2. Reimbursement requests are submitted through the COMMUTEwell online portal at LACOMMUTEwell.com/TSR. The submission deadline for each month's reimbursement request is the tenth working day of the following month (excludes weekends and City holidays). Reimbursement requests received after the 10th working day deadline ("late claims") are eligible for reimbursement so long as the claim and all required documentation is submitted no later than the due date for the following month. Late claims will be reimbursed as soon as administratively practical. In addition, late claims will also interrupt eligibility for occasional parking.

  3. Employees who are enrolled in the pre‐tax TSA program through HealthEquity, but want to participate in the Reimbursement Program must terminate their TSA enrollment and exhaust their accumulated TSA balance before they can participate in the Reimbursement Program.

  4. Employees should ensure that their reimbursement request is correctly completed in its entirety and valid proof(s) of public transit purchase(s) are uploaded. Submission of the reimbursement request and valid proof(s) of public transit must be legible. An incomplete reimbursement request and non-legible supporting documentation will not be processed.

  5. The reimbursement request will not be processed without valid proof of public transit purchase(s). Valid proof of public transit purchase(s) may consist of the following: Original daily, weekly, and/or monthly transit pass/receipts purchased for the month that the reimbursement request is submitted for. Passes/receipts must be clearly defined and identify the public transit agency you are using, the time frame the transit pass is valid for, and the amount of the transit pass cost. A sales history statement from a transit agency is acceptable, but must include date(s) and the amount of the public transit purchase(s). Reloadable, mobile application, or other form(s) of electronic payment for public transit use not made at a stand-alone terminal machine is acceptable, but must include account information or TAP Card information, date(s) purchased, and the amount of the public transit purchase(s). Modified or edited documents, or screenshots not showing the page entirety are not acceptable forms of proof. Generally, passes must be purchased for the month during which they were used, except that weekly and monthly passes may be purchased up to seven days before the start of a new month.

  6. Transit subsidy reimbursements are scheduled to be included on your City paycheck on the first payday of the month following the monthly submission deadline. Refer to the Transit Subsidy Reimbursement Calendar at LACOMMUTEwell.com/TSRcalendar for further details on the timeline of reimbursements. The reimbursement appears on your City paycheck stub in the Earnings and Other Compensation column, with the code listed as TB and the description listed as Transit Benefit.

  7. Employees with approved transit subsidy reimbursement may be eligible for occasional parking at Lot 7 for up to three times per month at no cost as determined by COMMUTEwell program staff. Occasional parking is not guaranteed and is subject to space availability. The City cannot guarantee its ongoing availability. Occasional parking is further limited to those months following the month an employee receives a reimbursement; it is not available during the initial month of ridership nor the initial month of reimbursement. Occasional parking for a given month cannot be advanced or carried forward. Occasional parking is not available for parking permit holders (except in the case of approved Carpool permits).

  8. Reimbursement amounts may be adjusted by COMMUTEwell program staff on employee paychecks if it is determined that errors and/or overpayments occurred.

  9. The Reimbursement Program Rules and Procedures are subject to periodic updates and clarifications at any time. Periodic audits of reimbursement requests will be conducted. Fraudulent transit subsidy reimbursement submissions may result in disciplinary action.

Reminder About the TSA Program Option

The City offers a PRE‐TAX Transit Spending Account (TSA) program through HealthEquity that employees can enroll in via payroll deductions and use towards public transit expenses. The TSA program also provides an automatic transit match of up to $100 per month, eliminating the need to complete and submit a reimbursement request and receipts. Learn more about the TSA program and how to enroll at: LACOMMUTEwell.com/TSAProgram.