Odds are you pay out of pocket then get reimbursed. Your boss can't use state funds to buy your ticket "because policy" but they can refund you for "miscellane

Odds are you pay out of pocket then get reimbursed. Your boss can't use state funds to buy your ticket "because policy" but they can refund you for "miscellaneous travel expenses incurred on the job". This sort of thing is a well practiced workflow in most bureaucracies.