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Subject:	PLAN OF THE MANUAL
1-00-00	Purpose
10	Scope and Organization
20	Development and Maintenance
30	Distribution
1-00-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter describes the scope, organization, development, maintenance, and distribution of the HHS Travel Manual.
1-00-10	SCOPE AND ORGANIZATION

The HHS Travel Manual is intended to provide users a single authoritative reference to Department financial management policies and procedures regarding travel and transportation expenses, including but not limited to: temporary duty travel; conference planning; interagency personnel agreements; travel and transportation expenses connected with the death of certain employees; and acceptance of payments of travel expenses from non-federal sources. The Manual is intended for the use of HHS employees and certain other individuals authorized to travel on behalf of the Department. (See Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 301-1.2 for definition of “employee.” The FTR is located in Volume 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations; it may also be accessed on the General Services Administration’s website.)

1-00-20	DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE

A.	Maintenance – Material to be published in the HHS Travel Manual is developed and maintained under the general supervision of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (ASAM), Office of Acquisition Management and Policy (OAMP). The Director, Office of Global Health Affairs, Office of the Secretary, develops and maintains the policies contained in Chapter 6, International Travel.

B.	Supplemental Guidance – When supplemental policy or guidance is issued by the Department, each Operating Division (OPDIV) and Staff Division (STAFFDIV) must ensure that the information is distributed to the appropriate staff. In this regard, every OPDIV and STAFFDIV must adhere to Department policy and guidance, but may choose to implement it in a more restrictive fashion within its OPDIV/STAFFDIV.
A.	
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C.	Effective Dates - A Transmittal Notice number and the date of issue appear at the top of each page of the Manual. The date of issue is the effective date of the material on the page, unless a different effective date is specified in the text.

1-00-30	DISTRIBUTION

This Travel Manual is intended primarily for the use of HHS employees who travel and for offices that provide travel services, authorize or approve travel, perform related functions, and/or examine or audit travel expenses. An electronic version of the Travel Manual is posted on the HHS KnowNet Website: http://www.knownet.hhs.gov/travel/Default.htm When Chapters are revised and updated, they will be produced in electronic format and posted on the website.

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Subject:	HHS TRAVEL POLICIES

1-10-00	Purpose
10	Federal Travel Regulation
20	HHS Travel Manual
30	Travel Guidance on the Internet
40	HHS Delegations of Authority for Administering Travel

1-10-00	PURPOSE

The purposes of this Chapter are to define the relationship between Government-wide Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) and the HHS Travel Manual and to provide a readily accessible copy of the most recent HHS delegations of travel authority.

1-10-10	FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATION (FTR)

HHS travel policies for employees (not including commissioned officers of the Public Health Service) are governed by the FTR, which is issued by the General Services Administration (GSA). The FTR implements statutory requirements and Executive Branch policies for travel by Federal civilian employees and others authorized to travel at Government expense.

The Federal Travel Regulation consists of:
•	Chapter 300	– General, Introduction and Agency Reporting Requirements	
•	Chapter 301	– Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel Allowances	
•	Chapter 302	– Relocation Allowances	
•	Chapter 303	- Payment of Expenses Connected with the Death of Certain	
	Employees		
•	Chapter 304 – Payment of Travel Expenses from a Non-Federal Source	
Note: The HHS Travel Manual does not include Department policy statements or guidance on relocation allowances. The provisions of FTR Chapter 302, exclusively, control employee relocation allowances.

Per diem rates for civilian HHS employees are set by three authorities:
• Continental United States (CONUS: the contiguous 48 states) – General

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Services Administration (GSA)
•	Non-Foreign Areas (Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern
Mariana Islands, and territories or possessions of the U.S.) – Department
of Defense, Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee
•	Foreign Areas – Department of State

Note: Travel policies and per diem rates for Commissioned Corps officers of the Public Health Service are governed by the Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR) issued by the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee, chartered under the Department of Defense. (Committee members include the HHS Assistant Secretary for Health.) The Office of Commissioned Corps Force Management (OCCFM), with the Office of Public Health and Science, is responsible for developing and issuing travel and relocation policy for Corps officers, to supplement the Department of Defense’s JFTR. OCCFM policy is published in separate documents which are not part of the HHS Travel Manual. However, certain Sections of this Travel Manual, by their terms, govern travel by Commissioned Corps officers as well as by civil service employees. Any questions concerning travel by Corps officers should be directed to OCCFM; those raising operational concerns will be coordinated with the Office of the Surgeon General and the Office of Commissioned Corps Operations.
1-10-20	HHS TRAVEL MANUAL

The HHS Travel Manual, issued by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (ASAM), Office of Acquisition Management and Policy (OAMP), is the official documentation of Department-wide supplemental policy and guidance to the FTR for HHS civilian employees.

Many provisions of the FTR require agencies to develop more specific internal policies, procedures, and systems to administer the regulation. The HHS Travel Manual provides supplemental policy and guidance on key FTR provisions, where a Department-wide, standard supplemental policy is deemed appropriate. OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs may then augment the FTR and/or Department level policy with their own supplemental policy guidance, which must be consistent with the FTR and Department’s policy requirements.

At the Department level, OAMP is responsible for coordinating with staff of the Human Resources Centers (HRCs), and through them the OPDIVs, to provide unions (representing bargaining unit employees within HHS) with the appropriate opportunity to review and bargain over policy revisions to the HHS Travel Manual before they become effective. Each OPDIV or smaller division at a certified level of recognition should cooperate with HRC staff, as needed, to ensure that all required labor-management obligations are concluded efficiently and completely.

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The HHS Travel Manual focuses on the financial management policies pertaining to travel, as governed by the FTR. The FTR and the HHS Travel Manual do not address travel by contractors or grantees.

Personnel policies, including when employees are in travel status, are outside the scope of the HHS Travel Manual and the policy purview of OAMP. HHS managers and employees should seek the guidance of their servicing personnel office for policies pertaining to pay, personnel benefits, and requirements for overseas assignments (such as cost of living allowances and hardship pay differentials), administering leave and other personnel actions involving employees in travel status.
1-10-30	TRAVEL GUIDANCE ON THE INTERNET

HHS employees may access the HHS KnowNet Website Travel pages to obtain information on Government-wide travel information links (such as the FTR and JFTR), HHS travel policy and guidance (such as the HHS Travel Manual and updates), and traveler aids (such as Travel Advisories, exchange rates, and per diem rates). Employees may access the website at: http://www.knownet.hhs.gov/travel/Default.htm. Travel guidance for commissioned officers of the Public Health Service are currently found at: http://dcp.psc.gov under Services; Travel and Transportation.
1-10-40	HHS DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY FOR ADMINISTERING TRAVEL

In separate memoranda dated February 28, 1996, the Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget issued “Delegations of Authority –Travel” to OPDIV and STAFFDIV Heads. Exhibit 1-10A contains the text of these two memoranda.

The 1996 delegations of authority cover the authorization and approval of all domestic and foreign travel and permanent change of station for civilian employees. The other listed items, such as advance of funds, use of non-contract air carrier, etc., are actually sub-components of these higher level authorities and are intended to clarify, but not restrict, them.

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Exhibit 1-10A MEMORANDUM (Retyped)
DATE:	February 28, 1996
FROM:	Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget
SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority – Travel; Administrative Resolution of Cash Fund Irregularities; Approval Involving Claims of $25 or less.
TO:	Heads of Operating Divisions
AUTHORITY TO DELEGATE – Under the authority vested in me by the Secretary, I hereby delegate to you the following authorities:

AUTHORITIES DELEGATED:

A.	Authorization and approval of the following for OPDIV personnel located at headquarters and in the regions:

a.	Domestic Travel (D)
b.	Foreign Travel (F)
c.	Permanent Change of Station (CS)
d.	Advance of Funds (AF)
e.	Actual and Necessary Travel and Subsistence Expense (AN)
f.	Travel Expenses Relating to Missing Persons (MP)
g.	Travel Expenses Relating to Deceased and Injured Employees and Deceased Dependents (DI)
h.	The Use of Non-contract Air Carrier (CA)
i.	The Use of Cash to Purchase Domestic Passenger Transportation in Excess of $100 – (a) Emergency Domestic Transportation (DT) and (b) Non-emergency Domestic Transportation (NDT)
j.	Acceptance of Payment in Cash or In-Kind to Cover Travel Expenses (CK)
k.	Approval of Doubtful Claims of $25 or less (DC)
l.	Approval of Premium Class Travel (PC)

Authorities designated as D, F, CS, AF, AN, MP, DI, CA, DT, NDT, CK, DC, and PC may be redelegated to the level you deem appropriate. Because of the high visibility of

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the authorities designated as AN, NDT, CK, and PC it is anticipated that there will be continued Congressional and public inquiries of these types of authorizations. Therefore, redelegations should be at a level that will ensure adequate review of the need for these requests.

As a matter of Departmental policy, no official may authorize or approve his or her own travel. You should designate an official from within your organization for this purpose, and notify me of this designation. In the event that someone other than the designated official approves your travel, the ASMB should be notified and provided adequate justification as to why the travel documents were not signed by the designated official.

Requirements and instructions for exercising these authorities are contained in the Departmental Travel Manual.

Reporting Requirements and Responsibilities – As you empower your management
officials with these delegated authorities, there must also be corresponding accountability. The delegated officials will be required to maintain necessary records to respond to any internal audits or external inquiries from the Congress and control agencies regarding these approvals. These officials should also be required to timely report any incident that could potentially cause criticism or have a negative impact on this Department or the Secretary.

Additionally, the authorities designated as CK and PC, both have external reporting requirements associated with them. ASMB retains the Departmental reporting responsibility for these. You should continue to submit your reports to the ASMB’s Deputy Assistant Secretary, Finance 15 days prior to the due dates for consolidation and submission to the GSA and OGE. The acceptance of payment in Cash or Kind report is due semi-annually (May 15 and October 15 of each year) and the Premium Class report is due annually (45 days after the end of each fiscal year).

B.	I further redelegate to you the following authority:

1.	To resolve by appropriate administrative action, cash and fund loss irregularities amounting to less than $750 arising from a single incident, or a series of similar incidents, occurring about the same time. This authority may be redelegated to heads of major organizations reporting directly to you and to their chief administrative officers without further redelegation.

2.	To designate certifying officers and cashiers. This authority may be redelegated to the appropriate level using the Department of Treasury’s TFS Form 2958.

Requirements and instructions for exercising these authorities are contained in the

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Treasury Fiscal Requirements Manual and the HHS Voucher Examination Manual. Efective Date – These delegations are effective immediately.

Efect on Prior Delegations – These delegations supersede all previous delegations. Existing redelegations may remain in effect for no more than 90 days from the effective date of these delegations.

/s/
John J. Callahan

cc:	Heads of Staff Divisions Inspector General Regional Directors

3.	Identify opportunities to reduce costs in selecting a particular conference location

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	Subject:	TRAVEL PLANNING
	1-20-00	Purpose
10	General Policy
20	Conference Planning Involving Employee Temporary Duty Travel
	1-20-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter emphasizes the need to plan travel assignments. The travel of HHS employees can be most effectively applied to program goals if it is planned, coordinated, and managed. This Chapter also references and supplements guidance in the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) related to planning for conferences involving temporary duty travel.
	1-20-10	GENERAL POLICY

HHS authorizing and approving officials, in accordance with the FTR and HHS internal travel policy, will limit the authorization and payment of expenses related to travel to those that are necessary to accomplish the HHS mission in the most economical and effective manner.

Note: Official business travel requires proper authorization. Throughout this Travel Manual, the terms “travel authorization” and “travel order” will be used interchangeably.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:
	•	FTR Part 301-71, Agency Accountability Requirements, Subpart B, Travel Authorization

A.	Planning for Official Travel

Authorizing officials should take the following actions to contain travel costs by emphasizing the following measures when planning for official travel:

1.		Conduct business via telephone, teleconference, or video conference in lieu of the more costly travel alternatives, when possible.

2.		Whenever possible, use Government-owned or Government-provided meeting facilities.
1.	
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and facility (e.g., through the availability of lower rates during the off-season at a site with seasonal rates).

4.	Notify the traveler far enough in advance to allow time for necessary travel arrangements. In turn, the traveler must notify any travel planner in the most expeditious manner of the anticipated itinerary and corresponding requirements.

5.	Require that travel in Government-owned, commercially-rented and/or privately-owned automobiles be used when advantageous to the Government.

6.	For local travel, require prior written authorization for a rental car (see Chapter 4).

7.	Require the use of shuttle bus and/or mass transit service to the maximum extent possible.

8.	Review travel itineraries in order to:
a.	combine functions that can be carried out by one employee or by fewer employees than originally scheduled;
b.	combine multiple assignments in one trip to a certain geographical area; and
c.	coordinate the schedules for trips of several employees so that they can use one vehicle rather than several.

9.	Hold meetings at reasonably central locations to minimize travel costs.

10.	Hold meetings in facilities that will accommodate employees with special needs.

B.	Special Considerations for Permanent Change of Station Moves

Advance planning of an employee’s relocation to a new official station is especially important because of the potential costs of such a move. Information regarding relocation allowances associated with permanent change of station moves is referenced in FTR Chapter 302.
1-20-20	CONFERENCE PLANNING INVOLVING EMPLOYEE TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL

OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs that are responsible for planning and arranging for conferences involving temporary duty travel of Federal employees will follow FTR requirements to ensure that costs are minimized and the use of Government-owned or Government-provided conference

B.	Granting Waivers of Requirement to Use FEMA-ap
Conferences

roved Accommodations for

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facilities is maximized. They will identify opportunities to reduce costs in selecting the conference location and facility, and they will consider a minimum of three sites. For each Government-sponsored conference funded, in whole or in part, for 30 or more attendees, they will maintain written documentation of the cost of each alternative conference site and the selection rationale. This documentation must be maintained and be made available for inspection by the Office of Inspector General or other interested parties for six years and 3 months.

When OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs sponsor or fund, in whole or in part, a conference held at a place of public accommodation in the United States, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-approved accommodation must be used in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 2225a.

Conference Lodging Allowance (CLA) - Travelers who attend a conference may be authorized a conference lodging allowance of up to a 25 percent increase (rounded to the next highest dollar) above the lodging portion of the applicable per diem allowance. (However, the M&IE portion of the per diem allowance may not be increased.) The CLA applies to conferences held in the continental U.S., non-foreign, and foreign areas.

•	For Government-sponsored conferences, a senior official at the sponsoring agency will determine the appropriate conference lodging allowance, and that will be allowable for all federal employees authorized to attend the conference.

•	For non-Government-sponsored conferences, the travel authorizing official of the Federal employee may authorize the conference lodging allowance rate. Under this reimbursement method, employees will be reimbursed the actual amount incurred for lodging up to the conference lodging allowance.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:
Federal Travel Amendment 89 amends FTR Part 301-74, Conference Planning Effective Date: January 14, 2000

A.	Internal Controls Over Planning for Conferences Involving Employee Travel

Heads of OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs are responsible for establishing appropriate management controls over the conference planning process to ensure compliance with FTR requirements and the supplemental HHS policies contained in this Chapter.

FEMA publishes a list of hotels/motels that meet fire and life requirements of the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990. Federally-funded meetings and conferences must not

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be held in properties that do not comply with this law, unless a written waiver is granted for a particular event based upon a public interest need.

1.	Heads of OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs or their delegated officials are responsible for making a determination on an individual case basis that waiver of the requirement to use FEMA-approved accommodations for a particular conference is necessary and in the public interest. Such a waiver must be in writing.

2.	Each OPDIV or STAFFDIV that provides federal funds through contracts or grants to non-Federal entities is responsible for notifying awardees of this requirement.

C.	Selection of Conference Sites

When the Majority of Participants are Local...

When the majority of the meeting participants are from the same metropolitan area, the meeting location should be within the metropolitan area in order to minimize the cost of per diem and transportation. Meetings may be held outside the metropolitan area under the following circumstances:

1.	When another location provides needed facilities or equipment not readily available (or available only at a high cost) in the immediate area.

2.	When it can be established that isolation of the participants from the immediate area is necessary for accomplishment of the meeting's purposes.

3.	When the purpose of the meeting is centered around a specific geographical location. When the Majority of Participants are from Various Locations...

When the attendees are from various locations, consideration should be given to a site which is reasonably central to the majority of participants in order to equalize travel time. Meetings controlled by Regional and other field offices should always be held within that Region’s or field office’s boundaries. There are two exceptions to these rules:

1.	Meetings to be attended by the Secretary or the Deputy Secretary may be held in Washington, even if this is not a central location for the majority of attendees.

2.	Where an exception has been granted by a designated senior official within the OPDIV or STAFFDIV.
1.	
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Additionally, consideration should be given to coordinating the timing of the HHS meeting to coordinate with already-scheduled professional meetings, seminars, or workshops which the participants will be attending.

D.	Meetings of Advisory Councils and Committees
Meetings of advisory councils and committees that involve attendee travel are generally subject to the FTR requirements for conference planning. Meetings must be held at reasonable times and at places that are accessible to members of the public, including accommodations for persons covered by the Rehabilitation Act. Whenever feasible, meetings must be held in Government facilities or in places involving the least expense to the Department.

E.	Appropriateness in Terms of Public Perception

It is not Department policy to automatically rule out any particular location as a meeting site. However, it is the responsibility of all who approve meeting sites and attendance at meetings to avoid the impression that Federal funds are being used inappropriately. Accordingly, meeting sponsors shall not hold meetings at resort areas to which the general public is attracted because of recreational facilities, unless that area is the location best suited for the purpose of the meeting in terms of program needs and cost factors.

F.	Light Refreshments at an Official Conference

The provision of light refreshments is not a travel cost. It is a conference administrative cost (similar to reserving a conference room and equipment) and needs to be authorized through standard procurement processes. As a result, it is HHS policy that an employee must not order or pay for light refreshments for a conference using the travel charge card. Furthermore, an employee may not submit a claim for reimbursement of personal expenses incurred to pay for light refreshments at a conference.

This Section of the HHS Travel Manual does not address when other legal authorities, such as the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C. 4109-4110) and the Government Employees Incentive Awards Act (5 U.S.C. 4501-4506), authorize the provision of food at conferences, meetings, etc., regardless of the travel status of the employee. HHS offices that are hosting official conferences (whether or not involving employee travel) should consult with their OPDIV Acquisition Officers for advice and assistance in procuring conference space, equipment, and/or food, as needed and appropriate, and when and how to charge registration fees for the cost of these items. Guidelines for procuring and paying for these items are outside the scope of the Federal Travel Regulation and this Travel Manual. Similarly, OPDIVs may wish to check with the Office of General Counsel for guidance on any appropriations law questions they

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may have regarding the use of appropriated funds for the purchase of food to serve to federal employees at meetings, conferences, etc.

References:
•	GAO Decision, B-288266 (January 27, 2003), Use of Appropriated Funds to
Purchase Light Refreshments at Conferences (currently under challenge by GSA)
•	GSA Travel Advisory #7 (January 30, 2003), Clarification of Providing Light
Refreshments at Government Sponsored Conferences

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Subject:	REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR PRE-EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW

1-30-00	Purpose
10	General
20	Application

1-30-00	PURPOSE

The purpose of this Chapter is to state the Department’s policy regarding the reimbursement of travel expenses for pre-employment interviews. Generally, such payments are limited to applicants for certain high-level or unique positions when the interview is necessary to determine the applicant’s qualifications for the position.

1-30-10	GENERAL

A.	Competitive Service and Excepted Service (Non-competitive)

Travel expenses for pre-employment interviews may be reimbursed under the following conditions:

1)	The OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs determine that a position is of such a high level or is so unique that interviews are necessary to enable the hiring agency to determine the applicants’ qualifications.

2)	Payments of travel expenses will be limited to applicants for unique or high-level positions that are defined as technical, professional, or administrative. These positions are defined as those with unusual combinations of duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Authorizing officials should take into consideration the costs associated with travel of top-ranked applicants.

B.	Entry-Level Positions

The authority to reimburse travel expenses for a pre-employment interview is not to be used for entry-level positions, except in rare and very unique cases (e.g., research scientists with doctorate degrees).

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1-30-20	APPLICATION

Reimbursements of travel expenses for pre-employment interviews must be approved in advance by the appropriate delegated approving official.

Travel expenses authorized for pre-employment interviews are the same as those authorized for regular travel on official business. Actual Expense Allowance cannot be authorized for per diem expenses. An advance of funds may never be authorized for pre-employment interviews.

Claims for reimbursement of pre-employment travel expenses are processed in the same manner as other claims for reimbursement for travel expenses and allowances.

The OPDIV/STAFFDIV delegated approving official must consider all travel expenses to be incurred and time constraints when authorizing reimbursement for a pre-employment interview.

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Subject:	ATTENDANCE AT NON-GOVERNMENT SPONSORED MEETINGS
1-40-00	Purpose
10	Definitions
20	Policy on Attendance at Meetings
30	Authorizing Attendance at Domestic Meetings
1-40-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter prescribes the procedures for authorizing attendance at local non-governmental meetings sponsored by domestic non-governmental organizations and held in the United States or in areas under U.S. jurisdiction, not involving temporary duty travel. This Chapter applies to all civilian employees and individuals representing the Department. It applies only to meetings held in the United States or in areas under U.S. jurisdiction.
1-40-10	DEFINITIONS

A.	Attendance – Attendance means being present during all or any part of a meeting.

B.	Meeting – Refers to a formal gathering sponsored by a domestic non-governmental organization and held in the United States or in areas under U.S. jurisdiction. It also includes meetings sponsored by non-governmental international organizations NOT requiring official U.S. representation, not officially recognized by the Department of State, and involving no travel on the part of Department participants.

C.	Non-governmental Organization – refers to an organization which is not a Federal, State, local, or foreign government, or an intergovernmental agency. The non-governmental character of an organization is not altered by the fact that it is comprised partially or exclusively of members who also serve as employees of a government.
1-40-20	POLICY ON ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS

A.	In accordance with Department policy, the delegated authorizing official should consider the following criteria in determining whether or not attendance at meetings is appropriate:

1.	Attendance is for official purposes and is consistent with the policies and best

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interests of the Department.

2.	Attendance is concerned with an authorized Department program or with an activity in which the Department has an interest, and it would be advantageous to the Government to have one or more Department representatives in attendance.

3.	The number of representatives does not exceed the minimum necessary to serve the Department’s interest.

4.	Selection does not arbitrarily favor one sponsoring organization over another.

5.	Expenses for attendance are fully justified and fully covered by any established monetary limitations.

1-40-30	AUTHORIZING ATTENDANCE AT DOMESTIC MEETINGS

A.	General Requirements

1.	Form HHS-99, “Authorization to Attend Non-Government Sponsored Meeting,” is provided to record authorizations to attend domestic meetings held by non-governmental organizations. Form HHS-99 shall be used for (a) individual meetings when the attendance at one or more meetings is to be involved, and (b) when several different meetings are to be attended during a given period by the same individual or group of individuals, provided that attendees will not be in temporary duty travel status.

2.	Authorization to attend a meeting should be requested on Form HHS-99 at least fifteen days prior to the meeting.

3.	The attendee should retain the approved HHS-99 as proof that he/she has been authorized to be absent from his/her regular post of duty for the purpose of attending a meeting. The HHS-99 must support the claim for reimbursement.

B.	Form HHS -99

1.	The form should contain an estimate of all expenses, including registration or similar fees, to be paid by HHS in connection with such attendance.

a.	Care should be taken by the person preparing the form to ensure that it contains sufficient information to permit the authorizing official to make an appropriate determination of compliance with the requirements of Section 1-40-20.

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b.	The HHS-99 should be prepared and processed in accordance with the OPDIV’s/STAFFDIV’s administrative procedures.

C.	Notification of Foreign Travel (NFT) Request

Any attendance at a meeting held at the headquarters of or being sponsored by a U.S.-based international organization, e.g., Pan American Health Organization, World Bank, etc. in the defined local travel area, must be processed via the HHS NFT on-line system (See HHS Travel Manual Section 6-00-30).

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Subject:	TRAVEL TO/FROM HHS OPDIV HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL FACILITIES
1-50-00	Purpose
10	Definitions
20	Patient and Research Subject Travel
30	Authorization of Escort/Attendant Travel
40	Allowances and Benefits
1-50-00	PURPOSE

The purpose of this Chapter is to provide information and instructions concerning the travel of HHS patients, research subjects, and when required, escorts and/or attendants for them. This Chapter applies when such an individual is being admitted to, discharged from, or transferred to, from, or between HHS OPDIV hospital(s) or medical facility(-ies). As used in this Chapter, “HHS OPDIV hospitals and medical facilities” includes Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities operated by Indian Tribes or Tribal Organizations under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

Employees who become incapacitated by illness or injury while in TDY travel status should refer to Chapter 5-10 of this Manual.
1-50-10	DEFINITIONS

A.	A “patient” is an individual who is receiving health care services from one of the OPDIVs of HHS, e.g., an eligible beneficiary of health care services provided by or through IHS.

B.	A “research subject” is an individual who has been authorized to participate in a clinical study or research protocol conducted by one of the OPDIVs of HHS, e.g., a person selected to participate in a clinical trial at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A research subject may, at the discretion of the OPDIV concerned, qualify as an invitational traveler.

C.	An “escort or attendant” is an individual, such as a family member, who is authorized to accompany the patient/research subject in order to make the trip possible. For purposes of this Chapter, employees performing official duty on HHS-paid travel when accompanying a patient/research subject are not included within the definition of “escort or attendant.”
A.	
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1-50-20	PATIENT AND RESEARCH SUBJECT TRAVEL

A.	Travel Reimbursement Under the Public Health Service Act

The Public Health Service Act, as amended (e.g., at 42 U.S.C. 248 for IHS and 42 U.S.C. 282 for NIH), provides authority separate from the FTR for patients’ and research subjects’ travel at Government expense. Under these provisions, appropriated funds may be authorized to reimburse all or some of the expenses of patient and research subject travel, at the discretion of the travel authorizing official. Instructions concerning the travel of patients, research subjects, escorts, and/or attendants who are eligible to travel under the Public Health Service Act will be issued as supplements to this Manual by the OPDIV concerned.

A patient or research subject traveling under this authority is not deemed to be an employee for purposes of travel entitlements and usage of special travel rates available to Government employees. However, the contracts executed by GSA for city-pair air carrier transportation provide that when the cost of the ticket is charged directly to a centrally-billed account, travel performed at Government expense qualifies for the city-pair contract rate. Thus, a patient or research subject whose travel is being paid for under the Public Health Service Act may use the city-pair fare if the Government has charged the airline ticket to its centrally billed account and is paying for the ticket.

Importantly, the U.S. Government Car Rental Agreement (managed by the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command of the Department of Defense) may be used only by Government employees to rent cars at Government oficial business rates with accompanying special terms and conditions, but not by patients or research subjects whose travel is reimbursed under the Public Health Service Act, unless that individual has been authorized to travel as an invitational traveler (see subsection B below).

Example:	A patient who lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, and needs to rent a car to drive to the IHS facility in Gallup, New Mexico, for specialized treatment, must rent the vehicle in her private capacity. At the discretion of IHS, she may be reimbursed any authorized private rental costs under the authority of the Public Health Service Act. The fact that she may also be an employee of IHS is immaterial if she is traveling as a patient rather than for official duty purposes.

B.	Invitational Travel

Individuals serving without compensation or at $1 a year when they are acting in a capacity that is directly related to, or in connection with, official activities of the Government, may be authorized to travel at Government expense if they are issued invitational travel orders, in accordance with the FTR. However, in line with 5 U.S.C. 5703, such invitational travel must

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provide a direct benefit to the Government in order for the traveler to be on an HHS travel order. In the situation of a patient, as opposed to a research subject, this requirement usually would not be met. Travel authorizing officials must very carefully examine the facts surrounding patient travel before authorizing invitational travel orders for patients. An invitational traveler is entitled to full travel reimbursement under the FTR and this Manual, as if he/she were an employee. Thus, when authorizing official travel for a research subject or possibly a patient, in this capacity, consideration must be given to the direct benefit to the Government as well as the costs of the travel.

C.	Documentation

Patients traveling at Government expense under the authority of the Public Health Service Act, but not in a capacity as “employees” on official duty or as invitational travelers, should not be issued HHS travel orders. OPDIVs that authorize travel under the Public Health Service Act must issue supplemental instructions as to how to document authorization of such travel. At a minimum, this documentation should be readily distinguishable from the HHS travel order form for “employees” (including invitational travelers). The documentation should clearly state the authority for the travel being authorized.
1-50-30	AUTHORIZATION OF ESCORT/ATTENDANT TRAVEL

A.	For patients and research subjects traveling under the authority of, and whose travel expenses are being paid under, the Public Health Service Act, an attendant may be approved when necessary to protect the health and safety of the patient/research subject and other persons likely to come into contact with him/her. See 42 C.F.R. 35.22.

B.	Under FTR Part 301-13 and this Travel Manual, the payment of travel expenses of an escort/attendant to accompany an "employee" (which term includes invitational travelers) with special needs that are clearly visible and discernible or substantiated in writing by a competent medical authority, may be authorized when the authorizing official has determined that:
1)	the employee needs to perform official travel or be admitted or transferred to an
OPDIV hospital or facility, as described in Sections 1-50-00 and 1-50-10; AND	
2)	he/she is incapable of traveling unaccompanied.	
Note:	The documentation authorizing escort/attendant travel must be maintained in the
OPDIV’s official travel files.	
1-50-40	ALLOWANCES AND BENEFITS	

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A.	Certain OPDIVs (including IHS and NIH) are authorized under the Public Health Service Act to pay necessary expenses for a research subject or a patient and authorized escorts/attendants, if applicable. Instructions concerning these additional travel expenses will be issued as supplements to this Manual by each OPDIV concerned.

B.	An agency may pay under the FTR for certain additional travel expenses necessary for a research subject, as provided below; a patient may qualify for such reimbursement if and only if a statute provides that the patient is considered to be an “employee” (i.e., in a capacity as an invitational traveler) while performing such travel. Any such request must be supported by proper written justification from an appropriate medical official. If a research subject or a patient is traveling under invitational travel orders, all requirements of the FTR must be met prior to authorizing reimbursement for such expenses.

1)		Transportation and per diem expenses of one escort/attendant, if necessary;
2)		Specialized transportation to/from the hospital/facility;
3)		Specialized services provided by a common carrier;
4)		Costs for handling the employee’s baggage;
5)		Renting and/or transporting a wheelchair; and/or
6)		Premium class accommodation, if properly justified. (See also Section 6-00-60 of this Manual for information on use of premium class accommodations for international travel.)
Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:
•	FTR Part 301-13, Travel of an Employee with Special Needs

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Subject: TRAVEL OF CONSULTANTS, EXPERTS, AND INVITATIONAL
TRAVELERS

	1-60-00	Purpose
	10	Definitions
	20	General
	30	Travel Authorizations
	40	Travel Advances
	50	Per Diem Allowances

	1-60-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter provides instructions and information concerning the travel of consultants and others serving the Department in an advisory capacity under the authority of law and the provisions of HHS Personnel Instructions and directives. It applies to consultants serving either in individual capacities or as members of advisory groups, unless the members are legislatively authorized to receive reimbursement of actual travel expenses.

	1-60-10	DEFINITIONS

HHS Personnel Instructions and directives are the authoritative source for the definition of various types of “consultants.” For the purposes of this Manual, the categories of consultants are defined below. The “service year” mentioned in these definitions begins with the date of appointment.

A.	Intermittent Consultant. A consultant who is appointed occasionally or irregularly for not more than 130 days in a service year. If an intermittent consultant serves for all or any part of a day beyond 130 days in a service year, the appointment ceases to be intermittent and becomes temporary. Intermittent consultants are designated either “WAE” (when actually employed) or “WOC” (without compensation, or at one dollar per year).

B.	Temporary Consultant. A consultant appointed on a regular full-time basis for more than 130 days in a service year, but less than one year.

C.	Federal Advisory Committee Consultant. An individual appointed under the Federal Advisory Committee Act who is paid through the HHS payroll system for his/her time served. For members of those councils and committees having legislative authority for
A.	
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payment of actual travel and subsistence expenses, please reference Chapter 1-90 of this Manual.

D.	Contract Consultant. A consultant whose services are procured by a formal contract. (Note: This type of consultant may not be issued travel orders and is not eligible for GSA’s contract city pair fares for common carrier transportation.)

E.	Invitational Traveler. A person not appointed as a consultant/expert who is requested by the OPDIV/STAFFDIV to confer on Government business (see FTR 300-3.1).
1-60-20	GENERAL

Travel allowances are essentially the same for consultants/experts and invitational travelers as for civilian employees of the Department and are paid in accordance with the FTR and the provisions of this Manual

A.	Intermittent consultants and invitational travelers may be allowed travel expenses, including a per diem allowance, while serving the OPDIV/STAFFDIV away from their homes or places of regular non-Government employment. When a consultant is required to provide services for a period of more than thirty days, the delegated travel official shall determine whether it is advantageous to the Government to continue authorizing payment of these expenses.

B.	Temporary consultants and Federal Advisory Committee consultants may be allowed travel and per diem expenses only while traveling on official business away from their designated posts of duty.

Note: Contract consultants must bear all expenses, as provided by the terms of their contracts. Reimbursement of travel expenses is not allowed unless specifically authorized in the contract, in which case it must be billed against the contract.
1-60-30	TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION

Individuals covered by this Chapter may be authorized to travel at the Department’s expense through the issuance of travel orders. The following guidelines apply:

A.	The travel order shall describe the purpose, itinerary, and authorized travel allowances.

B.	OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs will provide assistance to the traveler in making the necessary travel arrangements through the Travel Management Center.
A.	
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C.	Travelers are encouraged to submit claims for reimbursement of travel expenses upon completion of their meeting/work, before departing for their point of origin. OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs will provide assistance to the traveler in preparing travel vouchers for reimbursement claims.

D.	Travelers will be reimbursed in accordance with the FTR and the policies and procedures contained in this Manual.

E.	The documents required to authorize and/or approve travel of consultants, experts, and invitational travelers are the same as those required for civilian employees.
1-60-40	TRAVEL ADVANCES

A travel advance may be authorized in accordance with the policies and procedures contained in Chapter 3-20 of this Manual. OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs have the discretion to issue travel advances to the individuals covered by this Chapter.

1-60-50	PER DIEM ALLOWANCES

A.	Travelers on official business will be authorized per diem allowances in line with the FTR on a lodgings-plus rate (FTR 301-11), unless higher rates are provided by Congress in specific appropriations or other acts.

B.	Travelers may be reimbursed for actual and necessary subsistence expenses for specific trip assignments, subject to the FTR and established HHS policies and procedures.
A.	
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Subject: ACCEPTANCE OF PAYMENT IN CASH OR SERVICES IN-KIND TO COVER TRAVEL EXPENSES

	1-70-00	Purpose
	10	Definitions
	20	Legislative Authority
	30	Departmental Policy
	40	Authorization Procedure
	50	Reports

	1-70-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter defines the policy of the Department with respect to acceptance of cash or services in-kind from non-Federal sources (also referred to as “348 Sponsored Travel”), the purpose of which is to fund, in whole or in part, travel, subsistence, and related expenses. The Chapter applies to HHS employees and Commissioned Corps officers of the U.S. Public Health Service.

	1-70-10	DEFINITIONS

A. Employee: The term “employee” for purposes of this Chapter refers to:

1)		Appointed officers or employees of HHS, under 5 U.S.C. 5707;
2)		Special Government Employees;
3)		Experts or consultants appointed under authority of 5 U.S.C. 3109;
4)		Any individual appointed under Title 42 excepted service authority; or
5)		A commissioned officer appointed under Title 42.

Note: Non-Federal persons, such as invitational travelers, contractors, grantees, and non-FTE persons, such as regular fellows, are excluded from coverage under this Chapter.

B.	Meeting or Similar Function: This term refers to a conference, seminar, speaking engagement, symposium, training course, or similar event that takes place outside the employee’s official duty station as defined in Section 4-20-10-A.

Note: For purposes of this Chapter, “meeting” does not include a meeting or other event required to carry out an agency’s statutory or regulatory functions (i.e., a function that is essential to an agency’s mission) such as investigations, inspections, audits,

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site visits, negotiations, or litigation. It also does not include promotional vendor training or other meetings held for the primary purpose of marketing the products or services of the non-Federal source, or long term TDY or training travel.

C.	Non-Federal Source: This term refers to any organization, association, corporation, individual, international/multinational organization, or any governmental unit other than the Federal Government of the United States.

D. Payment is defined as one of the following:

1)	In Cash - Direct Reimbursement: An agency directly bills the non-Federal source and receives a monetary payment by check or other similar instrument payable to the Federal agency (i.e., electronic fund transfer, money order, charge card, etc.) from the non-Federal source for travel, subsistence, and/or related expenses. While each reimbursement usually occurs after completion of the travel, OPDIVs may also receive funding prior to commencement of travel.

2)	In-Kind: Transportation, food, lodging, or other travel-related services provided by a non-Federal source in lieu of monetary payments to the Federal agency for these services. It can also include the waiver of any fees that a non-Federal source normally collects for meeting attendees (i.e., registration fees).

3)	In Cash - Retained by the Traveler: Payment is received in the form of cash, check, or other similar instrument payable to the traveler (i.e., electronic fund transfer, money order, charge card, etc.) from a non-Federal source for travel, subsistence, and related expenses. Cash may only be accepted under 42 U.S.C. 3506 (e.g., WHO, PAHO, FAO, etc.). See also Section 1-70-20-B of this Manual.
Note: Payment of cash for retention by the traveler is prohibited under 31 U.S.C. 1353.

E.	Advisory Services: These are defined as having certain characteristics which distinguish them from the general concept of a meeting. The assignments may: be longer in duration; involve providing advice and technical assistance, or conducting technical or scientific training or research. Most typically for HHS, they are sponsored by international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and/or foreign governments, particularly third world countries.

F.	Travel, Subsistence, and Related Expenses: These are defined as transportation, meals, lodging, and other items payable under FTR Chapter 301, related to temporary duty travel. The term also includes expenses such as conference or training fees which are provided in-kind and made available by the sponsor to all attendees incident to and for use at the meeting or similar function.

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G. Conflicting Non-Federal Source: Any person, or entity other than the Government of the United States, which has interests that may be substantially affected by performance or non-performance of the employee’s official duties.

1-70-20	LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

Acceptance of payment from a non-Federal source for travel, subsistence, and travel related expenses is derived from the following legislative authorities:

A.	31 U.S.C. 1353 - This section provides authority for HHS to accept payment (or authorize an employee to accept such payment on its behalf) from a non-Federal source for travel, subsistence, and related travel expenses in connection with attendance at “meetings and similar functions” relating to the official duties of the employee; acceptance of travel payments for an accompanying spouse in some circumstances; acceptance of payment from a conflicting non-Federal source when the benefit received outweighs the conflict of interest concern; and acceptance of additional expenses when specific conditions are met in accordance with FTR 304-3.13.

B.	42 U.S.C. 3506 - This section provides authority for HHS to accept payment from non-Federal sources for travel expenses in connection with performing “advisory services” related to HHS functions or activities.

C.	Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, 5 U.S.C. 7342 - This act provides authority for employees and members of an employee’s family and household to accept gifts of travel expenses for travel taking place entirely outside the United States when the donor of the gift is a foreign government (including international and multinational organizations). Acceptance under this authority must be consistent with the interests of the United States, and the appropriate authorizing official must approve the travel, even when the employee travels in his/her private capacity on non-official time.

1-70-30	DEPARTMENTAL POLICY

GENERAL - Authorizing officials are responsible for assuring that the appropriate acceptance authority (31 U.S.C. 1353, 42 U.S.C. 3506, or 5 U.S.C. 7342) is cited on the Travel Order. The provisions of these acceptance authorities may not be combined when accepting travel expenses from non-Federal sources for a single trip with a single purpose. For example, an employee may not travel under 42 U.S.C. 3506 and the employee’s spouse travel under 31 U.S.C. 1353.

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When an employee conducts travel that entails acceptance from multiple sponsors for multiple purposes, a portion of the trip can, for example, consist of expenses paid under 31 U.S.C. 1353 by Sponsor A, while another portion of the trip can be for expenses paid under 42 U.S.C. 3506 by Sponsor B. Employees may not, under any circumstances, accept an honorarium or retain
cash in excess of actual expenses incurred. The acceptance of payment or in-kind services from a non-Federal source should be the exception and not the rule.

OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs shall not use the authorities set forth above to shift the cost of their normal travel programs to non-Federal sources. The underlying principle of the Department is that if the employee’s participation warrants the expenditure of official time, it also warrants the expenditure of HHS travel funds. Departmental employees shall not solicit payment of travel expenses from non-Federal sources.

It is HHS policy that employees shall not be permitted to take annual leave in conjunction with any trips that are sponsored, in whole or in part, by non-Federal sources, whether for-profit or non-profit. This includes domestic, non-foreign, and/or foreign travel.

A. 31 U.S.C. 1353 Provisions:

1. GENERAL – An OPDIV/STAFFDIV may accept payment from a non-Federal source, for cash or in-kind and related services (or authorize an employee to receive such payments on its behalf) when the appropriate delegated official determines in advance of the travel that the following conditions are met:

a)	the travel is related to the employee’s official duties and attendance is for a meeting or similar function; AND EITHER:

b)	the payment is from a person or entity meeting the definition of non-Federal source as provided in Section 1-70-10-C of this Chapter; OR

c)	the payment is from a person or entity meeting the definition of conflicting non-Federal source as provided in Section 1-70-10-G of this Chapter.

Note: HHS employees cannot authorize their own travel; therefore, no delegated official can approve acceptance of payment from a non-Federal source for himself or herself. Reimbursement may be authorized as follows:

•	For travel under 31 U.S.C. 1353, reimbursement by the non-Federal source to the OPDIV or STAFFDIV, other than in-kind, must be made by check or similar instrument made payable to the agency. Any such payment received by the employee for his/her travel and/or that of an accompanying spouse is to be

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submitted as soon as practicable to the OPDIV/STAFFDIV finance office for credit to the applicable appropriation.

• Reimbursement by the non-Federal source by means of services in-kind, such as travel tickets, meals, and hotel room, may be accepted by the employee on behalf of the agency for himself or herself and accompanying spouse, if applicable.

Note: This authority PROHIBITS employees and/or an accompanying spouse from accepting payment in cash, by check or similar instrument, or by electronic funds transfer, made payable to either traveler from the non-Federal source.

Conflicting Non-Federal Source - In line with (c) above, authorizing officials must be thorough in their review when determining if it is appropriate to accept payment from a conflicting non-Federal source. This review should take into account the employee’s role and whether it substantially impacts upon the Department’s interaction with the entity. Particular care should be exercised in situations in which there is a regulatory relationship or in which decisions affecting Federal funding for the entity are involved.

When the employee’s role has a substantial impact on the Department’s interaction with the entity, the following balancing test should be utilized when making this determination: Once a non-Federal source has been determined to present a conflicting status, payment may be authorized only if the OPDIV’s/STAFFDIV’s interest in the employee’s attendance at and/or participation in the event outweighs the conflict of interest concern. In making this assessment, the authorizing official should consider all relevant factors, including the importance of the travel for the agency, the nature and sensitivity of any pending matter affecting the interest of the conflicting non-Federal source, the significance of the employee’s role in such matters, the purpose of the meeting or similar function, the identity of other expected participants, and the value and the character of the travel benefits offered by the conflicting non-Federal source. Authorizing officials should be very mindful of how their approval will appear to outside entities or persons who have an interest in their organization, particularly the media and the Congress. In such cases, the authorizing official should consult with their ethics official (including, as necessary, the Office of General Counsel, Ethics Division).

2. SPOUSAL TRAVEL - OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs may authorize acceptance of payment for an accompanying spouse under very limited circumstances. The spouse must be issued a separate travel authorization that clearly references the employee’s travel authorization and purpose of the trip. In addition, the following conditions must be thoroughly documented on the spouse’s travel authorization:

a) The spouse is traveling with and attending the same event as the employee. The spouse must attend and/or participate in most of the events or sessions daily in order to fulfill the requirement of supporting the agency’s mission. For example,

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the mere appearance at a dinner party during a week-long conference does not satisfy the requirement of supporting the agency’s mission.

b)	The spouse’s presence will support the mission of the employee’s agency or substantially assist the employee through attendance at or participation in this event. For example, the spouse could be a nutritionist who could offer advice at a conference on healthy eating for a strong heart, or due to an unfortunate personal experience, could be an active participant at a conference on certain diseases. For acceptance to be authorized, the spouse should be able to contribute something of value that enhances the purpose of the meeting. There must be a full explanation of this with the travel authorization, and it must be made part of the official travel file.

c)	Acceptance of payment from a conflicting non-Federal source for an accompanying spouse must adhere to the criteria stated above for employee acceptance of payment from a conflicting non-Federal source.

3. MAXIMUM SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE - OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs may accept payment in excess of the established lodgings-plus per diem rates, with an applicable expense allowance that is no more than 300% of such rate, as prescribed in the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) when the following conditions are met:

a)	full payment is made by the non-Federal source; AND

b)	the “accommodation or other benefit furnished is comparable in value to that offered to, or purchased by, other similarly situated individuals attending the meeting or similar function.” The invitation letter from the non-Federal source must contain language to this effect when an organization offers payment in excess of the maximum prescribed Government rates. (See FTR 304-5.4)

4. COMMON CARRIER ACCOMMODATIONS (First Class) - FTR Chapter 304 permits OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs to authorize an employee to accept such accommodations when the following conditions are met:

a)	the transportation meets at least one of the conditions provided in 301-10.123, 301-10.162, or 301-10.183 of the FTR; AND

b)	the non-Federal source makes full payment “in advance” of travel; AND

c)	the “transportation accommodations furnished are comparable in value to that offered to, or purchased by, other similarly situated individuals attending the meeting or similar function.”
a)	
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HHS Policy: HHS does not allow for sponsor-paid common carrier accommodations outside those that would be authorized if paid by an agency’s own appropriation(s).

5. COMMON CARRIER ACCOMMODATIONS (Premium-other-than-First Class)

HHS Policy: It is HHS policy that one of the following four conditions must first be determined before an OPDIV/STAFFDIV may authorize an employee to accept premium-other-than-first class common carrier accommodations:

a)	No space is available in coach class, and the trip cannot be scheduled on other flights/carriers or routing in time to accomplish the purpose of travel, which is so urgent that travel cannot be postponed.

b)	Premium class accommodations are required for security purpose(s), as documented in a letter from the Chief of Security of the Department.

c)	Travel by less-than-premium class on a foreign carrier does not provide adequate sanitation, and use of foreign-flag carrier service is approved in accordance with the International Air Transportation Fair Competitive Practices Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-623), also known as the “Fly America Act.”

d)	Scheduled actual flying time, not including domestic layovers, is in excess of 14 hours, and a rest stop cannot be taken because of the urgency of the mission (e.g., insufficient time upon arrival at the foreign destination for a rest period, because an inspection must be commenced shortly after arrival in order to complete it on a schedule which cannot be modified due to strict mission requirements). The urgency must derive from the nature of the task, not because the employee is delayed due to personal choices such as electing to take a later flight which creates time pressure. A rest stop is a stop-over point, during travel, of up to 24 hours, midway in the journey, or as near to the destination as the schedule permits, or at the destination.

Notes: (1) Coach class shall be used for all domestic segment(s) of trips using this exception. Any premium class approval must be limited to the flight segment between the gateway city and the foreign destination.

(2) In most instances, the rationale supporting the “urgency of the mission” criterion will only be satisfied on the outbound flight; the return flight home will not generally be subject to identifiable mission urgency. Premium class may be approved solely for the outbound flight unless a specific mission urgency demands the employee’s return without a rest stop.

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FTR Rule: Once one of the above four conditions is met, the following two conditions contained in FTR 304-5.5 must also be applied before such acceptance can be authorized:

a)	the non-Federal source makes full payment “in advance” of travel; and

b)	the “transportation accommodation furnished is comparable in value to that offered to, or purchased by, other similarly situated individuals attending the meeting or similar function.”

6. AFTER-THE-FACT AUTHORIZATION OF 348 SPONSORED TRAVEL - In accordance with FTR 304-3.13(a), OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs may accept payment of additional travel expenses from a non-Federal source when the following conditions are
met:

When there is an approved 348 for some travel expenses prior to departing on travel… When the agency has approved the acceptance of some travel expenses and the sponsoring organization decides to pay for additional travel expenses while the traveler is in travel status, the traveler can accept those additional expenses:

a)	if the OPDIV/STAFFDIV has already authorized acceptance of payment for some travel expenses from the non-Federal source; AND

b)	the additional travel expenses paid for or provided in-kind are comparable in value to those offered to or purchased by other similarly situated attendees; AND

c)	the agency did not decline to accept payment for those particular expenses in advance of travel.

Example:	The traveler has been approved for 348 sponsored travel prior to departing on TDY and is authorized to accept airfare in-kind. While in travel status, the sponsor decides to pay for the traveler’s lodging expense in-kind. Since the traveler is on an approved 348, he/she can accept the lodging expense in-kind and notify the appropriate approving official upon return so adjustments may be made to the appropriate funding account.

In contrast, if there was no prior HHS-348 authorization for acceptance of travel expenses …
Contrary to FTR 304-3.13(b), when the agency has not authorized HHS-348 travel expenses prior to the traveler’s departure date, no travel expenses may be accepted from an outside organization. It is HHS policy that if the OPDIV/STAFFDIV did not authorize acceptance of any payment from a non-Federal source prior to the employee’s travel, the OPDIV/STAFFDIV may not authorize acceptance after-the-fact.

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7.	FEDERAL GRANT AND CONTRACT FUNDS - Under limited circumstances, an OPDIV/STAFFDIV may authorize acceptance of travel and related expenses from a non-Federal source receiving Federal grants or contracts. Specifically, the employee must be performing authorized official duties for his/her OPDIV/STAFFDIV that are consistent with the OPDIV’s/STAFFDIV’s mission. In addition, the non-Federal source must indicate in the “Letter of Invitation” that it is using Federal grant or contract monies, not confined to HHS, to fund the particular travel and related expenses.

OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs may elect to adopt more restrictive policy. Any acceptance of this nature must undergo a thorough review and analysis before approval by the OPDIV/STAFFDIV.

B.	42 U.S.C. 3506 Provisions:

Advisory Services – OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs may accept payment from a non-Federal source (or authorize an employee to receive such payments on its behalf) for cash or in-kind services when the appropriate delegated official determines in advance of the travel that the following conditions have been met:

1)	the travel is related to the employee’s official duties and attendance is for the purpose of performing advisory services; and

2)	the payment is from a person or entity meeting the definition of non-Federal source as provided in Section 1-70-10C of this Chapter.

In addition, the following rules must also be applied:

•	The acceptance of travel expenses from a conflicting non-Federal source is prohibited;

•	The acceptance of payment for per diem expenses cannot exceed the maximum rates under HHS policy (see subsection A-3 above);

•	The acceptance of payment of travel expenses cannot be authorized for a spouse or member of the family to accompany the employee on travel; and

•	The acceptance of payment from a non-Federal source for any additional expenses after-the-fact is prohibited.

An employee may accept cash on behalf of the Government only for lodging and M&IE, not for common carrier accommodations (e.g., airfare), as a direct reimbursement for expenses. This should be done only when reimbursement directly into the proper appropriation account is not

1-70-40	AUTHORIZATION PROCEDURE

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feasible and acceptance of cash by the individual is clearly in the best interest of the Government. The traveler may not, under any circumstances, accept payment in excess of authorized expenses actually incurred.

Travelers may accept payment in the form of in-kind services without reporting the fact whenever the monetary value is nominal (under $15) and the service is offered more as a courtesy than an offer to defray, in whole or in part, the expenses of the trip. An example would be the acceptance of a ride from a meeting place back to a hotel in which the employee is staying.

Common Carrier Accommodations (First Class & Premium-other-than-First Class) - Common carrier accommodations requirements are the same as in Section 1-70-30-A, items 4 & 5 of this Chapter.

C.	5 U.S.C. 7342 Provisions:

1.	Payment of Travel Expenses by Foreign Governments and International Organizations - The term “foreign government” includes any entity of a foreign government (such as a university established by the foreign government) and any international or multinational organization whose membership is comprised of any unit of a foreign government.

When a foreign government or international organization offers to pay an employee’s travel expenses for either official or private travel, the provisions of Section 6-00-100 of this Manual apply.

Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution prohibits an employee from receiving reimbursement directly from the foreign government or international organization without the consent of Congress. The Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, 5 U.S.C. 7342, provides an exception to this prohibition, provided that the reimbursement is for travel which takes place totally outside the United States. The authority to accept gifts of travel and per diem from foreign governments under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act is for acceptance by an individual and/or spouse, not an agency. Congress has consented for an agency to accept gifts of travel from a foreign government pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1353 and for this Department under 42 U.S.C. 3506 under the same rules, conditions, and restrictions as it may accept reimbursement for travel from any other source.

2.	Common Carrier Accommodations (First Class & Premium-other-than-First Class - Common carrier accommodations requirements are the same as in Section 1-70-30-A, items 4 & 5 of this Chapter.
1.	
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The OPDIV/STAFFDIV official with delegated authority must authorize or approve the acceptance of cash or services in-kind from non-Federal sources.

A.	HHS Form 348, Request for Approval to Accept Payment of Travel Expenses from a Non Federal Source , is used to request approval for payment of travel and subsistence expenses from non-Federal sources. (This form may be found on the HHS Intranet at http://intranet.hhs.gov/forms/hhs_forms.html.) A separate form must be used for the spouse when he or she seeks authorization to accompany the employee on a trip. The request must be supported by a written invitation from the non-Federal source, which identifies those travel services to be paid and the method of reimbursement. The form is also used by the traveler to report to the authorizing official at the conclusion of the trip, as required in Section 1-70-50.

B.	An original and three copies of the HHS-348 must be prepared and forwarded (as soon as possible, but not later than 15 days before scheduled departure) through regular administrative channels to the authorizing official. The HHS-348 for the employee must reference spousal travel, if applicable. Additional copies and supporting documentation may be prepared to fulfill the needs of a particular organization.

C.	Authorizing officials must follow the criteria established above for determining whether:

1)	the non-Federal source is conflicting or non-conflicting, and if conflicting, whether the benefit of accepting payment outweighs the conflict;

2)	a spouse permitted to accompany the traveler;

3)	to approve acceptance of payment in excess of per diem rates;

4)	to approve acceptance of premium class common carrier accommodations; AND

5)	to approve additional expenses paid by the non-Federal source after-the-fact.

Authorizing officials will also ensure that the HHS-348 identifies the type (cash or in-kind) and estimated amount of payment the non-Federal source has agreed to reimburse the Government.

D.	If acceptance is authorized, the appropriate delegated approving official will sign and date the original HHS-348 and initial all copies. The original and two copies will be returned to the requesting official. The delegated approving official will retain one copy. If acceptance is not authorized, the delegated approving official will promptly notify the requesting office.

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E.	The requesting office will provide the traveler (and accompanying spouse, if applicable) with two copies of the HHS-348 as notification of approval, and for reporting purposes as discussed in Section 1-70-50. The original HHS-348 will be submitted with the HHS-1, Travel Order, for use by the fiscal office.

The HHS-1 will be prepared in accordance with the provisions of this Manual as follows:

1.	A separate HHS-1 will be prepared for the employee and the accompanying spouse, if applicable. Travel order numbers will be cross-referenced. Use block 10 of the HHS-1 for this purpose.
2.	When foreign travel is involved, the provisions of Section 1-70-30 and Chapter 6, International Travel, of this Manual apply.

F.	Payments accepted by the employee, on behalf of the agency, must be submitted promptly to the agency for credit to the proper appropriation. Receipt of such payment by an employee is not required to be reported as a gift on any confidential or public disclosure report that the employee is required to submit pursuant to law or Office of Government Ethics (OGE) regulation.

G.	In the event that the non-Federal source offers to pay for higher than the lodgings-plus rate, and subsequently does not pay the Federal Government in full, the agency is only permitted to allow and pay expenses which do not exceed that lodgings-plus rate. Similarly, if the non-Federal source offers to pay premium class common carrier expenses and subsequently fails to do so, the agency is only permitted to allow common carrier expenses which do not exceed contract city pair (coach) fare for the same trip. In such circumstances, this can result in the employee being required to reimburse the Federal Government for those expenses that exceed the standard TDY (not actual expense) travel allowances contained in the FTR. In addition, should a sponsor not pay the Federal Government in full for an accompanying spouse, the employee is also responsible for full reimbursement to the Government for any expenses not reimbursed by the sponsor.

H.	Approving officials must be aware, in the event that a non-Federal organization does not pay the promised amounts for the aforementioned standard TDY (not actual expense) travel allowances, that payment of those travel expenses must come from the agency’s travel budget.
1-70-50	REPORTS

A.	Each traveler (employee and/or accompanying spouse, if applicable) will be required to complete a certification at the end of each trip for which acceptance of payment from a

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non-Federal source was authorized. The certification is required regardless of the type of payment (e.g., payment by check or in-kind services). The certification will be made by completing item 10 of the authorizing HHS-348 and will show the estimated value of the in-kind services received and the actual amount of payment reimbursement by the non-Federal source.

B.	The traveler will also be responsible for ensuring the following additional data is provided on the HHS-348 for each trip:
1)	The name of the employee and/or spouse, if applicable;
2)	The position or title of the employee;
3)	The name of the sponsor making the payment;
4)	The nature of the meeting or similar function;
5)	The amount and method of payment;
6)	The nature of the expenses; and
7)	The place and date of the travel.

C.	One copy of the HHS-348 report will be forwarded to the recommending official, who will retain it for at least one year to provide the capability of meeting semi-annual reporting requirements for travel expenses paid under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 1353 for the reporting periods ending March 31 and September 30 of each year.

D.	The original HHS-348 report will be forwarded to the appropriate fiscal office, with the travel voucher, travel order, and a copy of the invitation letter for proper accounting recordation. A voucher for zero dollars claimed must be submitted even if all expenses are paid in-kind. One copy may be retained by the approving office; another copy is for the employee’s records.

E.	All payments by check from non-Federal sources must be forwarded to the fiscal office as soon as practicable, through the appropriate channels, preferably attached to the HHS-348 which provides items in subsection B above. If the check has been incorrectly made payable to the traveler, the traveler must endorse the check to the agency and forward it promptly to its fiscal office for deposit.

1-80-20	AUTHORITY

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Subject:	REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENSES INCIDENT TO TRAINING UNDER THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES TRAINING ACT (GETA)

1-80-00	Purpose
10	Definitions
20	Authority
30	Allowances for Training
40	Advance of Funds
50	Travel Documentation
60	Claims for Reimbursement
70	Recovery of Training Expenses for Employees

1-80-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter provides instructions and information concerning transportation and other expenses incident to training, as authorized under the Government Employees Training Act (GETA).

1-80-10	DEFINITIONS

A.	Training - The process of providing for and making available to an employee, and placing or enrolling in, a planned, prepared, and coordinated program, course, curriculum, subject, system, or routine of instruction or education, in scientific, professional, technical, mechanical, trade, clerical, fiscal, administrative, or other fields, which will improve individual and organizational performance and assist in achieving the agency’s mission and performance goals. (5 U.S.C. 4101)

B.	Continental United States (CONUS) - The 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia.

C.	Immediate Family - Any of the following members of the employee’s household: (a) spouse; (b) children of the employee or employee’s spouse who are unmarried and under 21 years of age or who, regardless of age, are physically or mentally incapable of self-support; (c) dependent parent(s) of the employee; and (d) brother(s) and sister(s) of the employee who are unmarried, under 21 years of age, and dependent on the employee, or who, regardless of age, are physically or mentally incapable of self-support and dependent on the employee.
A.	
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GETA, 5 U.S.C. 4101-4118, provides that an employee undergoing training away from his/her permanent official duty station, may be authorized payment of all or part of the necessary expenses of training, which includes either:

1)	transportation and per diem to and from the place of training, and per diem during training, for the employee only; or

2)	limited relocation allowances should only be authorized for transportation to and from the place of training for the employee and immediate family, per diem en route for the employee, and round-trip shipment and storage of the employee’s household goods and personal effects. Transportation of the employee’s household goods and related expenses should only be authorized when such cost is less than the estimated aggregate per diem payments during the period of the training assignment.
1-80-30	ALLOWANCES FOR TRAINING

The rates prescribed below represent the maximum allowances which may be authorized for training assignments, except in extenuating circumstances. Any amount approved in excess of these maximums must be fully and properly justified, showing the circumstances that led the official to conclude that the higher payment would be in the public interest. Reimbursement rates below the maximum must be established whenever possible for specific travel, provided the authorizing official ensures that the rate set is (a) realistic for the geographic area during the time period at issue, and (b) fair to both the Government and the employee under the circumstances. Whenever training at one location involves employees from more than one agency, the organization sponsoring the training may recommend to participating agencies a uniform rate of per diem that would be reasonable in view of the circumstances. The OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs must assess use of the recommended per diem rate under the standards set forth in this Section.

A.	Transportation and Per Diem Rate

1.	En Route - An employee whose training has been authorized, may be paid or reimbursed the necessary costs for transportation and per diem to and from the place of training.

2.	At Training Site - While at the place of training, an employee may be authorized per diem not to exceed the authorized maximum rate guidelines below, or be authorized limited relocation allowances in accordance with Chapter 302 of the FTR, but not both:
1.	
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a.	Criteria for Establishment of Per Diem at the Place of Training
The following criteria will be considered in establishing the authorized per diem rate at the place of training.

1.	When the authorizing official approves per diem for the period of training, he/she must set a specific maximum rate commensurate with the daily costs for lodging, food, and incidental expenses, which the employee should reasonably incur at the place of training. The authorizing official should consider the availability of institutional quarters or institutional housing assistance, which refers students to private quarters at a modest expense, or other types of long-term housing appropriate to the location and duration of the training. The cost of local transportation between the lodging site and the training site should also be considered. (For example, factor in the cost of a rental car or taxi fare, if public transportation is unavailable between the lodging site and the training site; use lodging at the training site if available.) Costs in excess of such a fair assessment of lodging expenses must be at the trainee’s expense.

2.	Expenses which might be incurred by an employee’s family either at the place of training or at the employee’s permanent duty station are not to be considered in setting the rate of per diem. Neither will the authorizing official consider the cost of maintaining a family abode at the place of training or elsewhere.

3.	In most circumstances, employees authorized to attend training should not leave the training location to conduct official business travel for other purposes. In the unusual situation where such travel is anticipated, consideration should be given to the number of days that the employee is expected to be away from the place of training for the purpose of conducting official travel when setting the employee’s per diem rate for the training location.

4.	The cost of transportation and per diem for the period of training is a factor in determining if training should be authorized.

b.	Within the Continental United States (CONUS)

Assignments of 30 Days or Less

• • •

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The maximum daily amount in the FTR for the locality concerned may be used when reasonable for the length of the training, but a lower amount may be more appropriate, particularly if the training will last more than a week (creating extended lodging rate alternatives). The rate should be realistic and fair for the location involved, given the timing of the training. Supervisors or authorizing officials should discuss with affected employees the rationale for a rate set below the maximum for the locality and provide them with information on lodging options within the rate set.

Assignments of More than 30 Days

For extended training assignments, the allowable per diem must be reduced, as employees are expected to secure long-term lodging at substantially lower rates. Such lodging will normally include meal preparation facilities, so the M&IE rate also will be reduced. Close attention must be given to setting a daily lodging rate appropriate for the duration of the training and the particular location involved. Depending on the timing and length of training, it may be more prudent to change the rate for a certain period of time (e.g., when multiple-month training extends into high vacation season, furnished apartment rates may rise with the increased demand for vacation housing). The goal is to reduce the cost to the Government as much as possible for the entire period of training, while providing safe and adequate lodging to the employee with reasonable transportation option(s) to the training site at a cost not exceeding the lodging savings.

The following guidelines are provided for setting per diem rates for training assignments of longer than thirty days. Maximum lodging rate guidelines are designed to accommodate a wide variety of locations; lower rates should be set in any locations where various housing options are available. Although the maximums specified are not binding, any higher rate set in a particular case should be supported by cost data gathered for the location and time period involved. Such a rate must be set in advance by the authorizing official, and may be time-limited (e.g., only during a period of high occupancy rates due to convention activity).

Training period of one to three months: 70% of lodging per diem rate for location
Training period of four to six months: 60% of lodging per diem rate for location
Training period of over six months: 50% of lodging per diem rate for location

• •

• •

•

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M&IE allowance when cooking facilities are included in lodging: 50% of M&IE rate for location
M&IE allowance where lodging site provides some meals, and includes cooking facilities: deduct from daily allowance the FTR amount for meals that are provided (see FTR 301-11.18); reduce the remaining amount by 50%
M&IE allowance where lodging site provides no meals or cooking facilities: 75% of M&IE rate for location
M&IE allowance where lodging site provides some meals, but has no cooking facilities: deduct from daily allowance the FTR amount for meals that are provided (see FTR 301-11.18); reduce the remaining amount by 25%
M&IE allowance if lodging site provides all meals: only incidental expense allowance for location

Employees may elect to secure more expensive lodging for personal convenience, but they must pay the excess cost over the authorized rate.

c.	Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS)

Extra care should be taken when assessing whether to authorize training outside CONUS and, if approved, setting the maximum per diem rate for the period of training. Training at foreign locations, in particular, presents additional and often complex considerations in terms of lodging availability, cost, etc. The authorized rate must be specified on the employee’s travel order.

Assignments of 30 Days or Less

The maximum daily amount in the FTR for the locality concerned may be used when reasonable for the length of the training, but a lower amount may be more appropriate. The rate should be realistic and fair for the location involved, given the timing of the training. Supervisors or authorizing officials should discuss with affected employees the rationale for a rate set below the maximum for the locality and provide them with information on lodging options at or below the rate set.

Assignments of More than 30 Days

For extended training assignments outside CONUS (which should be rare), the allowable per diem should be reduced if it is reasonable to expect employees to be able to secure long-term lodging at substantially lower rates in the training location. Depending on the timing and length of training, it may be more prudent

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to change the rate for certain period(s) during the training, to adjust to local conditions. The goal is always to reduce the cost to the Government as much as possible for the entire period of training, while providing safe and adequate lodging to the employee with reasonable transportation option(s) to the training site at a cost not exceeding the lodging savings.

Because of widely varying considerations as to availability, cost, safety, and features of lodging options outside of CONUS, no guideline amounts for setting reduced rates for lodging will be provided in this Section. Supervisors or authorizing officials should gather sufficient reliable information about the training location to enable them to assess what is a reasonable and fair lodging rate under the circumstances, if training outside CONUS is approved. The rate must be specified on the travel order and discussed with the employee. If lodging options which include meals or meal preparation facilities are reasonably available, the M&IE rate must be reduced or, if all meals are provided with the lodging, only the incidental expenses portion of the locality’s M&IE rate should be authorized.

B.	Limited Relocation Expenses Transportation of Immediate Family and Household Goods

Transportation of the immediate family, household goods, and personal effects, and temporary storage, may be allowed to the extent that the estimated costs of such transportation and related services would be less than the estimated aggregate per diem payments for the period of training determined independently of the family move. Reimbursement of such expenses may be allowed in accordance with Part 302 of the FTR.

Note: Reimbursement shall not be allowed for househunting trips, miscellaneous expense allowance, temporary quarters, residence transactions, or per diem for the immediate family.

C.	Authorized Temporary Duty Travel Away from the Place of Training

1.	An employee who is authorized to perform temporary duty (TDY) travel away from the place of training will receive transportation and per diem allowances in the same manner, and at the same rates, as if he/she were performing typical TDY travel. An employee engaged in a full-time course of instruction will not be authorized transportation or mileage to return home on weekends or off-duty hours, unless it is determined that official duty is, in fact, to be performed.

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2.		An employee who is receiving per diem at the place of training, as prescribed in this Section, will be entitled to the entire M&IE for the day of departure from the place of training at the rate authorized for the official duty. On the day of return to the place of training, the M&IE rate will be paid through midnight that day. Because there are two per diem rates, care must be exercised to ensure duplicative expenses for per diem are not authorized. On the first and last day of travel the employee will receive the following entitlements: (a) 25 percent of the authorized GETA M&IE rate; and (b) 75 percent of the TDY M&IE rate.

3.		An employee who is receiving per diem at the place of training, and who is required to perform official TDY travel back to the permanent duty station, is not entitled to per diem as a travel expense either at the permanent duty station or the place of training. If the employee obtained a substantially reduced long-term lodging rate based on an extended stay at the training location but must return to the official duty station for work-related reasons during the training period, payment of the portion of the lodging cost for the days not spent at the training site due to the short work-related return to the official duty station may be reimbursed as follows. The number of days of actual occupancy during the billing period (i.e., excluding days of travel to the permanent duty station) should be divided into the periodic rate billed for the lodging, to ascertain the daily rate for lodging during that period. If that daily rate is within the approved lodging rate set on the employee’s travel order, reimbursement in full is appropriate. If the re-computed daily rate (excluding days at the permanent duty station) exceeds the daily lodging rate approved on the travel order, the employee must pay the difference unless the travel authorizing official approves a one-time exception to the authorized daily rate.

Example:		An employee on TDY for a three-month training program in
Chicago goes on a two-day trip home. The employee is staying in an extended-stay apartment in Chicago, at a rate of $2,750 per month; his lodging allowance for the training was set at $3,100 per month. (Assume the maximum daily lodging rate is $149 for Chicago; his rate for an average month is approximately 70% of that.) His 28 days of occupancy in that 30-day month means he is paying $98.21 per day, still within his maximum lodging allowance ($103.33 per day for a 30-day month) for the training period, so he will be reimbursed in full for the monthly rent on the apartment despite his short trip home. However, if in the next month he makes an eight-day trip home, his daily rate on the apartment for that 31-day month would be $125 per day, over the maximum monthly lodging rate ($100/day for a 31-day month) set in his travel authorization. He would only be reimbursed $2,200

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towards his rent for that month; the remainder, he would have to pay out of personal funds.

4.	An employee who is authorized limited relocation allowances and subsequently is
required to perform official TDY travel to the former permanent duty station may
be paid per diem while at the former permanent duty station. This assumes the
SF-50 has been changed to reflect the relocation.

D.	Leave of Absence While in Training

1.	Annual Leave – For any period that an employee undergoing training is charged annual leave, the provisions of this Manual apply. (See Chapter 5-10 and Chapter 6 for annual leave policies.)

2.	Sick Leave – The provisions of this Manual will apply when an employee in training away from the permanent duty station is incapacitated because of illness or injury while: (1) at the place of training, if the employee is otherwise entitled to per diem at the place of training on a temporary basis; or (2) performing official travel away from the place of training. The latter provision applies whether or not the employee is entitled to per diem at the place of training.

E.	Other Allowable Expenses

Examples of other allowable expenses that may be reimbursed through the HHS-350 mechanism
are:

•	tuition, registration, and matriculation fees;
•	library and laboratory services;
•	purchase or rental of books, materials, and essential supplies;
•	other services and facilities directly related to the training, except membership fees unless they are a necessary cost directly related to the training itself or payment of the fee is a condition precedent to undergoing such training.

Note: The above expenses are not travel-related and are not to be reimbursed as such. 1-80-40	ADVANCE OF FUNDS

An employee may be authorized an advance of funds by the appropriate delegated official to cover the necessary expenses associated with either temporary duty travel or limited relocation allowances, in accordance with the authorized entitlement selected. (See Chapter 3-20 of this Manual for information regarding approval, calculation, and liquidation of the travel advance.)

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1-80-50	TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION

The documentation required for transportation and travel incident to training is essentially the same as that required for normal temporary duty travel or an authorized change of official station. In addition, a copy of the applicable training nomination form shall be retained with the travel order in the OPDIV’s/STAFFDIV’s official travel files.
1-80-60	CLAIMS FOR REIMBURSEMENT

Employees will be reimbursed in the same manner as if they were performing normal temporary duty travel under Chapter 301 of the FTR or relocation under Chapter 302 of the FTR. Reimbursement claims for allowable transportation and travel expenses must be supported by all required receipts. (See Section 1-80-30-B of this Chapter for information on limited relocation allowances.)

1-80-70	RECOVERY OF TRAINING EXPENSES FROM EMPLOYEES

Upon written determination by the authorizing official, an employee may be required to repay the expenses incurred in connection with training if the employee fails to (a) complete the training, or (b) remain in Federal service for the agreed period of time. The OPDIV/STAFFDIV’s Finance Office shall recover such amount from the employee through either the appropriate debt collection mechanisms, or by other methods provided by law for recovery of amounts owed to the Government.

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Subject:	TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR MEMBERS OF NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCILS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES
1-90-00	Purpose
10	Allowances
20	Authorization or Approval
30	Claims for Reimbursement
1-90-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter provides policy and procedures for the payment of travel and subsistence expenses on an actual expense basis for members of national advisory councils and advisory committees. It applies only to the members of those councils and committees having legislative authority for payment of actual and necessary travel and subsistence expenses.
1-90-10	ALLOWANCES

Members of certain national advisory councils and advisory committees are entitled by law to actual and necessary travel and subsistence expenses while attending conferences or meetings of their respective councils/committees or while otherwise rendering services away from their homes or regular places of business. For these individuals, reimbursement is made only for actual and necessary expenses incurred without regard to whether the traveler’s subsistence expenses are more or less than the maximum per diem allowance. Therefore, the policies, procedures, and maximum amounts allowable for reimbursement set forth in the FTR are not applicable.
1-90-20	AUTHORIZATION OR APPROVAL

A travel order or the automated equivalent requesting authorization for official travel for members of advisory councils or advisory committees must be submitted in advance of travel to the appropriate delegated approving official.

1-90-30	CLAIMS FOR REIMBURSEMENT

Members of national advisory councils and advisory committees will submit reimbursement claims on the Standard Form 1012, Travel Voucher, or the automated equivalent. Receipts will be required in accordance with FTR 301-52.4 and HHS policy established in this Manual.

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Subject:	TRAVEL REPORTS TO OVERSIGHT AGENCIES

2-00-00	Purpose
10	GSA Survey on Agency Payments for Employee Travel and Relocation
20	Report on the Use of First-Class Transportation Accommodations
30	Semi-annual Report of Payments Accepted from a Non-Federal Source

2-00-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter provides supplemental guidance on the key travel reports that must be submitted by the HHS and/or its Operating and Staff Divisions (OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs) on a regularly-scheduled basis. Heads of OPDIVS/STAFFDIVs or their designees must ensure that there are automated and/or manual systems in place to collect and report required information accurately on a timely basis.

2-00-10	GSA SURVEY ON AGENCY PAYMENTS FOR EMPLOYEE TRAVEL AND RELOCATION

Each OPDIV/STAFFDIV that incurs more than $5 million for travel and relocation during the fiscal year immediately preceding the GSA survey year must submit a separate survey to GSA. A consolidated report for all other OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs not reaching the $5 million level (referred to as “DHHS-Other”) will also be submitted. OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs in the DHHSOther group must provide the designated compiling OPDIV with any information it requests to complete the DHHS-Other report. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (ASAM), Office of Acquisition Management and Policy (OAMP), will serve as the liaison with GSA and provide information regarding due dates, requests for extensions, etc.

All participating OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs are expected to provide required information accurately and on time. Reports will be reviewed by a senior financial manager and submitted directly to GSA, preferably in electronic format. A hard copy will also be provided to ASAM and OAMP for informational purposes. This report is due every two years.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	Part 300-70, Subpart A, Requirement to Report Agency Payments for Employee Travel and Relocation.

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2-00-20	REPORT ON THE USE OF FIRST-CLASS TRANSPORTATION ACCOMMODATIONS

GSA requires agencies to submit an annual “Report on the Use of First Class Transportation Accommodations” on a fiscal year basis. Negative reports are also required, if no first-class transportation expenses were incurred. Separate OPDIV/STAFFDIV reports must be submitted to ASAM/OAMP, in accordance with established deadlines. Reports should be submitted electronically in the spreadsheet format issued by ASAM/OAMP for reporting purposes. No changes should be made to the format, which is prescribed by GSA.

Required data elements include:

1.	Mode of travel (air, ship, train)
2.	Name of traveler
3.	Origin city and state
4.	Destination city, state, or foreign country
5.	Beginning date of travel
6.	Purpose of travel (site visit, information meeting, training, etc.)
7.	Circumstances justifying use of first class accommodation (disability, security, etc.)
8.	Actual first class accommodation fare
9.	Coach class accommodation fare for actual route used

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	Part 300-70, Subpart B, Requirement to Report Use of First-Class Transportation Accommodations.
2-00-30	SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT OF PAYMENTS ACCEPTED FROM A NON‑
FEDERAL SOURCE

Section 1353 of Title 31, United States Code, authorizes the acceptance by Executive Branch agencies of payments for travel, subsistence, and related expenses from non-Federal sources in connection with the attendance of employees at certain meetings or similar functions. The statute provides that the head of each agency shall submit to the Director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) semi-annual reports of payments of more than $250 per event accepted under this authority. Reports are due from HHS to OGE on May 31 and November 30 of each year.

OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs that have reportable payments may use the Standard Forms issued by GSA for reporting purposes. Copies can be printed from the GSA website (www.gsa.gov/forms). The report forms are: SF-326, Semiannual Report of Payments Accepted

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From a Non-Federal Source, and SF-326A, Continuation Pages. Alternatively, responding divisions may use the automated spreadsheet format issued by ASAM/OAMP for reporting purposes. Negative responses are also required, if no payments of more than $250 per event were accepted under this authority. Individual OPDIV and STAFFDIV reports, or a negative response, must be submitted to ASAM/OAMP in accordance with established deadlines.

Note: See FTR 304-3.17, Reports, for detailed reporting requirements. Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	Part 304, Subchapter A, Employee’s Acceptance of Payment from a Non-Federal Source for Travel Expenses.

B.	JFMIP System Requirements for Travel Authorizations

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Subject:	HHS TRAVEL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

3-00-00	Purpose
10	Travel Accounting Systems

3-00-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides supplemental guidance for HHS OPDIVs who implement travel accounting systems for HHS employees and invitational travelers.

3-00-10	TRAVEL ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS

A.	Heads of Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) or their designees, who implement travel accounting systems for HHS employees, are responsible for ensuring that these systems meet JFMIP (Joint Financial Management Improvement Program) Travel System Requirements and are in compliance with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), the HHS Travel Manual, and their own supplemental policy and procedure requirements. They are responsible for issuing guidance to their travel system users regarding policies and procedures for using the system, including related manual procedures for signing, distributing, and retaining official forms generated by the system. Heads of all OPDIVs and Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs) are responsible for issuing internal delegations of authority to appropriate officials and for establishing appropriate management controls to ensure adequate and timely consideration and review of travel authorizations, advances, and vouchers. Electronic signatures may be used for travel documents, such as authorizations and vouchers, if the travel system meets the security and privacy requirements established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for electronic data interchange.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-71
•	Subpart A, General
•	Subpart B, Travel Authorization
•	Subpart C, Travel Claims for Reimbursement
•	Subpart D, Accounting for Travel Advances
•	
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HHS automated travel systems must generate an official travel order that meets JFMIP Travel System Requirements, the requirements of FTR Part 301-71, Subpart B, for travel authorizations and this Chapter.

C.	JFMIP System Requirements for Travel Vouchers

HHS automated travel systems must generate an official travel voucher that meets JFMIP Travel System Requirements and the requirements of FTR Part 301-52, Claiming Reimbursement and Part 301-71, Subpart C, Travel Claims for Reimbursement. HHS OPDIVs who administer travel systems must ensure that travel claim reimbursements which are taxable income to the employee are appropriately identified and reported on agency W-2 forms.

Under 31 U.S.C. 3521(b), HHS finance offices who certify travel vouchers for payment may implement a statistical sampling procedure for the examination of travel vouchers prior to certification for payment. Vouchers amounting to $2,500 or less may be included in this procedure. Within this dollar limitation, the OPDIV’s Chief Financial Officer is responsible for determining specific dollar limitations and other relevant parameters needed to make the prepayment audit plan for travel vouchers adequate and effective. This determination should be based on a cost/benefit analysis of the OPDIV’s travel voucher examining operations. For Government-wide guidance, please refer to the GAO Appropriations Law Manual, Volume II, Chapter 9, Liability and Relief of Accountable Officers, Section D, Illegal or Improper Payment, Paragraph c. Statistical Sampling, on pages 9-68 through 9-70 and the GAO Policy and Procedures Manual for Guidance of Federal Agencies, Title 7, Section 7.4 Application of Available Technology and Concepts, Statistical Sampling (February 1990 edition).

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Subject:	TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS AND VOUCHER CLAIMS

3-10-00	Purpose
10	Initiation of Travel Authorizations
20	Travel Vouchers

3-10-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides supplemental guidance on the issuance and use of travel authorizations, including requests, preparation, amendments, and cancellations. This chapter sets forth general requirements for preparation and approval of vouchers for reimbursement of expenses incurred when traveling on official business.

3-10-10	INITIATION OF TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS

A.	Travel Orders - General

A travel order is the official authorization to perform temporary duty travel and to incur change of station expenses. It should specify, to the greatest extent possible, the travel to be performed and the expenses to be incurred. Ordinarily, expenses should not be incurred until the travel order has been issued. To fully protect the rights of the traveler, travel and transportation should be authorized in advance on an official electronic travel order or a hard copy Form HHS-1, Travel Order. (The HHS-1 form may be found on the HHS Intranet at http://intranet.hhs.gov/forms/hhs_forms.html.) All authorizations must have a written or electronic signature by an official delegated to authorize travel.

In emergencies, when prior authorization cannot be obtained, a travel order of current date may be issued in accordance with the HHS OPDIV’s or STAFFDIV’s established procedures for this exception. Lack of advance written authorization for travel will not in itself void the traveler’s rights under the Federal Employee’s Compensation Act in the event of accident or injury. A subsequently-approved travel order or a written statement from the supervisor that the traveler was performing official duties when the accident occurred will be adequate evidence to afford coverage. The traveler should, however, exercise careful judgment in the performance of travel without an authorized travel order, at a minimum by obtaining verbal or informal written authorization (i.e., e-mail) from an appropriate delegated travel approving official before departing on the trip.

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Caution:	An employee who either performs temporary duty travel or departs earlier than necessary to carry out the purpose of travel, without proper authorization does so at the risk of not being reimbursed for expenses or losing benefits that may
accrue.

Note: FTR 301-2.5 requires specific written or electronic advance authorization of the following temporary duty travel allowances:

1)	use of reduced fares for group or charter arrangements,
2)	reduced rate per diem,
3)	acceptance of payment from a non-Federal source for travel expenses, and
4)	travel expenses related to attendance at a conference.

Federal and Departmental policy requires specific written or electronic authorization of the following allowances. Every effort should be made to obtain authorization in advance of travel. When prior authorization is not possible or practical, post-trip approval may be issued through an amended travel order or on the travel voucher, in accordance with the pertinent OPDIV travel system’s procedural requirements:

A.	use of premium class service on common carrier transportation,
B.	use of foreign air carrier,
C.	use of cash (including personal charge card or check) to pay for domestic common carrier transportation in excess of $100,
D.	use of extra-fare train service,
E.	travel by ship,
F.	use of rental car,
G.	use of Government aircraft,
H.	payment of actual expenses or conference lodging allowance,
I.	travel expenses related to emergency travel,
J.	transportation expenses related to threatened law enforcement/investigative employees and members of their families,
K.	travel expenses related to travel to a foreign area, except as provided by agency mission, and
L.	excess baggage or weight.

It is HHS policy that travel orders will be initiated by the traveler or the travel preparer within the following time frames, unless an unusual, emergency situation requires a shorter authorization period:

A.	Domestic Travel. Forms initiated for domestic travel should reach the authorizing official at least five working days before the scheduled date of departure.

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B.	Foreign Travel. Forms initiated for foreign travel should reach the authorizing official at least thirty days before the scheduled date of departure. Before initiating travel orders involving foreign travel, see HHS Travel Manual Chapter 6-00, International Travel, for additional requirements or variations in procedures.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-71, Subpart B, Travel Authorization

B.	HHS-1, Travel Order Form

Form HHS-1, Travel Order is the standard hard copy travel order used within the Department, when an official automated travel system cannot be used to generate an electronic travel order. This form may be accessed on the HHS Intranet at http://intranet.hhs.gov/forms/hhs_forms.html.

C.	Additional Documentation Requirements

Frequently, travel orders require additional supporting documentation, such as: HHS Form 348, Request and Approval for Acceptance of Payment of Travel Expenses. For specific requirements, refer to the appropriate HHS Travel Manual chapter covering special travel topics, e.g., International Travel and Sponsored Travel.

D.	Types of Travel Orders

The FTR permits three basic types of travel authorizations: Trip-by-trip, Limited Open, and Unlimited Open. These orders must include: (a) the name of the traveler(s); (b) proper authorization from the delegated approving official; (c) purpose of travel; (d) any conditions or limitations on the authorization; (e) an estimate of the travel costs (for open authorizations, it should include an estimate of the travel costs over the period covered); and (f) a statement that the traveler is authorized to travel. See FTR 301-71.103.

A trip-by-trip authorization is the preferred and usual means for authorizing travel related to temporary duty or a permanent or temporary change of station. All automated travel systems administered by HHS OPDIVs are set up to require the issuance of a trip-by-trip order before a temporary duty travel voucher can be submitted and travel expenses can be approved for payment.

Limited Open and Unlimited Open Authorizations. If an OPDIV’s or STAFFDIV’s management determines that these types of authorizations are appropriate and necessary due to unusual, exceptional circumstances, the following Departmental guidelines should be followed:

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1.		A limited open authorization permits an individual to travel without further authorization under certain specified conditions. Its use is expressly discouraged and should be limited only to travelers who are expected, as part of their work assignment, to conduct frequent, specific, and repetitive travel within a designated area and must frequently embark on trips without enough advance notice to obtain orders more specific as to the travel to be performed and its expected duration. The travel order must state realistic limitations covering the specific purpose of such travel (use of general terms such as “to conduct official business” are not acceptable), geographic area, travel duration, and cost. A limited open travel order is valid only for trips taken within the authorized specific geographical area for the stated purpose. Employees who hold this type order must be issued tripby-trip orders for any assignments not covered by the limited open authorization. Under no circumstances may a limited open authorization be issued to cover a wide geographic area, thereby permitting the employee to travel at will and without reasonable opportunities for supervision of the travel.

Limited travel authorizations intended to cover a number of employees authorized to travel for a common purpose within a specific geographic area will include a listing of each individual employee together with the related identifying information normally included on a trip-by-trip travel authorization. Limited open authorizations may not be issued to cover more than one fiscal year and must be re-validated each quarter by the delegated travel approving official. If travel is no longer required for an employee, the order will be terminated.

2.		An unlimited open authorization permits an individual to travel for any purpose without further authorization. Unlimited open authorizations for travel are reserved for use only by the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Chief of Staff, the Heads of STAFFDIVs and OPDIVs, and Regional Directors. This type authorization should only be used on an exception basis and then only when absolutely essential. Should there be a need for this type authorization, each trip must be justified separately, and documentation must be maintained on file as to the purpose of individual trips taken.

Note: Open authorizations (limited or unlimited) may NOT be issued for travel outside of the continental U.S. (OCONUS), conference attendance, training, entitlement (such as overseas tour renewal), and relocation travel. They may not be issued to individuals who are not employees of the OPDIV or STAFFDIV. A trip-by-trip authorization must be issued under these circumstances.

It is the responsibility of the OPDIV’s or STAFFDIV’s management to define supplemental policies and procedures for using either a limited or unlimited open authorization. For example,

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it may be required that an individual trip-by-trip authorization be issued in order for the traveler to submit a travel voucher and be reimbursed. Any HHS organization which is serviced by the Program Support Center’s travel management system, and which wishes to use open authorizations, must coordinate and reach a mutual policy and procedural agreement within these guidelines with the PSC Financial Management Service before issuing such authorizations.

An amended order may be issued when a change in a previous order is necessary. It should be requested and issued when authority contained in the original order is insufficient for performance of official business or to permit the traveler to incur and be reimbursed for additional allowable expenses. Travel orders should be amended when:

•	the day of departure or return exceeds by more than 5 days what was authorized on the original travel order; or

•	the total actual expenses for the trip exceed the approved amount on the original travel order by the maximum threshold established by the pertinent agency; or

•	the itinerary needs to be changed to add an alternate temporary duty site; or

•	an item requiring special authorization was erroneously omitted. E.	Travel Orders under Reimbursable Agreements

Reimbursable travel is performed in accordance with a written agreement between the Department and another Federal agency or a non-Federal organization or institution. Travel under these conditions is subject to all of the laws, regulations, and policies referenced or contained in this manual. (Depending on the requirements and flexibilities of OPDIVs’ travel systems, reimbursable travel performed for another OPDIV/STAFFDIV may be handled through a similar written agreement or by a less formal means.)

•	Travel of an HHS employee for another Federal agency.

The travel is to be performed in accordance with a written agreement between the HHS component and the other Federal agency. This agreement will specify the reimbursement terms of travel, per diem, and other expenses. There are two basic situations that can occur when travel is performed for another Federal agency:

(a) the other Federal agency will agree to reimburse the HHS component for the employee’s travel costs; the HHS component will pay for the travel from its appropriated funds and obtain reimbursement from the other Federal agency. The other Federal agency shall provide all the appropriate accounting information and

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their Agency Location Code (ALC) in order to expedite the interagency billing at the conclusion of the travel. Travel expenses that are paid with the HHS appropriated funds are subject to all Federal and Departmental policies. A “no cost” travel order must be prepared to authorize the traveler to conduct official business away from his/her duty station even though the employing OPDIV/STAFFDIV has not funded the travel.

OR -

(b) the other Federal agency will provide all travel expense reimbursement directly to the employee, including transportation tickets, per diem, etc. The other agency is responsible for issuing the “travel order,” making all travel arrangements, and processing the travel voucher. In this case, the traveler should follow the rules and regulations of the sponsoring Federal agency.

Note: All travel orders for reimbursable travel will be supported by a copy of the agreement between the HHS component and the other Federal agency.

•	Travel for a Non-Federal Organization.

Travel orders for reimbursable travel will be supported by a copy of the Form HHS-348, Agreement for Reimbursement from Non-Federal Sources. The HHS-348 form will specify reimbursement in terms of salary, travel, per diem and other expenses. See Chapter 1-70 for additional information regarding reimbursable travel from non-federal sources.

F.	Orders for No-expense-to-the-Government Travel

Official temporary duty travel which is performed at no expense to the Government should be covered by a travel order that shows that the traveler is on official business while absent from his or her official duty station. Generally, if attendance at an event (conference, meeting, etc.) warrants an employee’s time and participation in an official business status, appropriated funds should be used to pay for the travel. “No-cost” or “no expense to the Government (NETG)” travel authorizations should be the rare exception. OPDIVs may elect to provide this type of travel authorization based upon extenuating circumstances (e.g., no appropriated funds within the OPDIV to pay for travel, due to continuing resolution) surrounding the need for the employee to attend a particular event. In the unusual case where the employee is authorized such travel and therefore deemed to be conducting official business while away from the permanent duty station, the travel authorization will serve to provide the usual Government coverages and protections (e.g., in case of an accident), and there is no requirement to place the employee on annual leave.

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GSA contract city pair fares should only be used for official travel when appropriated funds are used to purchase the tickets. Therefore, travelers cannot use the contract city pair fares for travel conducted on a non-expense travel order.

Note: Once a non-expense travel order is approved it cannot be amended to authorize appropriated funds. (Comptroller General decision B-192636, December 15, 1978.)

G.	Prompt Cancellation of Travel Orders

Travel orders will be canceled as soon as it is determined that the employee named therein will not travel or incur expenses under the authority of the order. This is particularly important near the end of a fiscal year when unnecessarily encumbered funds may preclude the performance of other necessary travel.

H.	Travel Orders Covering Two Fiscal Years

Travel and transportation expenses of temporary duty travel spanning more than one fiscal year should be charged against the appropriations current in the fiscal years in which the expenses are incurred rather than solely in the fiscal year in which the travel is ordered (Comptroller General Decision Letter B-238110, May 7, 1991).

When travel is to be performed beyond the end of the fiscal year, cost estimates for temporary duty travel will be provided separately for the two fiscal years involved, as follows:

1.	Tickets for round trip transportation will be charged against the appropriation current at the time the employee embarks on temporary duty travel, regardless of return date.

2.	Per diem and miscellaneous travel costs will be assigned to the applicable fiscal year appropriation in which they are incurred:

(a)	Costs incurred from the date travel is to begin, through the end of the fiscal year; and

(b)	Costs incurred from the beginning of the next fiscal year, through the date travel is to end.

For permanent change of station moves, reimbursable expenses of relocation should be charged against the appropriation current when the employee is ordered to transfer (Comptroller General Decision Letters B-213530, November 2, 1984 and B-238110, May 7, 1991). Example: Under an annual appropriation, if, on September 18, XXX1 (fiscal year 1), an employee is issued a Personnel Action to transfer and relocation expenses are authorized, a travel order should be

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issued in fiscal year 1 to charge all estimated obligations for reimbursable expenses to the fiscal year 1 appropriation. If, in a subsequent fiscal year, the travel order must be amended to increase estimated expenses, such as the authorization of an extension of temporary quarters subsistence expenses on December 1, XXX2 (fiscal year 2), there will need to be an upward adjustment of the obligations for the prior fiscal year 1 appropriation (current fiscal year funds may not be obligated).
3-10-20	TRAVEL VOUCHERS

A.	General

1.	Employees traveling on official business are expected to exercise the same care in incurring expenses that prudent persons would exercise if traveling on personal business.

2.	Employees are responsible for performing travel in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), the HHS Travel Manual, and supplemental policy/procedural guidance issued by the relevant OPDIV or STAFFDIV keeping adequate records of their expenditures, and providing the necessary facts, details, and supporting evidence for the proper preparation of their vouchers.

3.	Every voucher must be complete as to form, facts, details, and supporting documentation in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), the HHS Travel Manual, and any supplemental policy and procedural requirements issued by the relevant OPDIV or STAFFDIV. Otherwise, there may be suspensions of voucher payment and disallowances. The traveler is responsible for the correctness of all statements set forth in the voucher. Unusual items should be fully explained. Falsification of an item on an expense voucher may result in forfeiture of the claim. The penalty prescribed by law for presenting a false claim is a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.

4.	Travel voucher approving officials hold significant management control responsibility. They need to be knowledgeable about Federal and HHS travel policies and procedures, as well as about the traveling employee’s activities. They must ensure that:

•	Claim is properly prepared in accordance with governing policies and
procedures;
•	Copy of the travel authorization is provided;
•	

B.	SF-1012, Travel Voucher

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•	Expenses claimed are authorized and allowable;
•	Amounts claimed are accurate; and
•	Required receipts, statements, justifications, etc., are attached to the claim.

5.	Each OPDIV or STAFFDIV must establish a system of management controls to ensure that:

•	Travel vouchers are reviewed appropriately and timely by knowledgeable approving officials;
•	Approved travel vouchers are forwarded to finance offices timely, either electronically or manually;
•	Employees are notified promptly of any disallowed claims, with a detailed explanation as to why the claim was disallowed;
•	An official process is established and communicated to employees about appealing a disallowed claim. The appeals process should include the designation of who will handle appeals and procedures to appeal a disallowed claim. If an employee disagrees with the appeals decision, the OPDIV or STAFFDIV will advise the employee of his/her right to request review of the claim by the GSA Board of Contract Appeals (GSBCA) in accordance with the GSBCA’s Rule 401, Rules of Procedure for Travel and Relocation Expenses Cases (available on its Internet Website: www.gsbca.gsa.gov), if available (GSBCA will not hear appeals from bargaining unit members unless the applicable collective bargaining agreement explicitly and clearly excludes a travel/relocation matter from the negotiated grievance process; see Matter of Julio Gagot-Mangual, GSBCA No. 16117-TRAV); and
•	Procedures are established by approving offices to meet documentation retention requirements for travel vouchers and supporting documentation in accordance with General Records Schedule 9, Travel and Transportation Records, issued by the National Archives and Records Administration. For example, travel orders, original vouchers and supporting documents covering passenger transportation and per diem charges must be maintained for 6 years and 3 months after the voucher has been paid.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-52, Claiming Reimbursement
•	FTR Part 301-71, Subpart C, Travel - Claims for Reimbursement
•	
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Standard Form 1012, Travel Voucher, is the standard hard copy travel voucher used within the Government, when an official automated travel system cannot be used to generate an electronic voucher.

C.	Travel Voucher: Proper Elements, Time Frames, and Late Payment Penalties

Refer to HHS Travel Manual Section 9-00-20, Late Payment Penalties for Travel Vouchers, for information about the proper elements of a travel voucher, and time frames for submission by the employee, review by the approving office, and payment by the finance office.

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Subject:	TRAVEL ADVANCES
3-20-00	Purpose
10	Employees Eligible for Advance of Funds
20	Method of Travel Advance Payment
30	Liquidation of Travel Advances
40	Control of Travel Advances
3-20-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides supplemental guidance for the authorization, issuance, and liquidation of travel advances. The provisions of this chapter apply to both domestic and foreign travel of individuals whose travel expenses are paid for by an HHS OPDIV or STAFFDIV. Advance of funds for change of official station are covered in the Federal Travel Regulations (Chapter 302) and are limited to the specific relocation situation for which an employee may receive an
advance.
3-20-10	EMPLOYEES ELIGIBLE FOR ADVANCE OF FUNDS

In general, employees, intermittent experts or consultants, and invitational travelers, who are authorized to travel on official business, may be eligible for an advance of funds. Travel advances may not be authorized or issued to contractors.

Exceptions: It is HHS policy that:

A.	an employee who refuses to apply for and/or use the travel charge card for official travel and is not covered by an exemption, will not be authorized a cash travel advance from the finance office (refer to Section 9-00-10, Mandatory Travel Card Use, Paragraph F); and
B.	an employee whose travel charge card is cancelled due to misuse is considered to have elected by his/her misconduct not to use the card as required for payment of travel expenses, which disqualifies him/her from receiving an advance (refer to FTR 301-71.300 and Section 3-20-20 below).

Note: Check with the appropriate OPDIV/STAFFDIV finance office to verify if additional permissible exceptions are provided for its employees.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

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•	FTR 301-51, Subpart C, Receiving Travel Advances
•	FTR 301-71, Subpart D, Accounting for Travel Advances

3-20-20	METHOD OF TRAVEL ADVANCE PAYMENT

Heads of OPDIVs, or their designees who implement travel accounting systems for HHS employees, will establish travel advance policies within the requirements of the FTR and this Manual. In accordance with FTR 301-71.303, the following data must be captured for each request for an advance: (a) the name and social security number of the employee who has an advance; (b) the amount of each advance; (c) the date of its issuance; and (d) the date of reconciliation for unused portions of all travel advances. HHS automated systems must authorize, control, and liquidate travel advances in accordance with JFMIP Travel System Requirements and the requirements of the FTR and this Manual. They should provide data for automatic aging of outstanding travel advances based on the end of trip date and generate follow-up notices to the traveler and administrative staff concerning delinquent advances. If a travel advance must be authorized outside of an automated system, the Standard Form 1038, Application and Account for Advance of Funds, should be used, and the necessary management controls should be established through manual and/or electronic means.

The maximum allowable travel advance shall be calculated as follows:

A.	Employees with Individual Government Travel Charge Cards. Employees who have an active Government travel charge card may be authorized a travel advance and are expected to obtain authorized advances using the ATM feature of the Government travel charge card. An ATM cash advance may be authorized to cover anticipated out-of-pocket incidental travel expenses, such as ground transportation or occasional meals, that generally cannot be purchased with the charge card. See Chapter 9-00-10C of this manual for a list of items exempt from the mandatory use of the travel charge card.

In unusual circumstances (such as travel to remote locations), the travel authorizing official may determine that an employee will not be able to use the ATM feature to cover all of his/her anticipated cash out-of-pocket travel expenses and may authorize the issuance of a traditional cash travel advance from the servicing finance office. Note: With some travel to remote locations (e.g., certain foreign countries), the employee may not be able to use the travel charge card at all. In such instances, the travel authorizing official may include funds in the traditional cash travel advance to cover expected expenses such as lodging and meals.

B.	Individuals Exempt from the Use of the Government Travel Charge Card. Those individuals who are exempt from the mandatory use of the Government travel
A.	
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charge card (as defined in Chapter 9-00-10), such as infrequent travelers and those who are not, by policy, prohibited from receiving an advance, may request a traditional travel advance from their servicing finance office. A traditional travel advance shall not exceed 60% of the total estimated M&IE, lodging, and other incidental expenses authorized on the travel order. All common carrier expenses should be obtained through the Travel Management Service Center and charged to a Centrally Billed Account (CBA) or Government Transportation Request (GTR); therefore, those expenses should not be included when calculating the advance.

Note: If the employee’s supervisor determines that the 60% limitation will result in a justifiable and significant financial hardship on the employee, the supervisor with the concurrence of the travel approving official may in their discretion advance up to 100% of the estimated reimbursable expenses for an individual trip. The justification must be written on the travel order.

Exception: Under extremely limited circumstances, a traveler performing temporary duty travel in a foreign country may be required to procure passenger transportation that cannot be purchased using a Government travel charge card, CBA, or GTR. In such cases, where the traveler would have to pay these expenses out of pocket, they may be included in the calculation of the travel advance.

For travel within the continental United States, the amount advanced must not exceed estimated expenses for a period of forty-five days. For foreign travel, consideration may be given to time in travel status and time required for submission and payment of the employee’s travel voucher.

According to the FTR, the use of cash travel advances should be minimized. However, employees should not be required to pay travel expenses using personal funds unless the employee has elected not to use alternative resources provided by the Government, such as the Government travel charge card. It is the policy of this Department that any employee who misuses a travel charge card to the extent that the card is cancelled, is considered to have elected by his/her misconduct not to use the card for payment of travel expenses. An advance of funds for travel will not be permitted to such an employee. For the first six months after this policy becomes effective with issuance of the 2005 revised HHS Travel Manual, employees whose credit cards were cancelled prior to the effective date of the policy change may request an advance of up to eighty percent (80 %) of authorized travel-related charges reasonably expected to be incurred on any OPDIV-ordered travel during that six-month period.

Note: Heads of OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs, or their designees, may issue more restrictive policies regarding the issuance of travel advances to their employees.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

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•	FTR Part 301-51, Subpart C, Receiving Travel Advances
3-20-30	LIQUIDATION OF TRAVEL ADVANCES

The employee shall repay any portion of his/her travel advance not used for reimbursable expenses. The amount of the advance must be stated on the travel voucher in accordance with the provisions listed below. If the amount of reimbursement to the employee is inadequate to liquidate the advance, the employee shall pay the difference in cash, or by check or money order made payable to HHS or the specific OPDIV by name (in accordance with OPDIV’s travel management procedures). Payment must be made as soon as the amount of the unused advance is established with certainty, as explained below.

A.	When the advance is for a specific trip, a travel voucher must be submitted within five working days after completion of the trip for which the advance was issued. The voucher must reflect the amount of the advance and any amount not used during travel which the employee should repay, based upon the expenses claimed.

B.	The voucher will be processed through the usual OPDIV/STAFFDIV protocol to determine the actual amount of reimbursable expenses and proper offset of the advance against reimbursement due to the employee. Any portion of the advance which was not used for authorized expenses must be refunded. A notice of any payment due for unused advance funds will be sent to the employee by the finance office, and will include a description of how to dispute the amount due, penalties for late payment, and other applicable requirements and procedures. Payment of the amount of the unused advance must be received from the employee within fifteen days from the date of this notice or the date any timely dispute over calculation of the amount is resolved, whichever is later. If payment is not received by this due date, interest will accrue on the unliquidated amount, and the entire amount (including interest) may be recovered by offset against any monies otherwise payable to the employee.

C.	For an employee on temporary duty travel of seven weeks or longer, the maximum cash advance may not exceed the estimated travel expenses for a forty-five-day period (within CONUS) or the amount set in the travel order (outside CONUS). The traveler should be informed of this limitation, and of the necessity to submit his/her travel vouchers through proper channels to the paying finance office every thirty days and immediately upon completion of the travel. The amount of any unused advance will be calculated for each voucher separately, and must be refunded as provided above.
A.	
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D.	At any time the finance office deems it necessary, an employee may be required to liquidate the outstanding balance, reduce the amount, or justify continuation of a travel advance.

E.	In the event of cancellation or indefinite postponement of travel for which an advance has been issued, the employee shall immediately refund the full amount of the advance.
3-20-40	CONTROL OF TRAVEL ADVANCES

Each OPDIV or STAFFDIV must maintain travel advance records with appropriate safeguards and review procedures. Outstanding travel advances should be reviewed monthly. Normally, the review can be made at the same time that travel advance records are reconciled with the general ledger control account. The primary purpose of the review is to identify travel advance balances that have not been reduced during the periods specified below. Unless the finance office is already aware of, and is satisfied with, the reason why a balance has not been reduced, appropriate recovery action should be taken.

Note: Each OPDIV’s/STAFFDIV’s finance office is responsible for the control of travel advances under these policies. However, that office may establish a system of controls where the authorizing program office shares responsibility for monitoring and controlling travel advances within their offices. In this case, it is the finance office’s responsibility to issue clear procedures for program offices to follow in terms of monitoring and controlling travel advances, including how to handle delinquent, outstanding balances.

Employees must liquidate advances upon separation or transfer from the Department. Each OPDIV and STAFFDIV will take action to insure that employees leaving the Department have cleared all outstanding advances prior to their departure.

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	Subject:	TRAVEL RESERVATIONS, FREQUENT TRAVELER PROGRAMS, AND OPDIV TRAVEL PROGRAMS
	3-30-00	Purpose
10	Mandatory Use of Government Travel Management Services for Reservations
20	Frequent Traveler Programs and Promotional Materials
30	OPDIV Travel Management Programs
	3-30-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides supplemental guidance to HHS civilian employees, invitational travelers, and OPDIV management on making official travel reservations, participating in frequent traveler programs, and implementing OPDIV travel programs.
	3-30-10	MANDATORY USE OF GOVERNMENT TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR RESERVATIONS

When the OPDIV provides travel management services under a Government contract, such as a commercial travel agent - Travel Management Center - or an electronic travel services system, employees must use those services to arrange for common carrier transportation, lodging, and rental car. If an employee uses an unauthorized travel agent or unauthorized travel management center, the employee will be responsible for any additional costs that result from the unauthorized use and may be subject to any penalties the OPDIV may impose.

HHS Policy allows two exceptions from mandatory use of Government contracted Travel Management Services for reservations:

1.		If a Government agency sponsors a conference, arranges for a block of rooms to be available for federal attendees at a specified rate (not to exceed 25% over the lodging rate for the area) in one or more specific hotels, and provides a telephone number for making reservations, the traveler or his/her office may make the reservation through this method.

2.		If there is an unusual, emergency situation where it is not possible to use the Government contracted travel management services for arranging for common carrier transportation, lodging, and/or car rental, the delegated travel authorizing official may grant an exception for the specific travel arrangement, if appropriate justification is provided.
1.	
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Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-50, Arranging for Travel Services
•	FTR Part 301-73, Travel Programs
3-30-20	FREQUENT TRAVELER PROGRAMS AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

A.	General Policy

Effective April 12, 2002, any promotional benefits or materials received by an employee from a private source in connection with official travel may be retained by the employee and applied for personal use. A traveler who receives a promotional item, such as frequent flyer miles, upgrades, or access to carrier clubs, as a result of using travel or transportation services obtained at Federal Government expense, or accepted under Title 31, U.S.C.1353, may retain the promotional item for personal use, if such item is obtained under the same conditions as those offered to the general public and at no additional cost to the Federal Government.

B.	Redeeming Frequent Traveler Benefits and Promotional Materials

Employees may use frequent traveler benefits or promotional materials earned on official travel to obtain travel services for a subsequent official travel assignment(s) or retain such benefits for personal use, including upgrading to a higher class of service. Employees may not select or choose a travel service provider based on whether it provides frequent traveler benefits or to gain frequent traveler benefits for personal use. When redeeming frequent traveler benefits or promotional materials for subsequent official travel, the employee must comply with governing Federal travel regulations, such as the mandatory use of the travel management services and contract city-pair fares. Exceptions to these regulations may be found in FTR 301-73.102, Mandatory Use of Travel Management Service, and FTR 301-10.107 and 301-10.108, Mandatory Use of Contract City-Pair Fares. (Note that if an employee is redeeming a free round-trip frequent-flyer ticket for use on official business travel, at no cost to the Government, an exemption permits use of a non-contract city-pair carrier.) If the airline charges a small service fee to redeem accrued mileage and secure a free frequent flyer ticket, that small fee may be reimbursed to the employee if the airline provides a receipt clearly stating that the fee is a routine charge for redemption of the mileage to secure the ticket.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart B - Use of Contract City-Pair Fares
•	FTR 301-71.300 (policy governing use of travel advances)
•	
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3-30-30	OPDIV TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS

HHS OPDIVs are responsible for providing a travel management program for their employees, which will include: (a) travel management services, (b) commercial passenger transportation services, and (c) travel payment system services. OPDIVs are responsible for establishing and communicating supplemental policies and procedures to govern the use of these travel management, transportation, and payment services, as appropriate. Effective January 1, 2001, all OPDIVs must have a travel management system in place that will meet the requirements of FTR Part 301-73, Subpart B, eTravel Service and Travel Management Service, including the requirements of the Hotel/Motel Fire Safety Act.

OPDIV travel management and payment systems should provide for the procurement of travel services through the Government travel charge card or Centrally Billed Accounts (CBAs). They should only use Government Transportation Requests (GTRs) when no other option is available or feasible. OPDIVs should adopt commercial practices and eliminate GTR use to the maximum extent possible.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10.107, Use of Contract City-Pair Fares
•	FTR Part 301-50, Arranging for Travel Services
•	FTR Part 301-73, Travel Programs
•	
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	Subject:	TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES

	4-00-00	Purpose
	10	Transportation Expenses - General
	20	Transportation Method, Travel Routing, and Tips
	30	Procuring Common Carrier Transportation
	40	Mandatory Use of Contract Fares and When May Not Use
	50	Coach Class and When Higher Class Accommodation Upgrades Allowed
	60	Fly America Act and U.S. Flag Ship Requirements
	70	Compensation from Airline for Denial of Seat Versus Voluntarily Vacating Seat
	80	Use of Privately Owned Vehicles, Rental Cars, and Other Special Conveyances
	90	Internal Controls over the Authorization and Payment of Transportation Expenses
	4-00-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter provides supplemental guidance for HHS civilian employees, invitational travelers, and OPDIVs regarding allowable transportation expenses for temporary duty travel.
	4-00-10	TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES - GENERAL

HHS travel authorizing and approving officials, as well as HHS travelers, will follow the provisions of the Federal Travel Regulation and these supplemental HHS policy guidelines in authorizing, incurring, and approving transportation expenses.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Transportation Expenses
•	FTR Part 301-70, Subpart B, Agency Responsibilities for Policies and Procedures Relating to Transportation
•	FTR Part 301-72, Agency Responsibilities Related to Common Carrier Transportation

These sections of the FTR provide detailed guidance to the employee and to the agency's management regarding transportation expense policies. Topics in FTR Part 301-10 include:

•	Subpart A - General (transportation method and routing)
•	Subpart B - Common Carrier Transportation
•	Air - Mandatory use of contract city-pair fares
•	Air - Fly America requirements
•	Air - Compensation for denial of boarding and voluntary vacating of seat
•	
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•	Air - When other than coach class is allowed
•	Train - When other than coach class is allowed
•	Ship - U.S. flag ship requirement and class of accommodation
•	Local transit system use (bus, subway, etc.)
•	Subpart C - Government Automobile and Aircraft use
•	Subpart D - Privately Owned Vehicle use
•	Subpart E - Special Conveyance use (taxis, shuttles, and rental cars)
4-00-20	TRANSPORTATION METHOD, TRAVEL ROUTING, AND TIPS

A.	Transportation Method and Routing

The HHS travel authorizing official is responsible for determining the method(s) of transportation most advantageous to the Government, when cost, timing, and other factors are considered. If actual travel time requires only part of a day, employees are expected to work or take approved leave for their remaining duty hours in that day. (See Section 4-00-90-C for further explanation and examples.) If an employee travels by a non-authorized method of transportation, any additional expenses will be borne by the employee. Example: If an employee is authorized to travel via plane and chooses to travel via personally-owned vehicle (POV), the total constructive cost of the trip via the authorized method (plane) must be calculated (including transportation, per diem, etc.) and then compared to the total actual cost of the trip via POV. The employee's reimbursement is limited to actual expense, not to exceed the total constructive cost.

The HHS travel authorizing official should only authorize travel to official duty destination points. If an employee travels by an indirect route or interrupts travel by a direct route for personal convenience, reimbursement will be limited to the cost of travel by a direct route or on an uninterrupted basis and the employee will be responsible for any additional costs. Refer to Sections 4-00-30, Procuring Common Carrier Transportation, and 4-00-40, Mandatory Use of Contract Fares and When Cannot Use, for additional information about indirect or interrupted travel for personal convenience.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart A, General - Transportation Expenses

B.	Tips for Transportation

It is HHS policy that tips to a taxi, shuttle service, or courtesy transportation driver are limited to 15 percent of the charge for service; if there is no charge for service, the limit for tips is $2. Employees are expected to make maximum use of courtesy transportation (e.g., free airport-tohotel shuttle service) in lieu of incurring charges for the same transportation.

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Note: This expense should be recorded as a transportation expense on the voucher; it is not included in the "incidentals" portion of per diem.

4-00-30	PROCURING COMMON CARRIER TRANSPORTATION

A.	Prohibition Against Use of Cash for Common Carrier Transportation

Employees are required to use a Government individually-billed travel charge card, centrally-billed account, or a Government Transportation Request (GTR) to procure contract passenger transportation services. If a new employee or an invitational or infrequent traveler who is unaware of proper procedures, makes an unauthorized cash purchase of common carrier transportation, the OPDIV’s delegated travel approving official may allow reimbursement for the full cost of the transportation as a one-time exception (i.e., any future travel must be in accordance with established policy). In all other instances, reimbursement to the employee will be limited to the cost of such transportation using the authorized method of payment.

Unauthorized cash purchases of common carrier transportation include: (a) use of personal credit cards, (b) cash withdrawals from an ATM using the Government travel charge card, and (c) checks, both personal and travelers. For passenger transportation services costing $100 or less, an employee may use cash to procure the services only when use of the Government individually-billed travel charge card, centrally-billed account, and GTR are not practicable. For passenger transportation services costing more than $100, the OPDIV's delegated travel approving official can authorize or approve the use of a cash-equivalent purchase method to obtain a reduced fare for group, charter, or excursion arrangements or to procure non-contract carrier transportation under emergency circumstances, where the use of other methods is not possible. To justify the use of cash in excess of $100, both the employee and the employee's authorizing or approving official must certify on the travel claim the necessity for such use.

B.	Personal Liability for Purchase of Indirect Route Transportation Tickets for Personal Convenience

Employees must travel to their official destination points by the usually traveled route unless their travel authorizing official approves a different route as officially necessary. Employees who for personal convenience travel by an indirect route or interrupt travel by a direct route are personally liable for any additional costs. In the case of indirect or interrupted travel, reimbursement cannot exceed the constructive cost of direct routing or the actual cost of travel, whichever is less.

Example: If an employee decides to travel by an indirect route for personal convenience and exchanges a refundable transportation ticket issued for the official travel duty locations for the personal purchase of a transportation ticket for the indirect route, the employee is personally liable for the entire cost of the personal ticket if the official travel is subsequently canceled by the OPDIV. This is because the government ticket was refundable, so the constructive cost of the

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canceled official trip to the government was zero. It was the employee's personal choice to exchange the refundable direct route ticket for an indirect route ticket for personal convenience. Note: See a related topic about personal and indirect travel in Section 4-00-40, Paragraph B, When Contract Fares May Not Be Used.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart A, General
•	FTR Part 301-51, Subpart B, Paying for Common Carrier Transportation

C.		Government Liability for Authorizing Restricted, Non-Contract Fares for Common
Carrier Transportation

The FTR Part 301-10, Subpart B, Common Carrier Transportation, lists at 301-10.107 (Use of Contract City-Pair Fares) exceptional circumstances when a contract government fare does not have to be used. One exception is when a lower fare is available to the general public, which results in a lower overall cost of the trip to the Government (Section 301-10-107(c)). Use of non-contract fares due to lower cost should not be authorized unless the travel approving official and the employee have full confidence that the trip will occur on the precise schedule indicated when the non-contract fare ticket is purchased, unless no charge will accrue if the ticket must be exchanged or cancelled. It is HHS policy that travel authorizing officials may not approve use of a non-contract fare under this exception unless the cost saving on the non-contract fare ticket will be at least 40% of the total cost of the contract fare (i.e., the ticket price is 60% of the contract fare or less). If the travel approving official authorizes the procurement of a restricted or non-refundable, less-expensive commercial fare for the official trip AND the Government unilaterally undertakes an action (such as canceling the trip or changing the travel dates) for purely official business-related reasons which result in (a) the inability of the traveler to use the restricted ticket and obtain a refund, or (b) the incurrence of a cancellation or re-issuance fee to change dates, then the government is liable for the costs arising from its actions. The employee must submit such an unused authorized ticket to the OPDIV, according to its procedures.

However, the government is not liable for:

•	any cancellation or re-issuance fee, if the reason for the change in ticketed flight is personal and/or initiated by employee request or choice, rather than being a unilateral action by the Government for solely work-related reasons; and/or

•	any additional costs resulting from personal actions taken by the employee, such as exchanging an authorized restricted commercial fare for direct travel on official business for a different commercial fare for in order to accommodate indirect travel for personal convenience or pleasure. See Paragraph B above (Section 4-00-30 of this Manual).
•	
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D.	Accountability for Tickets and Other Transportation Documents

Employees are responsible for all transportation tickets, Government Transportation Requests and other transportation documents for official travel issued to them. Employees may be personally liable for any additional cost for official travel resulting from improper safeguarding of these transportation documents. For example, employees may be personally responsible for any airline fee to reissue a lost or stolen airline ticket for official travel. Employees must submit any unused tickets, coupons, or other evidence of refund to their OPDIV or contract Travel Management Center, in accordance with OPDIV procedures.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-51, Subpart B, Paying for Common Carrier Transportation
•	FTR Part 301-72, Agency Responsibilities Related to Common Carrier Transportation
4-00-40	MANDATORY USE OF CONTRACT FARES AND WHEN MAY NOT USE

A.	Mandatory Use of Contract City-Pair Fares

If the GSA city-pair contract fare for passenger transportation services is available to an employee for official travel, the employee must use the contract carrier unless one or more of the exceptions listed in FTR 301-10.107 applies. The employee is personally liable for any additional costs or penalties incurred resulting from unauthorized use of non-contract service.

Contract airfares may be used when an employee takes annual leave at the temporary duty station before or after the official travel assignment when there is no deviation of routing from the official travel points. However, OPDIVs may issue restrictive policies, especially when extensive leave will be taken at the temporary duty station in advance of the official travel. Refer to Section 4-00-90, A. Management Controls Over Issuance of Official Business Tickets.

B.	When Contract Fares May Not Be Used

1.	Official Travel Being Paid Directly by Non-Federal Sources

GSA contract airfares should only be used for official travel that is being paid by federal funds. This includes approved sponsored travel under FTR Part 304, Payment of Travel Expenses from a Non-Federal Source, when the agency pays for the employee's transportation and is reimbursed by a non-federal source. They should not be used for official travel being paid directly by other funding sources (personal or non-federal organizations). Example: They should not be used for the travel of an intern whose salary

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and travel expenses during his/her internship with HHS are being paid directly by a State government.

2.	Personal Travel and Official Travel by an Indirect Route for Personal Convenience

GSA contract airfares may not be authorized for personal travel by employees. Personal travel includes when an employee, for personal convenience, travels by an indirect route or interrupts travel by a direct route on an official travel assignment. Employees who choose to travel by an indirect route for personal convenience may not obtain Government contract fares for the indirect route portions of their trip, which are considered personal travel. Also, they may not use the Government travel charge card or a centrally-billed account to pay for tickets for these indirect travel points. Usually, the employee will be issued a round-trip ticket (at the Government contract fare, if available) by the OPDIV's Travel Management Center (TMC) for the direct route to and from the official duty points. If the employee chooses to travel by an indirect route for personal convenience, he/she can request the TMC to exchange a part or all of the Government authorized ticket for travel by an indirect route. See Section 4-00-30-B, Personal Liability for Purchase of Indirect Route Transportation Tickets for Personal Convenience.

3.	Contractors (including cost-reimbursable contractors)

Use of GSA contract carrier airline passenger fares is governed by GSA's contracts with the airlines. As of October 1, 1998, these contracts provide that contractors (including cost-reimbursable ones) are not eligible to use GSA's contract city fares. Government contract fares must not be issued to a contractor, nor should a contractor be placed on an Invitational Travel Order.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart B (Common Carrier Transportation), 301-10.107-.117

4-00-50	COACH CLASS AND WHEN HIGHER CLASS ACCOMMODATION UPGRADES ALLOWED

Employees must use coach class accommodations for travel by airline or train, unless specifically authorized/approved to use a higher class of service in accordance with the provisions of FTR 301-10, Subpart B. There are different restrictions for using first class versus premium-otherthan-first class accommodations. Travelers should pay strict attention to the FTR definitions of the different service classes because airlines frequently identify them by a different term. For example, the FTR states that when an airline flight only has two classes of accommodations, the higher class is considered to be first class, regardless of the term used by the airline for that class (such as business class). Employees must follow the FTR class of service definitions.

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Effective September 13, 2002, for travel by train, extra fare service may be authorized if your OPDIV/STAFFDIV determines it is more advantageous to the Government or is required for security reasons (see FTR 301-10.163 and 301-10.164). Employees may use the lowest class of service available on any train (including AMTRAK Acela, Acela Express or other Metroliner service) with no further agency approval. Example: The lowest available class is business class on the Amtrak Acela Express. First class accommodations may be authorized/approved only as provided in FTR 301-10.162.

For travel by ship, employees must use the lowest first class of reserved accommodations available, unless specifically authorized/approved to use a higher class of service in accordance with the provisions of FTR 301-10, Subpart B.

Please refer to Section 3-30-20, Frequent Traveler Programs and Promotional Materials, of this Manual for HHS policies on using frequent flyer benefits for transportation accommodation upgrades.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart B, Airline (301-10.121), Train (301-10.160), and Ship (301-10.180) Accommodations

•	FTR 301-10.164 (Use of Extra-fare Train Service) 4-00-60	FLY AMERICA ACT AND U.S. FLAG SHIP REQUIREMENTS

Under the Fly America Act (49 U.S.C. 40118), anyone whose air travel is financed by U.S. Government funds must use U.S. flag air carrier service for all air travel, unless their travel is covered under one of the few exceptions provided in the FTR. U.S. flag air carrier service includes service provided under a code share agreement with a foreign air carrier when the ticket, or documentation for an electronic ticket, identifies the U.S. flag air carrier's designator code and flight number. An employee will not be reimbursed for any transportation cost for improper use of a foreign air carrier service.

Under 46 U.S.C. 1241, employees must travel by a U.S. flag ship, when available, unless mission necessity requires use of a foreign ship.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, 301-10.131-.143 (Airline) and 301-10.180-.183 (Ship)
•	
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4-00-70	COMPENSATION FROM AIRLINE FOR DENIAL OF SEAT VERSUS VOLUNTARILY VACATING SEAT

The FTR states that when an airline denies a federal employee a confirmed reserved seat on a plane during official travel, any payment for liquidated damages belongs to the federal government and should be made out to the "Treasurer of the United States." In contrast, if an employee voluntarily vacates his or her seat, the employee may keep any compensation provided by the airline if the conditions specified in the FTR are met: (a) vacating the seat will not interfere with performing official duties; and (b) additional travel expenses, if incurred as a result of vacating the seat, are borne by the employee and are not reimbursed. If volunteering delays the employee's travel during duty hours, the employee must request an appropriate type of leave for any part of the delay period which is official duty time. If the employee does not submit such a request timely, management of the OPDIV must charge the employee with annual leave for the additional hours.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart B, Common Carrier Transportation
4-00-80	USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLES, RENTAL CARS, AND OTHER SPECIAL CONVEYANCES

Policies on the use of privately owned vehicles and special conveyances (taxis, shuttles, rental vehicles, etc.) for official travel are covered in Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart D, Privately Owned Vehicle (POV)
•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart E, Special Conveyances

A.	Use of Privately Owned Vehicles (POVs)

When an employee is authorized to use a POV for official travel, the employee may be reimbursed for the mileage to and from the official destination at the current FTR mileage cost rate, plus fees for parking, ferries, and tolls. An employee may not be reimbursed for repairs, depreciation, replacements, grease, oil, antifreeze, towage, and similar expenses. Other non-reimbursable costs are: parking violations, locksmith charges, flat tires, and gasoline purchases.

Note: Under 5 U.S.C. 5704, the FTR mileage cost rate is developed by GSA based upon a review and analysis of factors, such as: depreciation of original vehicle cost, gasoline and oil (excluding taxes), maintenance, accessories, parts, and tires, insurance, and State and Federal taxes. Because these items are factored into the FTR mileage cost rate paid to the employee, there is no additional reimbursement for them.

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B.	Use of Rental Vehicles

When an employee is authorized to hire a rental vehicle for official travel, the employee may use the rental vehicle for official purposes while at the temporary duty station, including travel to and from restaurants near the work site or hotel. Employees must obtain vehicles from rental agencies who have negotiated agreements with the Department of Defense, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, when they have rental cars available which meet mission requirements. The terms and conditions of the agreements and rates apply to all Federal employees on official travel and include unlimited free mileage, plus full loss/collision damage waiver (LDW/CDW) on the rental vehicle.

If an employee takes a personal trip away from the temporary duty point on a weekend or other non-workday or at any other time for reasons not related to official travel, any additional
expenses incurred (such as gasoline purchases that cover travel mileage for personal reasons) may not be claimed. Additionally, employees should be aware that the Government will deny liability for any loss or damage to a vehicle rented for official business purposes using a government travel charge card if that loss/damage arises from activities outside the scope of official business travel. Even if they will not claim travel reimbursement for any associated costs of personal use of such a vehicle, employees should check all personal automobile insurance policies or coverage carefully before considering using a vehicle rented for business purposes for personal use on non-duty time, as coverage may be unavailable under these circumstances.

C.	Use of Other and Special Conveyances for Transportation

Employees are expected to use prudence and good judgment when choosing the mode of transportation between sites when on temporary duty travel (e.g., between residence and carrier terminal, place of lodging and temporary work site, carrier terminal and place of lodging). Courtesy transportation offered by hotels and motels should be used whenever possible; a tip up to $2 may be reimbursed when these complimentary services are used. Public transportation (e.g., local bus, train, or ferry) should be used whenever reasonable under the circumstances. Suitable government-sponsored (e.g., scheduled vans) or multiple-party transportation (e.g., airport shuttle services) should be used whenever available. Taxicabs may be used when these other modes of short-distance transportation are not reasonably available or if safety is a concern (e.g., late night return from temporary duty site to place of lodging). More expensive means of local transportation (e.g., limousines) may be used only when strictly necessary, and require advance approval by the travel-authorizing official except in an emergency for which the employee is not responsible. Only the usual fare (plus tip of up to 15% of that amount) for the most reasonable mode of transportation under the circumstances may be reimbursed, except in extenuating circumstances beyond the employee’s control. If an employee chooses to use an unnecessary mode of transit, s/he is expected to pay any additional cost associated with that choice.

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4-00-90	INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER THE AUTHORIZATION AND PAYMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES

Heads of OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs or their designees are responsible for establishing appropriate management controls over the authorization and payment of transportation expenses to ensure compliance with the Federal Travel Regulation, the HHS Travel Manual, and their own supplemental policies and procedures.

OPDIV travel and finance offices are encouraged to obtain and use the "U.S. Government Passenger Transportation Handbook" as a reference tool. This document provides extensive information on using and controlling Government Transportation Requests, handling transportation refunds, redeeming unused tickets, and other pertinent topics. It is issued by GSA, Federal Supply Service; copies can be obtained from Audit Division, Federal Supply Service (FBT), GSA, 1800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20405.

A.	Management Controls Over Issuance of Official Business Tickets

OPDIV travel managers are responsible for establishing supplemental policies and procedures to control the issuance of official business tickets through their Travel Management Centers/Systems, including when employee leave and/or indirect travel are involved. Controls are needed to ensure that tickets are issued in accordance with agency mission requirements (not to facilitate personal travel plans) in the interest of compliance with the FTR and sound cash management practices. Controls must include administrative procedures to identify and collect unused, partially used, and exchanged tickets, refund receipts or ticket refund applications, and denied boarding compensation.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR 301-70, Subpart B, Internal Policy and Procedure Requirements Relating to Transportation
•	FTR 301-72 Agency Responsibilities Related to Common Carrier Transportation

B.	Management Controls Over Rental Vehicles and Use of Privately Owned Vehicles

OPDIV and STAFFDIV travel/logistics/administrative managers are responsible for establishing appropriate supplemental policies and procedures to control the authorization and use of Government, rental, and privately owned vehicles for official use. For example, they should provide guidance to their employees regarding the terms and limitations of Government rental car agreements, including loss and damage coverage, exclusions, and billings. They should provide guidance on factors applicable to selection of appropriate rental vehicles in a prudent manner (for example, size, type, number of days actually needed, use of upgrades, consolidating travelers going to the same site to reduce number of vehicles needed) and require written justification for any vehicle rented which might appear imprudent or unnecessary under the circumstances or

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disallow the excess cost. They should advise employees about special policies and procedures for operating rental and privately owned vehicles in foreign countries, if applicable. They should advise employees about filing personal property loss or damage claims resulting from the use of a vehicle while on official business in accordance with HHS claims policies and procedures.

C.	Management Controls Over Scheduling of Travel to Avoid Lost or Unproductive Duty Time

All managers and travel authorizing officials are responsible for ensuring that employees schedule official business travel in a manner and on a time schedule which minimizes lost or unproductive work hours. For example:

•	An employee travels on Monday for a conference which commences Tuesday morning. The trip requires four hours of actual time in transit. The employee should report to work on Monday morning and commence travel in the afternoon. If he/she elects to travel in the morning, leaving afternoon hours free for personal enjoyment at the temporary duty location, annual leave (or comparable appropriate non-duty status) must be used for any hours not worked and not actually traveling to the temporary duty site that day.

•	The employee’s official business ends late in the afternoon, and travel back to the official duty station is not feasible to schedule in the evening. The employee must take the first reasonable return flight the following morning, or take leave if he/she chooses to take a later flight. For example: The first flight leaves at 8:30 a.m., but the employee elects to wait until a 11:30 a.m. flight, which arrives at the airport for the official duty station at 1:45 p.m. The employee must take three hours of appropriate leave to account for the late departure, unless s/he is able to work the additional hours and complete the proper hours of work for that day on a flexitime program.

•	Employees should work a complete day (the usual number of hours in their tour of duty) on travel days, or take an appropriate type of leave for the hours not worked. For example: If an employee’s actual return travel time from the temporary duty station to the official duty station is five hours, s/he must report to work or take leave for the remaining hours in the regular work day after arriving at the return destination. However, if the return travel time is seven hours (adjusted for time zone changes), the manager may excuse the employee from working the last hour if, in her/his discretion, s/he determines that it would take sufficiently long to get to the office that few official duties could be performed before the employee would be entitled to leave for the day.

•	Connecting flights should be scheduled with a reasonable, not excessive, amount of connection time at the intermediate airport whenever possible. If the airline has
•	
a forty-minute connection time between flights available in St. Louis, the employee should not be permitted to take a different flight which is scheduled to depart St. Louis for the same destination two and one-half hours after the incoming flight is scheduled to arrive.

4)	Management Responsibility to Ensure Compliance with FTR and HHS Travel Manual Provisions When Approving Travel Vouchers for Payment

OPDIV/STAFFDIV officials who are responsible for approving travel payments must ensure compliance with the FTR regulations and HHS Travel Manual policies, including proper exercise of discretion in approving amount of reimbursement claimed by employees. Failure to exercise discretion consistent with applicable policies and guidance, and/or approval of reimbursement which is inappropriate under them, may be cause for discipline, an indication of performance deficiencies, and/or personal liability for the improper amount of payment.

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Subject:	MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES

4-10-00	Purpose
10	Reimbursable Miscellaneous Expenses

4-10-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides supplemental guidance for HHS civilian employees and invitational travelers on reimbursable miscellaneous expenses incurred during official travel.

4-10-10	REIMBURSABLE MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES

HHS authorizing and approving officials may authorize or approve reimbursement of miscellaneous expenses, as listed in the Federal Travel Regulation Part 301-12 and these supplemental HHS policy guidelines. Each type of miscellaneous expense will be reported as a separate line item on the travel voucher, indicating the amount and dates when incurred. In general, receipts are required only when the individual expense is greater than $75. In addition, there are special requirements for the types of miscellaneous expenses listed below in this Section.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-12 Miscellaneous Expenses

Note: An OPDIV’s travel policy on miscellaneous expense reimbursement may be different from the Departmental guidelines contained in this Manual, but should not exceed the overall cost under Manual guidelines. The OPDIV’s travel policy governs its employees, where it differs.

A.	Hotel Taxes While on Travel

Continental U.S. (CONUS) - Effective for travel on or after January 1, 1999, GSA removed hotel taxes from lodging rates previously included in the per diem rates for the continental U.S. Hotel taxes are now a miscellaneous expense item. (See FTR 301-11.27.)

Non-foreign Duty Areas (OCONUS) - Effective for travel on or after January 1, 2000, the Department of Defense removed hotel taxes from lodging rates for non-foreign duty areas outside of the continental U.S. Non-foreign areas include: Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico,

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Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and territories and possessions of the U.S. Hotel taxes are now a miscellaneous expense item.

Foreign Duty Areas - As of the issuance date of this Travel Manual section, the Department of State continues to include hotel taxes in their per diem lodging rates for foreign duty areas. Hotel taxes in foreign areas may not be authorized or vouchered as a miscellaneous expense item unless and until a change in policy is published by the State Department and becomes effective as to travel by employees of this Department.

B.	Telephone Calls For Personal Reasons While in Travel Status

It is HHS policy that commercial charges for telephone calls placed for personal reasons while in travel status are reimbursable as a miscellaneous travel expense to civilian employees, subject to the following restrictions:

1.	The employee must incur a minimum of one night’s lodging on official travel, either domestic or foreign.

2.	The telephone call(s) must be placed to the employee’s residence, the temporary caretaker of the employee’s residence while he/she is on travel, a person with whom the employee normally shares his/her residence, or a location where a dependent family member is housed, if that individual is unable to live alone.

3.	Government-provided long distance telephone systems and services (including government-issued calling cards and government cell phones) are not available, so that a commercial toll service must be used. If they do not have government-issued calling cards or cell phones, employees should make their allowable personal call(s) from the temporary duty station before departing for the day, to avoid incurring expensive commercial telephone charges.

4.	Employees are expected to incur telephone call expenses in the same manner as a prudent person would. An average of one call per day is authorized for domestic travel. See Item 6 below for foreign travel.

5.	Travel Within CONUS. The Department's policy for travel within the Continental U.S. (CONUS) is that reimbursement for personal telephone calls should be limited to actual expenses not to exceed an amount equal to $5 times the number of consecutive nights on official business. OPDIVs may set policy limits for their employees which are more restrictive than the Department’s.

6.	Travel OCONUS. The Department's basic requirements for personal telephone call reimbursement for periods of travel outside of the continental U.S. to foreign areas are as follows:
1.	
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a.	The determination that telephone calls home from a foreign country will be allowed must be made prior to the beginning of travel. Once the determination is made, authorization for these calls must be made on the travel order.

b.	Due to major costs differences in foreign phone rates, the authorizing official must also authorize the frequency and estimated cost of telephone calls on the travel order. Major deviations, over 20 percent, from what is authorized on the travel order must be accompanied by a written justification describing the circumstances for the deviation. The authorizing official is responsible for reviewing such claims and making the final determination that the amounts claimed are reasonable.

Travel OCONUS to Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions follow the policy above in section (5), as calling conditions and rates are expected to be similar to CONUS areas.

7.		Receipt Requirements. If an employee incurs costs for personal telephone calls under this policy (i.e., does not use Government-provided long distance telephone systems and services for the call(s) he/she makes on travel), the employee must provide a receipt for those costs claimed on his/her travel voucher. Acceptable receipts include hotel bills with long distance telephone calls and numbers marked, and store receipts listing the purchase of pre-paid phone cards. Employees must sign a certification to accompany the receipt(s), stating that the entire claimed expense was in fact incurred for telephone calls permissible under the rules of this Section. No reimbursement is permitted for use of a personal cell phones.

8.		Personal Emergencies. Personal emergencies are defined as the death or serious illness or injury of a member of the employee's immediate family or catastrophic occurrence or impending disaster such as fire, flood, or act of God which directly affects the employee's home at the official duty station or his/her immediate family and occurs while the employee is at, or en route to or from, a temporary duty location. In this scenario, an employee may be reimbursed (via post-trip approval) for a personal call to a personal physician or school official. When personal emergencies occur, the approving official may approve a higher amount than the OPDIV’s standard reimbursement policy limitation when the following requirements are met:

•	Government-provided long distance telephone systems and services are not available, so that a commercial toll service must be used.
•	A justification for the higher personal telephone expense allowance must be documented on the approved travel voucher.
•	
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•	Receipts are required for all charges, to the extent that the calls were placed through a method that provides a receipt.

Employees calling to an area stricken by a disaster should be mindful that emergency services workers need extensive communications capacity, and therefore restrict calls into that area to the minimum necessary.

In all cases, employees should make personal calls during lunch, break, or other off-duty periods, if at all possible. To the maximum extent practicable, employees should place calls on Government-provided long distance telephone systems and services instead of using commercial toll services, in accordance with their OPDIVs' policies.

Approving officials must be sensitive to the employee's needs yet, at the same time, keep in mind the Government's interest by assuring that any reimbursement of or towards the expense of such calls is prudent. Numerous conditions can affect the cost of a telephone call, such as hotel surcharges and high rates for calls placed from individual rooms. Additional cost factors arise in foreign countries, including the country's telephone carrier system and additional tariffs. If telephone calls for personal reasons during travel cannot be made on a Government telecommunications system, reasonable restrictions and guidelines should be issued to ensure that costs are minimized.

C.	Laundry, Dry Cleaning, and Pressing of Clothing While in Travel Status - CONUS

In the continental United States, laundry, cleaning and pressing of clothing at a temporary duty location is reimbursable as a miscellaneous travel expense to civilian employees, subject to the following restrictions:

1.	The employee must incur a minimum of four consecutive nights lodging on official travel.

2.	Each OPDIV is responsible for setting a policy on limitations to reimbursement. The Department's guideline is: Reimbursement should be limited to actual expenses not to exceed an amount equal to: $5 times the number of consecutive nights on the trip for the first 30 days at a temporary duty travel location.

3.	Receipts are required for ALL laundry/dry cleaning purchases claimed for reimbursement (except coin-operated machine usage where receipts are not available).

Long Term Temporary Duty Assignments - Each OPDIV is responsible for setting a policy on limitations to reimbursement. The Department's guideline is that for extended temporary duty travel at the same location, reimbursement should be limited to actual expenses not to exceed an

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amount equal to: $3 times the number of consecutive nights on the trip for days 31 through 90; and $2 times the number of consecutive nights on the trip for days beyond 90 days.

Unusual Circumstances - Under unusual circumstances, laundry and dry cleaning requirements during temporary duty travel exceeding four consecutive nights may necessarily exceed the OPDIV’s standard allowance (such as $5 per night). If justified as officially necessary, the authorizing official may authorize a higher daily allowance on the travel order or, if the additional costs were unexpected, the approving official of the travel voucher may approve the higher actual costs incurred. In all cases (pre-approved or post-approved) where unusual circumstances necessitate the incurrence of unusual laundry/dry cleaning costs, the following requirements must be met:

•	The employee must incur a minimum of four consecutive nights lodging on official travel within the continental U.S.

•	A justification for the higher laundry/dry cleaning allowance must be documented on the travel order (pre-authorized) or the approved travel voucher (post-approved).

Temporary Duty Travel Less than Four Consecutive Days - If a trip within the continental U.S. is less than four consecutive days, there is no authority under the Federal Travel Regulation to authorize or pay a miscellaneous expense allowance for laundry or dry cleaning costs. The $3 incidental expense component of the per diem rate for Meals and Incidental Expenses is the only allowance available to cover such costs.

D.	Laundry, Dry Cleaning, and Pressing of Clothing While in Travel Status - Outside of
CONUS

In non-foreign (OCONUS) and foreign areas, laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing of clothing expenses are covered under the incidental expenses component of per diem allowances issued by the Department of Defense and Department of State, respectively. They may not be authorized or approved as a separate miscellaneous expense item. Non-foreign areas include: Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and territories and possessions of the U.S.

E.	Emergency and Other Authorized Miscellaneous Expenses

HHS authorizing and approving officials may authorize or approve reimbursement of miscellaneous expenses beyond the examples listed in the FTR Part 301-12, Miscellaneous Expenses, when they determine these expenses to be directly related to the employee's official business travel and justification is provided for the necessity of the purchase. Example: official business purchases by employees in temporary duty travel status of emergency supplies and samples of materials for testing by FDA inspectors.

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Note: If a traveler is in a temporary duty site where a particular facility (hotel, restaurant, etc.) refuses to accept the travel charge card for payment of the bill, and the employee uses a personal credit card rather than paying with cash, no interest accrued on the personal credit card for that payment may be reimbursed under any circumstances.

Heads of OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs or their designees are responsible for establishing appropriate management controls over the authorization and approval of miscellaneous expenses to ensure compliance with the Federal Travel Regulation and these supplemental guidelines. Additionally, they are responsible for ensuring that purchases of goods and services that should be ordered and authorized through procurement processes are not inappropriately approved for payment on travel claims, including temporary duty, relocation, and local travel vouchers.

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Subject:	OFFICIAL DUTY TRAVEL EXPENSES IN LOCAL TRAVEL AREA
4-20-00	Purpose
10	Definition of Official Duty Station and HHS Local Travel Area
20	HHS Local Travel Area Policy
30	Criteria for Determining Allowable Local Travel Transportation Expenses
40	Modes of Travel
4-20-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides supplemental guidance for HHS civilian employees, invitational travelers, and OPDIVs regarding official duty travel expenses in the local travel area. It also applies to HHS Commissioned Corps officers.

4-20-10	DEFINITION OF OFFICIAL DUTY STATION AND HHS LOCAL TRAVEL
AREA

A.	GSA makes a critical distinction between two concepts:

1.	The corporate limits of the city or town where the employee’s permanent duty station (office location) is situated (i.e., the corporate limits of that city/town) constitutes the “official duty station.”

2.	When outside the official duty station but within the vicinity surrounding it, the rules differ. This is referred to as the “local travel area,” which is defined by the agency, pursuant to authority granted in the FTR. HHS defines the local travel area as a minimum driving distance of 50 miles, by the most direct route possible, from the employee’s office/permanent duty station. (In other words, a temporary duty site within 50 miles from the employee’s regular office would be considered part of the local travel area.)

Per diem will not be paid in the city/town where the employee regularly works, as defined in subsection 1 above, as it is coterminous with the “official duty station.” Per diem will not be paid in the local travel area as defined in subsection 2 above unless the following narrow exemption applies, in which all criteria must be met:

a.	The local travel is not being performed to attend or participate in a conference, meeting, or training for which the agency had any influence over or input into the site selection; and

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b.	 The local travel assignment will last at least three consecutive nights and four days and entail at least nine and one-half consecutive hours of work per day on each of those days; and

c.		It is clearly within the Government’s interest, for accomplishment of its mission, to permit a particular employee to stay overnight at the site of the local travel assignment on one or more of those night(s), not necessarily consecutive; and

d.		That employee would be required to perform an extensive amount of driving (defined as at least 80 miles) each way between his/her residence and the site of the local travel assignment, on a daily basis (in a carpool situation, each employee must live at least 80 miles from the TDY site to qualify for this exception); and

e.		Significant safety issues are raised by the combination of the extended hours of work and the extensive amount of driving for the employee performing this local travel assignment.

Note: In making their discretionary decision on whether these conditions apply, the officials should take into account factors such as the region of the United States in which the temporary duty is being performed, normal traffic patterns and corresponding speed limits, length of each extended workday and cumulative effect on the particular employee involved, etc. If a per diem allowance is authorized for any day of local travel under this exception, a travel order must be issued to the employee for such day(s).

	Example:	An employee who works in the Parklawn Building has an official duty station of Rockville, Maryland. A conference held in Warrenton, Virginia (49 miles away), would be within the local travel area, so per diem would not be paid. However, if that employee, who happens to live in Hagerstown, Maryland is assigned to perform a full-week inspection at a site in Warrenton, Virginia (driving 82 miles each way from his home), must spend 9 hours on-site each day doing the inspection, and must meet with his inspection team for at least an hour after each day’s on-site activity, his travel-approving official could decide to authorize him to spend Wednesday and Thursday nights in Warrenton with per diem for that time period. If he carpools with a team member from Hagerstown each day, that co-worker may also be approved to stay in Warrenton those two nights with per diem. A team member they pick up in Manassas, only 15 miles from Warrenton, would not be eligible for per diem, so that

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employee would need to would drive to Warrenton from Manassas when the Hagerstown team members stay at Warrenton.

Note: Heads of OPDIVs or their designees have the authority to increase the minimum distance for the local travel area above 50 miles, if they deem it to be in the best interest of their organization. However, they may not reduce it below the HHS policy.

b)	Statutory Exemption

At the official duty station (as defined in subsection A-1 above) or within the local travel area vicinity of it (as defined in subsection A-2 above), per diem or subsistence allowances may be paid consistent with a specific statutory exception found in the Government Employees Training Act. Refer to HHS Travel Manual Section 5-00-40-B, Per Diem May Not be Authorized at Official Duty Station (“Exception”).

c)	Use of Government Charge Card

If either the exemption in subsection A-2 above, or the GETA statutory exception in subsection B above, applies, the employee should use his/her Government travel charge card for per diem expenses consistent with Chapter 9-00-10 of this Manual.

4-20-20	HHS LOCAL TRAVEL AREA POLICY

A.	Irrespective of the definition of “local travel area” in Section 4-20-10-A above, lodging and M&IE may not be authorized if the temporary duty assignment is at a site within 50 miles driving distance, by the most direct route possible, of an employee’s usual residence.

Example:	An OPDIV plans a three-day regionwide grantee conference in San Jose, California. The hotel conference center is 60 miles from the San Francisco Regional Office. Many employees attending the conference may be paid per diem and stay at the hotel in San Jose for the two nights. Those who commute to the Regional Office each day from homes in Palo Alto and Union City (18 and 24 miles from the conference site, respectively), however, may not be paid per diem; they are expected to return home each night during the conference.

B.	When an employee is required to secure transportation to transact Government business in and around the designated post of duty, he or she may be reimbursed for allowable travel expenditures, if approved.
A.	
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C.	It is HHS policy that the travel charge card may only be used for official travel and official travel-related expenses connected with temporary duty travel or relocation. The travel charge card may not be used for local transportation or travel-related expenses, except as outlined in Chapter 9-00-10.I.

D.	Reimbursement for allowable local travel expenditures will usually be claimed via an electronic or hard copy version of Standard Form 1164, Claim for Reimbursement for Expenses on Official Business, because no travel authorization was required or issued. Claims may be filed as frequently as necessary, but preferably no more often than on a monthly basis, so that administrative processing may be kept to a minimum. If a travel order is issued by management of an OPDIV under the exemption in subsection 4-20-10-A-2 above or written authorization is given for rental of a vehicle for official local travel in subsection 4-20-20-C above, this expense should be claimed on an electronic or hard copy version of Standard Form 1012, Travel Voucher.

E.	Receipts for local travel expenditures are generally not required, except for any single expense costing over $75. Receipts for rental cars, laundry/dry cleaning, personal telephone calls under section 4-10-10-B of this Manual, and in the rare circumstance when authorized, for lodging, are required regardless of amount. If the employee is unable to furnish receipts where required, he or she will make a full explanation on the claim or voucher. Mere inconvenience in obtaining receipts will not be accepted as a satisfactory explanation.

4-20-30	CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING ALLOWABLE LOCAL TRAVEL TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES

A.	Non-Reimbursable Local Travel Transportation Expenses

Employees are expected to bear the cost of transportation between their homes and places of duty and the cost of transportation between places where meals are taken and places of duty. Payment shall not be allowed for transportation expenses on non-regular weekdays and weekends, between an employee’s home and official duty station for the purposes of commuting to and from work, or the performance of overtime or emergency duty. However, payment for mileage, parking, tolls,
etc., may be allowed for a meeting/conference/training that takes place away from the employee’s official duty station on a non-workday or on a week-end.

Exception: If an employee is officially ordered to work at his or her designated post of duty beyond official working hours, he or she may be allowed reimbursement of the usual taxicab fare for travel between office and home provided that (a) he or she is dependent on public transportation for such travel, and (b) travel is during hours of darkness or infrequently-scheduled public transportation.

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B.	Reimbursable Local Travel Transportation Expenses

Employees may be reimbursed transportation expenses incurred in the local travel area to perform official business. Generally, reimbursement may be allowed from whatever point the employee begins the journey to perform official business. However, when the journey begins and/or ends at the employee’s home, the approving official must ensure that appropriate reduction is made for normal commuting expenses. If an employee incurs no additional transportation expenses above their normal commuting expenses, the approving official should deny reimbursement. However, approving officials can take into consideration and not require such a reduction in unusual circumstances, such as: where the employee has no normal commuting costs or where the employee has prepaid normal commuting costs and loses their benefit because of local travel requirements (see below):

Examples of Unusual Circumstances Where Reduction is Not Required:

•	Employees working from home on a scheduled day under an approved flexi-place agreement, who need to travel locally on official business, have a zero normal commuting distance. Therefore, no reimbursement reduction is required.

Note: This exception does not apply on a scheduled work-at-home day, if the employer cancels the scheduled work-at-home day and requires the employee to work at the normal duty office or at an alternate temporary duty location in the local travel area for most or all of the day.

•	Employees who prepay normal commuting expenses on a weekly, monthly, or other basis to a common carrier, vanpool, parking lot, etc. may incur the cost and receive no (or reduced) service/benefit because of the requirement for local travel. These “sunk” commuting costs should not be included in any reduction (although if an employee uses the pre-paid expense to cover part of the local travel cost, no reimbursement is due for that cost).

Examples of calculating the reimbursement to be allowed as the difference between the total expense incurred and the employee’s normal commuting expense:

•	If an employee normally commutes from home to official duty station office via a privately owned vehicle and on a particular day must travel to a temporary work site via privately owned vehicle, the normal commuting distance between the employee’s home and official duty station office should be deducted from the total mileage claimed. Example: An employee normally drives 20 miles each way between home and office. Today, the employee must drive from home to a temporary duty location for a morning meeting and then drive to his/her regular office for the rest of the day. The trip from home to the meeting and then to the regular office totals 30 miles. The employee may be reimbursed for 10 miles.
•	
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•	If an employee is a member of a car pool, the Comptroller General has ruled that the appropriate reduction for commuting expense is the total mileage the employee is expected to drive in a week divided by five and the resulting figure is the daily reduction. Example: An employee drives 100 miles round trip one day per week. The reduction for each day the employee travels to a temporary work location would be 20 miles per day (100/5=20).

•	Also included in any reduction would be the amount expended for public transportation and any parking fees incurred in the course of the employee’s normal commute. Example: If an employee normally uses public transportation to commute to and from his/her official work place, the reimbursement should be reduced by the amount of the public transportation costs. Additionally, if the employee incurs parking fees as part of the daily commute, the reimbursement should be further reduced by the amount paid for parking.

Note: If the employee receives a transit subsidy as a benefit, the rules stated above still apply. Example 1: If the transit subsidy is used to secure a farecard or bus tokens with no time limitation on use, and the employee’s normal, one-way commuting cost on the subway or bus is $2.05, when the employee must drive a privately owned vehicle to a temporary work site for the day and mileage reimbursement is calculated as $2.50, the employee may be reimbursed only the extra commuting cost: $.45 each way (or $.90 for round-trip) if s/he retains the transit subsidy money for that day. (The employee more properly should reduce her/his next quarter’s transit subsidy amount, to reflect the day the subway/bus was not used. If that is done, the full amount of the mileage for the temporary duty day could be reimbursed.) Example 2: If the transit subsidy is used to pay for a fixed-amount monthly bus/train pass or carpool ridership with time limitations on use, there should be no reduction for this “sunk” commuting cost. The employee may be reimbursed the full commuting cost for the privately-owned vehicle: $2.50 each way (or $5.00 for round-trip).

4-20-40	MODES OF TRAVEL

A.	General

Public transportation ordinarily will be used between points where official business is to be transacted, except:

1.	Employees should use government shuttle service when available rather than subways, streetcars, buses, and other public means of transportation.

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2.	Taxicabs or a privately-owned vehicle may be authorized when public transportation or shuttle service is not available, is impractical to use, or would result in undue loss of Government time.

3.	A rental car may be authorized when it is the mode of transportation most advantageous to the Government for a local travel assignment. In determining cost advantage, consideration should be given to incidental costs associated with rental car use in lieu of public transit or shuttles/taxicabs, etc., such as gasoline, parking fees (at duty points and lodging facilities), tolls, accessibility, etc.

B.	Privately-Owned Vehicles

When necessary and determined by the approving official to be advantageous to the Government, the use of a privately-owned vehicle will be allowed on a mileage basis, not to exceed the applicable rates specified in the Federal Travel Regulation. Such allowance shall be based on either tables of official distance or odometer readings taken at the beginning and end of the trip. In addition to mileage, the cost of parking fees, ferry fares, bridge, road, and tunnel tolls will be allowed.

Mileage is payable to only one employee when two or more employees travel in the same vehicle on the same trip. The employee claiming reimbursement will list on the voucher the names of other passengers accompanying him or her.

C.	Government Vehicle

A Government vehicle may be used for local travel, when authorized, and reimbursement of the cost of parking fees, ferry fares, bridge, road, and tunnel tolls will be allowed.

Note: For additional policy guidance on the authorization of Government vehicles, refer to the HHS Office of Grants and Acquisition Management website for the HHS Logistics Management Manual, Chapter 103-38, Motor Vehicle Management. The website is: http://knownet.hhs.gov/aboutKnowNet.htm

D.	Rental Vehicles

If a rental vehicle is determined to be the most advantageous mode for local travel, there must be specific written authorization to rent a vehicle. Proper authorization must be obtained before the vehicle is rented. Because generally no travel order is issued for local travel, appropriate arrangements should be made in advance with the rental agency concerning acceptable written authorization (e.g., letter on official agency letterhead signed by travel authorizing official). In the rare emergency situation where the usual advance written authorization cannot be made, rental of a vehicle may be approved less formally, but some type of written authorization must be prepared to document the action and provided to the employee (e.g., by fax). The informal

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authorization should be explained on the reimbursement paperwork (SF-1164 or SF-1012) after travel is completed, and a copy of the informal approval documentation attached when the claim/voucher is submitted.

It is preferable for a travel order to be issued when a rental vehicle is authorized for local travel. A travel order will provide the necessary written authorization and obligate funding for this purpose. However, several HHS travel systems do not currently have the capability to process a travel order for local travel and must use the SF-1164, Claim for Reimbursement for Expenses on Official Business, for all claims involving local travel. Therefore, employees should follow their OPDIV’s authorization and vouchering procedures for rental of cars in the local travel area.

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Subject:	PER DIEM RATES, ACTUAL EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT, AND LODGING REQUIREMENTS
5-00-00	Purpose
10	General
20	Eligibility for Per Diem or Actual Expense Allowance
30	Per Diem and Actual Expense Allowances
40	Per Diem May Not be Authorized at Official Duty Station
50	Hotel/Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990
60	Exemption from State or Local Tax on Hotel/Lodging Accommodations
70	Internal Controls Over Authorization and Payment of Per Diem Rates and Actual Expenses
5-00-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides supplemental guidance for HHS civilian employees, invitational travelers, and OPDIVs regarding allowable per diem and subsistence expenses for temporary duty travel. For information about authorizing a Conference Lodging Allowance for conferences, meetings, etc., please refer to HHS Travel Manual Chapter 1-20-20, Conference Planning Involving Employee Temporary Duty Travel.
5-00-10	GENERAL

HHS travel authorizing and approving officials, as well as HHS travelers, must follow the provisions of the Federal Travel Regulation and these supplemental HHS policy guidelines in authorizing, incurring, and approving per diem and subsistence expenses.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-11, Per Diem Expenses
•	FTR Part 301-70, Subpart C, Policies and Procedures Relating to Per Diem Expenses

These sections of the FTR provide detailed guidance to the employee and to the agency’s management, respectively, regarding per diem and actual expense policies. Topics in FTR Part 301-11 include:

•	Subpart A - General Rules (for Per Diem and Subsistence Expenses)
•	Eligibility for an allowance
•	
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•	Reimbursement for different types of lodgings and sharing room
•	Long-term rental expenses, including prepayment issues
•	Complimentary meals by common carrier or hotel/motel
•	Adjustment of allowance when meals provided
•	Rest periods for long flights overseas
•	Travel reimbursement for non-workdays or leave
•	Receipt requirements
•	Hotel taxes and tax exempt certificates
•	Laundry and dry cleaning expenses

•	Subpart B - Lodgings-Plus Per Diem
•	Allowance for lodging
•	Allowance for meals and incidental expenses

•	Subpart C - Reduced Per Diem
•	Authorization circumstances

•	Subpart D - Actual Expense
•	Authorization circumstances, limitations, and requirements
5-00-20	ELIGIBILITY FOR PER DIEM OR ACTUAL EXPENSE ALLOWANCE

An HHS employee is entitled to per diem, conference lodging rate, or actual expense allowance as follows:

(A)	If the employee performs official travel outside the official duty station as defined in subsection 4-20-10-A-1 of this Manual, i.e., the temporary duty site is not within the corporate limits of the city where his/her HHS office is located), AND

(B)	If the employee performs travel within 50 miles of his/her HHS office, and the employee:

(1) has been authorized per diem under the narrow exception for local travel in subsection 4-20-10-A-2 of this Manual, and the temporary duty station is at least 50 miles from his/her residence; OR

(2)	has been authorized per diem under subsection 4-20-10-B of this Manual;
AND

(C)	If the employee incurs per diem/subsistence expenses while performing official travel; AND
(A)	
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(D)	If the employee is in travel status for more than 12 hours.

HHS officials who authorize travel that meets the above conditions MUST pay a per diem or subsistence allowance to the employee, unless:

(A) Employee performs travel to a training event under the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C. 4101-4118), and the employee agrees not to be paid per diem or subsistence expenses; OR

(B)	Individual performs pre-employment interview travel, and the hiring HHS
component does not authorize payment of per diem expenses; OR

(C)	Employee is authorized annual leave in conjunction with the temporary duty travel (see Section 5-10-20 below).

5-00-30	PER DIEM AND ACTUAL EXPENSE ALLOWANCES

There are four types of allowances for temporary duty travel lodging, meals, and incidentals:

(A)	Lodgings-Plus Per Diem
(B)	Conference Lodging Allowance
(C)	Reduced Per Diem
(D)	Actual Expense

A.	Lodging-Plus Per Diem

HHS employees are expected to travel on a lodgings-plus basis, except in limited, unusual situations when a conference lodging allowance, reduced per diem, or actual expense reimbursement is specifically authorized or approved for the particular trip. Under the lodgings-plus per diem method, a maximum per diem rate is established for lodging, plus meals and incidental expenses, at a specific location. The following Government organizations establish per diem rates:

1.	General Services Administration - Continental United States areas (“CONUS”)

2.	Department of State - Foreign areas

3.	Department of Defense - Non-foreign areas outside the continental U.S. (Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and territories and possessions of the U.S.)
1.	
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Note: In most circumstances, employees may choose lodging facilities (up to the maximum lodging rate for the temporary duty location) at their discretion, but every HHS traveler must keep in mind the mandate to be prudent when incurring charges for official travel. Employees are expected to stay in the location of the temporary duty assignment if appropriate lodging is available there. For example, employees should not choose a lodging facility a significant distance away from the temporary duty site and at greater expense to the Government if local lodging is available, reasonable, and safe (e.g., staying twenty miles away from the duty site, at a resort, would not be prudent; the employee should bear any extra cost for the distant facility). The high charge for parking at downtown hotels should be considered when choosing a lodging facility in major cities, if that charge could be avoided by driving a few extra miles without substantial inconvenience. Note that effective September 13, 2002, when selecting lodging facilities, first consideration must be given to lodging facilities contracted by GSA under the Federal Premier Lodging Program (FTR 301-50.6(b)(2)).

B.	Conference Lodging Allowance

Conference Lodging Allowance - In rare circumstances, Federal employees who travel to attend a conference may be authorized a conference lodging allowance of up to a 25 percent increase (rounded to the next higher dollar) of the lodging portion of the applicable per diem allowance. The M&IE portion of the per diem allowance is the same under the lodging plus per diem method. Please refer to HHS Travel Manual Section 1-20-20, Conference Planning Involving Employee Temporary Duty Travel, for additional guidance on use of this allowance. If a Government agency is sponsoring the conference, only that agency may set the conference lodging allowance rate, and all Federal employees attending the conference must be allowed that rate for lodging (although it is permissible for an employee to stay at another lodging facility by choice at a lower rate). See FTR 301-74.8.

C.	Reduced Per Diem

Federal Travel Regulation Part 301-11, Subpart C, Reduced Per Diem, states that agencies may prescribe a reduced per diem rate lower than the prescribed maximum when:

(1)	The agency can determine in advance that lodging and/or meal costs will be lower than the per diem rate; AND

(2)	The agency specifies the lowest authorized per diem rate in the employee’s travel authorization in advance of his/her travel.

HHS MAXIMUM SUBSISTENCE RATE GUIDELINES FOR EXTENDED TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL ASSIGNMENTS

General HHS Policy:

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For extended travel assignments, in line with FTR Part 301-11, per diem rates must be reduced in accordance with the Maximum Subsistence Rate Guidelines listed below and the accompanying explanation of the procedure to establish an appropriate per diem rate for a particular extended assignment. Authorizing officials are expected to ensure that a realistic reduced per diem rate is authorized for employees who are on extended travel for temporary duty assignments. The rate should provide the employee with adequate reimbursement to cover necessary living expenses. Employees on long term assignment should be able to maintain a reasonable standard of living, without reaping any significant financial gains, suffering any significant losses, or living in an unsafe location. An employee’s personal preference, e.g., staying in superior accommodations, may not be considered as necessary living expenses. Employees are responsible for incurring only those expenses that a prudent person would incur while traveling on personal business and claiming reimbursement accordingly.

Occasionally, circumstances unique to a particular travel assignment may lead the authorizing official to the conclusion that a rate higher than the guideline maximum is in the public interest and critical to the agency’s mission. Under such unusual conditions, the authorizing official may increase the guideline reduced maximum rate to a prudent rate consistent with the conditions and necessary costs that must be incurred by the employee. An “extended” travel assignment, as used in this context, is one where the employee stays for official duty purposes in the same temporary duty station for at least two work-weeks, although these procedures are considered appropriate to apply for any assignment in a single temporary duty station which lasts longer than one week.

Note: In all discussion of reducing rates for long-term travel, the term “day” refers to a calendar day, and all such days are to be counted sequentially. If an employee is absent from the temporary duty station for short period(s) of time (e.g., for personal or official business travel elsewhere), the number of “days” is not reduced to account for that break in presence at the temporary duty location. EXAMPLE: An individual on a 90 day IPA assignment to Rockville, MD is scheduled to work at the TDY station 3 days per week. Assuming 70% lodging at $151 = $106; and 50% M&IE at $53 = $27, the calculation of the maximum authorized per diem allowance for the three month assignment would be 36 (number of actual days worked) x $133 = $4,788.
It is the responsibility of the HHS travel authorizing official to make sure that appropriate research takes place and consideration is given to alternative lodging choices and per diem allowances before an employee is authorized and issued travel orders for an extended temporary duty assignment. For temporary duty assignments at one location that are expected to last more than six months, the use of a temporary change of station move for eligible categories of employees should be considered in lieu of per diem (see FTR 302-3, Subpart E, Employee’s Temporary Change of Station).

FTR 301-11, Subpart A, General Rules, provides detailed information on what expenses may be considered part of the daily lodging cost when an employee rents a room, apartment, house, or

•

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other lodging on a weekly, monthly, or other long-term basis. It also provides guidance on how to compute the daily lodging rate for long-term rentals.

In addition to reducing the lodging expenses, careful consideration should be given to reducing the allowance for meals and incidentals. Long-term lodging accommodations which include facilities for preparing/eating meals and/or storing food should be used, when available and economical to the Government. When an employee on long term assignment rents accommodations with cooking facilities, the Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) portion of their per diem rate must also be reduced, generally by at least one-half of the locality’s M&IE rate.

Specific HHS Maximum Per Diem Rate Guidelines: Within the Continental United States (CONUS)

1.	Assignments of 30 Days or Less

The maximum daily amount in the FTR for the traveler’s locality may be used when reasonable for the expected duration of the assignment. A lower amount may be more appropriate, however; assignments lasting more than a week usually will create extended lodging rate alternatives at less cost than the usual daily rate. The rate should be realistic and fair for the location involved, given the timing of the travel. Supervisors or authorizing officials should discuss with affected employees the rationale for a rate below the maximum for the locality and provide them with information on lodging options within that rate.

2.	Assignments of More than 30 Days

For longer-term assignments, the allowable per diem should be reduced, as employees are expected to secure long-term lodging at substantially lower rates. Such lodging will normally include meal preparation facilities, so the M&IE rate also will be reduced. Close attention must be given to setting a daily lodging rate appropriate for the timing of the assignment and the particular location involved. Depending on the timing and duration of travel, it may be more prudent to change the rate for a certain period of time during the assignment (e.g., when multiple-month occupancy extends into high vacation season, furnished apartment rates may rise with the increased demand for vacation housing). The goal is to reduce the cost to the government as much as possible for the entire period of travel/occupancy, while providing safe and adequate lodging to the employee, with reasonable transportation option(s) to the temporary duty site at a cost not exceeding the lodging savings.

The following guidelines are provided for setting per diem rates for assignments longer than thirty days. Maximum lodging rate guidelines are designed to accommodate a wide

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variety of locations; lower rates should be set in many locations where varied housing options are available. Although the maximums specified are not binding, any higher rate set for a particular trip should be supported by cost data gathered for the location and time period involved. Such a rate must be set in advance by the authorizing official, and may be time-limited (e.g., only during a period of high occupancy rates due to a special local event).

•	Assignment period of one to three months: 70% of lodging per diem rate for location
•	Assignment period of four to six months: 60% of lodging per diem rate for location
•	Assignment period of over six months: 50% of lodging per diem rate for location
•	M&IE allowance when cooking facilities are included in lodging: 50% of M&IE rate for location
•	M&IE allowance where lodging site provides some meals, and includes cooking
facilities: deduct from daily allowance the FTR amount for meals that are
provided (see FTR 301-11.18); reduce the remaining amount by 50%
•	M&IE allowance where lodging site provides no meals or cooking facilities: 75%
of M&IE rate for location
•	M&IE allowance where lodging site provides some meals, but has no cooking
facilities: deduct from daily allowance the FTR amount for meals that are
provided (see FTR 301-11.18); reduce the remaining amount by 25%
•	M&IE allowance if lodging site provides all meals: only incidental expense
allowance for location

Employees may elect to secure more expensive lodging for personal convenience, but they must pay the excess cost over the authorized rate.

•	Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS, both foreign and non-foreign areas)

Extra care should be taken when assessing and setting the maximum per diem rate for the period of extended travel outside CONUS. Assignments in foreign locations, in particular, present additional and often complex considerations in terms of lodging availability, cost, ability to negotiate rate reductions in a foreign language, etc.

1. Assignments of 30 Days or Less

The maximum daily amount in the FTR for the traveler’s locality may be used when reasonable for the length of the assignment; however, a lower amount may be more appropriate. The rate should be realistic and fair for the location involved, given the timing of the travel. Supervisors or authorizing officials should discuss with employees the rationale for a rate set below the maximum for the locality and provide them with information on lodging options at or below the rate set.

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2. Assignments of More than 30 Days

For extended assignments outside CONUS, the allowable per diem should be reduced if it is reasonable to expect employees to be able to secure long-term lodging at substantially lower rates within the location. Depending on the timing and duration of the assignment, it may be more prudent to change the rate for certain period(s), to adjust to local conditions. The goal is always to reduce the cost to the government as much as possible for the entire period of travel, while providing safe and adequate lodging to the employee with reasonable transportation option(s) to the temporary duty site at a cost not exceeding the lodging savings.

Non-foreign areas: The following guidelines are provided for setting per diem rates for assignments of longer than thirty days in non-foreign OCONUS locations. These maximum lodging rate guidelines are designed to cover geographic locations with widely varying costs; lower rates should be set in any locations where less expensive lodging options are available. Although the maximums specified are not binding, any higher rate set for a particular trip should be supported by cost data gathered for the location and time period involved. Such a rate must be set in advance by the authorizing official, and may be time-limited (e.g., only during a period of high occupancy rates due to a special local event).
•	Assignment period of one to three months: 70% of lodging per diem rate for location
•	Assignment period of four to six months: 60% of lodging per diem rate for location
•	Assignment period of over six months: 50% of lodging per diem rate for location
•	M&IE allowance when cooking facilities are included in lodging: 50% of M&IE rate for location
•	M&IE allowance where lodging site provides some meals, and includes cooking
facilities: deduct from daily allowance the FTR amount for meals that are
provided (see FTR 301-11.18); reduce the remaining amount by 50%
•	M&IE allowance where lodging site provides no meals or cooking facilities: 75%
of M&IE rate for location
•	M&IE allowance where lodging site provides some meals, but has no cooking
facilities: deduct from daily allowance the FTR amount for meals that are
provided (see FTR 301-11.18); reduce the remaining amount by 25%
•	M&IE allowance if lodging site provides all meals: only incidental expense
allowance for location

Employees may elect to secure more expensive lodging for personal convenience, but they must pay the excess cost over the authorized rate.

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Foreign areas: Due to varying considerations of availability, cost, safety, and features of lodging options in foreign areas, no guideline amounts for setting reduced rates for lodging in foreign countries will be provided in this section. Supervisors or authorizing officials should gather sufficient reliable information about the location of the assignment to enable them to assess what is a reasonable and fair lodging rate under the circumstances of the travel and length of assignment. The rate must be specified on the travel order and discussed with the employee. If lodging options which include meals or meal preparation facilities are reasonably available, the M&IE rate must be reduced or, if all meals are provided with the lodging, only the incidental expenses portion of the locality’s M&IE rate should be authorized.

D.	Actual Expense Allowance

Federal Travel Regulation Part 301-11, Subpart D, Actual Expense, states that actual expense reimbursement is warranted when:

1.	Lodging and/or meals are procured at a prearranged place such as a hotel where a meeting, conference, or training session is held, and no feasible less expensive alternative exists;

2.	Costs have escalated because of special events (e.g., missile launching periods, sporting events, World’s Fair, conventions, natural disasters); lodging and meal expenses within prescribed allowances cannot be obtained nearby; and costs to commute to/from the nearby location consume most or all of the savings achieved from occupying less expensive lodging;

3.	Because of mission requirements; or

4.	Any other reason acceptable and approved by the agency.

In these unusual circumstances, delegated officials may authorize a daily actual expense reimbursement rate up to 300 percent of the applicable maximum per diem rate, but the reimbursement rate should not be set higher than necessary under the circumstances for each day of travel. There is no regulatory authority to exceed the 300% ceiling. A per diem rate at or near the ceiling level should be exceedingly rare and must be thoroughly justified on the travel documentation.

Actual expense reimbursement may be authorized for the same types of expenses covered by per diem rates: lodging, meals, and incidental expenses. Only those expenses which actually will exceed the maximum per diem rate due to the unusual circumstances in the locality should be increased. (E.g., the authorizing official may authorize a higher lodging component under actual expense, but limit meals and incidentals to the locality’s M&IE rate.)

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A request for authorization for actual expense reimbursement should be made in advance of travel, and authorization should be documented on the travel order in accordance with the OPDIV’s delegation of authority and travel management system procedures, respectively. Actual expense reimbursement may also be approved after travel is completed (“post-approval”) when properly justified, under the following conditions:

•	Emergency situations in which requests for prior travel authorization were not possible; OR

•	Unanticipated, unusual, and exceptional circumstances which, during the course of
the specific travel assignment, resulted in the incurrence of actual and necessary
subsistence expenses that were much greater than the authorized per diem
allowance; OR

•	Some other unusual circumstance that would necessitate approval by the appropriate delegated official.

Note: Each OPDIV is responsible for establishing procedures for authorizing actual expense and ensuring that justifications for its use are appropriately documented.
5-00-40	PER DIEM MAY NOT BE AUTHORIZED AT OFFICIAL DUTY STATION

Per diem or subsistence will not be allowed for employees at their official duty station (the city where their permanent HHS office is located). This prohibition includes reimbursement for meals and incidentals, even when the workday extends beyond 12 hours.

A.	Comptroller General and General Services Board of Contract Appeals

Controlling decisions state there is no authority to allow per diem at the employee’s official duty station, even if it was authorized in advance by Government officials. This rule applies even where per diem expenses are incurred under extraordinary circumstances such as:

•	Late conference sessions
•	Heavy volume of work
•	Adverse weather conditions
•	Protective missions by security personnel, or
•	Inability to leave duty post.

B.	Statutory Exception

The Government Employees Training Act (GETA; see 5 U.S.C. 4109 and 5 C.F.R. 410.304) states that agencies “may pay, or reimburse the employee for, all or a part of the necessary

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expenses of the training.” For example: When the OPDIV/STAFFDIV requires all participants in a training course to stay in a local hotel in order to participate in daytime and evening training activities, a per diem allowance at the training location within the official duty station may be authorized as a necessary expense of training. Training that takes place within the official duty station and any corresponding expenses paid, including special authorization of per diem, must be authorized, approved, and paid in accordance with the OPDIV’s policies. This authority does not come from the FTR. For policy guidance on temporary duty travel expenses for training under the GETA, please refer to Chapter 1-80 of this Manual.

5-00-50	HOTEL/MOTEL FIRE SAFETY ACT OF 1990

Title 5 of the U.S.C. section 5707a(a), requires agencies to ensure that not less than 90 percent of the commercial-lodging room nights within CONUS and non-foreign OCONUS locations for a fiscal year are booked in approved places of public accommodation meeting fire safety guidelines. Whenever available, employees are strongly encouraged to stay in public accommodations that are on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) List of Hotels and Motels that meet the requirements of the Hotel/Motel Fire Safety Act. The travel management services provided by the HHS OPDIV will assist employees in reserving lodging in an approved, fire-safe accommodation.

5-00-60	EXEMPTION FROM STATE OR LOCAL TAX ON HOTEL/LODGING ACCOMMODATIONS

The FTR requires traveling employees to exercise the same care in incurring expenses that a prudent person would exercise if traveling on personal business. This includes claiming a federal exemption from payment of state and/or local taxes on lodging wherever this option is available to employees on official business travel. Not all states and localities offer tax exemption, and some locations do not specify a particular form on which to claim it. (Some information on hotel tax exemptions and locally-required forms is available on the GSA Travel Internet Web page.) HHS travelers are expected to inform themselves about the tax exemption status of each location while on official travel, obtain and use any locally-approved lodging facility tax exemption forms or request and complete a lodging facility-provided tax exemption form.

If no locally-approved or lodging facility-provided form is available for the site, the employee must present a copy of his/her official travel authorization or Government travel charge card to the lodging facility in order to secure the tax exemption. Employees must inquire at the lodging check-in desk about availability of state and/or local tax exemption for Federal official duty travel. Failure to make that inquiry, resulting in payment of state and/or local tax in an exempt area, will result in denial of reimbursement for the lodging tax.

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5-00-70	INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER AUTHORIZATION AND PAYMENT OF PER DIEM RATES AND ACTUAL EXPENSES

Heads of OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs or their designees are responsible for establishing appropriate management controls over the authorization and payment of per diem rates and actual expense reimbursements to ensure compliance with the Federal Travel Regulation, the HHS Travel Manual, and their own supplemental policy and procedure requirements. FTR Part 301-70, Subpart C, Policies and Procedures Relating to Per Diem Expenses, identifies additional policies and procedures that OPDIV and STAFFDIV management should establish for authorization and payment of per diem expenses. Most of these policies pertain to internal delegations of authority.

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Subject:	SPECIAL TRAVEL SITUATIONS
5-10-00	Purpose
10	Reimbursement for Temporary Duty Travel in Conjunction with Approved Leave
20	Reimbursement for Per Diem/Actual Expenses For Days When Annual or Compensatory Leave Is Taken While on Official Travel
30	Reimbursement for Per Diem or Actual Expenses for Non-Workdays While on Official Travel
40	Emergency Travel
50	Travel of an Employee with Special Needs
60	Temporary Duty at One Location Subsequently Made Permanent
70	Temporary Duty En Route To First Permanent Station (New Appointees)
80	HHS Travel Orders for Congressional Members or Staff
5-10-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides supplemental guidance for HHS civilian employees, invitational travelers, and OPDIVs regarding special travel situations.
5-10-10	REIMBURSEMENT FOR TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL IN CONJUNCTION WITH APPROVED LEAVE

A.	Return from Approved Leave - General Rule

When an employee is away from his/her official duty station on leave of absence, he/she assumes the obligation of returning to the official duty station at his/her own expense. Reference: Comptroller General Decision –11 Comp. Gen. 336 (1932).

B.	Orders for Official Temporary Duty Travel Issued Before Departure on Approved Leave Where Indirect Travel is Involved

An employee who is authorized, prior to departure on annual leave, to travel to a temporary duty station and to return to the permanent duty station, may be reimbursed the cost of his/her actual temporary duty travel expenses not to exceed the cost to the Government of direct route, uninterrupted travel between the permanent duty station and the temporary duty station.

Reference: Comptroller General Decision – 58 Comp. Gen. 797 (1979). In this decision, air fare reimbursement was the sole claim at issue. The employee had scheduled annual leave for vacation in Toronto, Canada, and had made necessary travel plans. Before departure from his

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headquarters/official duty station (Boulder, CO) he was directed to perform temporary duty in Norfolk, VA before returning to his headquarters. His actual trip involved an indirect route (Denver to Toronto to Norfolk to Denver) and cost $387. He was entitled to be reimbursed the cost of his actual expenses not to exceed the cost of a direct round-trip between headquarters (Boulder/Denver) and the official temporary duty point (Norfolk). The direct trip cost would have been $312, so this was the amount that could be reimbursed.

Note: In the rare case when an agency requests an employee, before he/she departs on annual leave, to perform temporary duty travel at or near a planned vacation site and the agency request is based solely on the fact that the employee will be taking leave at or near the temporary duty site (otherwise the request would not have been made), the agency should reimburse the employee only those costs attributable to performing the temporary duty in excess of those the employee would have incurred for personal reasons.

C.	Orders for Official Duty While in Leave Status Away from Permanent Duty Station

1.	Employee chooses or is directed to return to permanent duty station –

When an employee proceeds to a point away from his/her official duty station on annual leave and during such leave, he/she is required to perform temporary duty and is required or chooses to return to his/her permanent duty station after completion of the temporary duty: the employee may be reimbursed only for the difference between (a) what it cost him/her to return to his/her permanent duty station via the temporary duty location and (b) what it would have cost him to return to his/her permanent duty station directly from the place where s/he was on leave. In other words, the Government is chargeable only with the difference between the cost attributable to the temporary duty and what it would have cost the employee to return to his/her official duty station direct from the place where he/she was on leave.

Reference: Comptroller General Decisions – 11 Comp. Gen. 336 (1932), 56 Comp. Gen. 96 (1976), and 64 Comp. Gen. 28 (1984). In 56 Comp. Gen. 96, an employee traveled from his permanent duty station, Lincoln, Nebraska, to Waterbury, Connecticut, while on annual leave. Shortly before his personal stay was scheduled to end, he was issued travel orders to go to Billings, Montana, to testify before a court. His reimbursement was limited to the difference between (a) the costs he actually incurred in traveling from Waterbury to Billings to Lincoln and (b) the costs he would have incurred if he had returned from Waterbury to Lincoln, as originally planned.

2.	Employee chooses to resume leave status –

An employee whose authorized leave of absence away from his/her permanent duty station is temporarily interrupted because he/she is recalled to duty at his/her permanent duty station, or because he/she is ordered to perform temporary duty at another place, and

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the employee wishes to resume the leave status immediately after the completion of official duty, travel expenses not to exceed the cost of travel from the place where the leave was interrupted to the place where the duty was performed and return may be authorized, provided that a statement is included in the travel order that an administrative determination was made that it would be unreasonable to require the employee to assume the additional travel expense in compliance with the temporary duty.

Reference: Comptroller General Decision – 39 Comp. Gen. 611 (1960). For example: An employee travels from his permanent duty station, Los Angeles, California, to Seattle, Washington, while on annual leave. While in Seattle, the employee is issued a travel order to go to New Orleans, Louisiana immediately for a three-day operational review. Upon completion of the temporary duty assignment in New Orleans, the employee returns to Seattle, to continue his/her annual leave. Subsequently, the employee travels back home to Los Angeles. The employee may be reimbursed for his actual travel expenses to go from Seattle, where he was on leave, to New Orleans, his temporary duty point, and to return to Seattle, where he resumed leave.
5-10-20	REIMBURSEMENT FOR PER DIEM/ACTUAL EXPENSES FOR DAYS WHEN ANNUAL OR COMPENSATORY LEAVE IS TAKEN WHILE ON OFFICIAL TRAVEL

A.	HHS Policy on Per Diem Reimbursement for Days When Annual or Compensatory Leave Is Taken During Official Temporary Duty Travel Assignment

If an employee takes annual or compensatory leave at the temporary duty location during the official travel period, it is HHS policy that appropriate adjustments must be made in reimbursement for the period of leave.

1.	No allowance for M&IE may be paid for days of annual leave or equivalent time off (e.g., compensatory time, credit hours).

2.	No per diem or actual expenses for lodging may be authorized or paid for days when annual leave or equivalent time off is taken if the employee is paying a daily lodging rate, because he/she could check out during the period of leave.

3.	When an employee performing an extended travel assignment in one location secures a reduced lodging rate based on long-term occupancy, the lodging rate is set and billed by extended periods (e.g., monthly) and he/she must pay for the entire period of occupancy irrespective of leave taken. In this circumstance, isolated days or hours of annual leave or equivalent time off will generally not affect his/her right to reimbursement, as the daily rate will be recomputed. The number of days of actual occupancy when in a duty status or on associated non-workdays during the billing period (i.e., excluding days when annual or equivalent
1.	

C.	Recording Leave on Travel Voucher

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leave is taken) should be divided into the periodic rate billed for the lodging, to ascertain the daily rate for lodging during that billing period. If that daily rate is within the approved lodging rate set on the employee’s travel order, reimbursement in full is appropriate despite the use of annual leave during the billing period.

4.	In some circumstances, however, the approved lodging rate may be exceeded using this method of recomputation to account for annual/equivalent leave days. If that occurs, any days in which annual/equivalent leave was taken for one-half of the scheduled work day or less (e.g., if the employee is scheduled to work 8 hours and takes 4 hours of such leave on that day), should not be counted as a day with leave for purposes of the recomputation. If the recomputed daily rate using this method exceeds the daily lodging rate approved on the travel order, the employee must pay the difference for that billing period.

B.	Per Diem Reimbursement for Indirect/Interrupted Official Temporary Duty Travel Involving Annual or Compensatory Leave

When travelers (a) travel by indirect routes, or (b) interrupt official travel for personal convenience and/or to take leave, they are entitled to per diem and travel expenses not to exceed those which would have been incurred on uninterrupted travel by a usually traveled route for official business.

Reference: Comptroller General Decision Letter, B-248868, dated September 2, 1992. For example, an employee is authorized to travel on a Monday afternoon for temporary duty in Denver and chooses to depart on Sunday for personal reasons. The employee is approved to take annual leave on Monday morning and is required to report for duty on Tuesday. The employee incurs a lodging cost on Monday night, within the locality’s per diem rate. Since the employee was authorized to travel officially on Monday, the employee may be reimbursed his/her per diem expense on Monday, not to exceed the constructive cost of what the employee was authorized to incur for per diem on that day.

Similarly, if a traveler elects to travel on Sunday rather than Monday, for official duties which begin on Tuesday morning, the 75% M&IE payable for the first day of travel may be paid for Monday, the designated official duty travel day, or for Sunday, the actual travel day, but not both.

Refer to HHS Travel Manual Sections, 4-00-20 Transportation Method and Routing, 4-00-30 Procuring Common Carrier Transportation, and 4-00-40 Mandatory Use of Contract Fares and When Cannot Use, for additional guidance on procuring transportation when travel is indirect or interrupted for personal convenience or leave.

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When leave is taken prior to or upon completion of an official travel assignment, the type of leave should not be recorded in the official dates of travel, but should be annotated on the voucher. When leave is taken during an official travel assignment, the type of leave and the number of hours of leave for each day must be reported on the employee’s travel voucher. Employees should check with the OPDIV that administers their travel management system to find out if planned leave should also be shown on the travel authorization (this policy is discretionary and varies within HHS.).

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-10, Subpart A, General
5-10-30	REIMBURSEMENT FOR PER DIEM OR ACTUAL EXPENSES FOR NON-WORKDAYS WHILE ON OFFICIAL TRAVEL

Non-workdays are defined as weekends, legal Federal holidays, or other scheduled non-workdays. In general, an employee will be reimbursed for per diem or actual expenses, as authorized, as long as the employee’s travel status requires his/her stay to include a non-workday. HHS travel authorizing officials should determine and authorize the most cost-effective situation: (a) have the employee stay at the temporary duty location in travel status during the non-workdays and pay per diem or actual expenses, OR (b) return the employee back to his/her duty station during the non-workdays.

It is the responsibility of the designated HHS travel authorizing official to determine whether an employee will be reimbursed for non-workdays when he/she takes leave immediately before or after the non-workday (e.g., Friday or Monday).

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-11, Subpart A, General

A.	Required Return to Official Station

If an employee is required to return to his/her official station on a non-workday by the agency, the employee will be reimbursed the per diem or actual expense amount allowable for return travel.

B.	Periodic Returns to Official Duty Station for Business Reasons

An agency may authorize per diem or actual expense and round-trip transportation expenses for periodic return travel on non-workdays to the employee’s home or official duty station under the following circumstances:

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•	Agency requires employee to return to official station to perform official business;
or

•	Agency will realize substantial cost savings by returning employee home.

C.	Periodic Returns to Official Duty Station for Non-Official Reasons

Periodic return travel home may be justified incident to an extended temporary duty travel assignment. The number and frequency of such trips home which are authorized by the travel approving official must be stated on the employee’s travel order. The only expenses which may be reimbursed by the Government for such authorized return travel home are the cost of round-trip transportation between the temporary duty station and home/official duty station (plus associated local transportation to and from the point of departure from the temporary duty site and the employee’s home). The travel order authorizing travel home should reflect this rule on reimbursable expenses.

D.	Voluntary Return to Home or Official Station Without Travel Order

If an employee, by personal choice and without a travel order, returns home or to his/her official station on non-workdays during a temporary duty travel assignment, the maximum reimbursement for all expenses (including round trip transportation and per diem or actual expense) is limited to what would have been allowed for per diem/actual expense under his/her travel order had the employee remained at the temporary duty travel location.

E.	Voluntary Travel Away from Temporary Duty Station (Excluding Return to Home or Official Station) on Non-workdays

If an employee voluntarily travels away from the temporary duty station on non-workdays and incurs lodging, meals, and incidental costs at a different location (other than his/her home or official station as discussed in Paragraph C. above), per diem or actual expense is limited to what would have been allowed had the employee remained at the temporary duty travel location. However, the employee may not claim any transportation costs for this personal travel, in lieu of there being no per diem costs actually incurred. For example: If an employee takes a train to another location to stay with relatives over a weekend, the employee may not be reimbursed for the cost of the train trip, to offset the fact that he/she incurred no lodging costs by staying with relatives.

5-10-40	EMERGENCY TRAVEL Emergency travel results from:

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A.	an employee becoming incapacitated by illness or injury not due to his/her own misconduct; or

B.	the death or serious illness of a member of the employee's immediate family (as defined in FTR 300-3.1 and 301-30.2); or

C.	a catastrophic occurrence or impending disaster, such as fire, flood, or act of God, which directly affects the employee's home.

If an employee has to interrupt or discontinue his/her temporary duty travel due to one of the emergency situations listed above, the employee should contact his/her delegated travel official for instructions as soon as possible.

If emergency travel is approved for the employee, the OPDIV/STAFFDIV may reimburse the following expenses:

•	per diem for a reasonable period of time (generally 14 calendar days), at the location where the employee incurred or was treated for an incapacitating illness or injury (the OPDIV/STAFFDIV in its discretion may pay for a longer period)

•	transportation and per diem expense for travel to an alternate location to receive medical treatment

•	transportation and per diem expense to return to your official station

•	transportation costs of a medically necessary attendant

When an employee in TDY travel status experiences the death or serious illness of a member of his/her immediate family, the OPDIV/STAFFDIV may in its discretion reimburse the cost of transportation from the TDY site to the alternate site (location of the family member) and return to the TDY site, not to exceed what it would have cost for the employee to have traveled in the most economical means possible from the employee's official duty station to the alternate site and back to the official duty station. NOTE: In order to be eligible for any reimbursement, the employee must travel from the alternate site back to the TDY site. If he/she travels from the alternate site to any other location (e.g., back to the official duty station), no reimbursement may be authorized (see FTR 301-70-.505, -70.507, and -70.508).

Example 1: Employee travels from her official duty station in Atlanta, GA, to Washington, D.C. on an official business trip. While on TDY travel in Washington, a member of her immediate family dies in NY. She purchases, out-of-pocket, a round-trip ticket between Washington and NY, the cost of which is $400. The constructive cost of a contract-carrier coach class round-trip ticket from Atlanta to NY is $800. The employee would not be entitled to any reimbursement, as no excess cost is

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involved; the cost of the Atlanta-NY ticket is higher than the ticket she purchased from Washington to NY.

Example 2: Employee travels from his official duty station in Atlanta, GA, to Washington, D.C. on an official business trip. While on TDY travel in Washington, a member of his immediate family dies in Toronto, Canada. The employee purchases, out-of-pocket, a round-trip ticket between Washington and Toronto, the cost of which is $1,200. The constructive cost of a contract-carrier coach class round-trip ticket from Atlanta to Toronto is $900. The employee may be reimbursed the excess cost of $300.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-30
•	FTR Part, 301-70, Subpart F
5-10-50	TRAVEL OF AN EMPLOYEE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

An agency may pay for additional travel expenses necessary to accommodate a special physical need which is either: (a) clearly visible and discernible; or (b) substantiated in writing by the traveler’s personal physician or specialist. Based on these two conditions the following guidelines apply:

A.	A written request from the traveler must justify and clearly define the need or cost basis for premium class accommodations. For example, employees with a special need for wider seat capacity due to extreme obesity may be required by an airline to purchase two coach seat tickers, but could purchase only one business class ticket. The cost comparison between the two total fares involved would determine whether premium-other-then-first class should be authorized in this instance.

B.	Letters from the physician or specialist must include when special accommodations are needed (e.g., on flights that exceed more than 5 hours) and what level of accommodation is required (e.g., leg room beyond what coach class provides on the aircraft involved).

C.	Approvals granted to accommodate a temporary condition will expire after 6 months from the date of approval, unless the medical documentation indicates that the need for accommodation will cease at an earlier date.

D.	In cases where the medical condition is chronic or unlikely to change, the approval may be granted for a period not to exceed 3 years.
A.	
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E.	The traveler may not be granted an extension beyond the three year limit. However, the traveler may request an updated approval based upon new documentation provided by the personal physician or specialist.

F.	The reimbursable expenses are limited to the following:

1.	Transportation and per diem expenses of one escort/attendant, if necessary;

2.	Specialized transportation to the hospital/facility;

3.	Specialized services provided by a common carrier;

4.	Costs for handling the employee’s baggage;

5.	Renting and/or transporting a wheelchair; and

6.	Premium class accommodation, if properly justified. (See also Chapter 6-00-60 of this Manual for information on use of premium class accommodations for international travel.)

Note: If the employee is a patient (whether or not he/she requires an escort/attendant), please refer to Chapter 1-50 of this Manual.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-13, Travel of an Employee With Special Needs

5-10-60	TEMPORARY DUTY AT ONE LOCATION SUBSEQUENTLY MADE PERMANENT

Temporary duty allowances must be discontinued if and when the temporary duty station becomes the employee’s permanent duty station. Per diem allowances for temporary duty at one location to which an employee is subsequently permanently transferred will be discontinued on the day the employee is officially notified by proper authority of the transfer, and in no case later than the day the personnel action is effective. Temporary change of station allowances under FTR Part 302 must be discontinued beginning the day the employee’s temporary official station becomes his/her permanent official station. Certain relocation expenses may be authorized when the temporary duty station becomes permanent; see FTR Chapter 302.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 302-3, Subpart E, Employee’s Temporary Change of Station

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5-10-70	TEMPORARY DUTY EN ROUTE TO FIRST PERMANENT STATION (NEW APPOINTEES)

Unless a new appointee has been authorized relocation expenses under FTR Chapter 302, the new appointee is personally responsible for any travel costs to the official duty station. However, an appointee who is required to perform temporary duty en route to his/her first official station is entitled to per diem allowances and travel expenses for the entire trip less the constructive cost of direct travel expenses and per diem from the place where he or she received notice of appointment to the first official station.

Note: The rule that employees must bear the expense of travel to the first official duty station of their position refers to the permanent duty station of the position and not the first temporary station at which they perform duty.

Example:	A new appointee lives in Philadelphia and is hired to work in New York City and no relocation costs were authorized. It is the responsibility of the new appointee to pay travel and transportation costs to move to New York City and report for duty. However, if the new appointee is ordered to attend a two-week training session in Washington, DC (a temporary duty station) during his/her first two weeks of Government service and then report for duty in New York City (the permanent duty station) the following week, the new appointee will be entitled to per diem allowances and travel expenses for the entire trip (going from Philadelphia to Washington, DC to New York City) less the constructive cost of direct travel from Philadelphia to New York City.

5-10-80	HHS TRAVEL ORDERS FOR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS OR STAFF

When it is determined that agency appropriations may be used to fund the travel of Congressional members or staff, an HHS travel order should be issued to the Congressional member or staffer to travel as an HHS “invitational traveler.” The HHS travel order will authorize the Congressional member or staffer to travel under the policies and procedures of the executive branch (i.e., the Federal Travel Regulation, the HHS Travel Manual, and the funding OPDIV), instead of the legislative branch. Travel reservations should be made through the OPDIV’s Travel Management Center.

Each Congressional committee has its own rules and procedures for allowing members or staff of the Committee to travel, when the travel costs will be paid from an executive branch appropriation. HHS offices who are asked to pay for such travel should check with their Committee contact as to requirements. For example: The Chairman of the House Committee on

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Appropriations must approve travel to be paid by executive branch agencies for Committee members or staff.

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Subject:	INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

6-00-00	Purpose
	10	General Policy
	20	Definitions
	30	Notifications of International Travel
	40	Categories of International Travel Requiring OGHA Notification and Department of State Country Clearances
	 50         Categories of International Travel Requiring OGHA Notification, Approval from
ASAM (Through OGHA) and Department of State Country Clearances
	60	Premium Class International Travel
	70	Annual Leave
	80	Annual Plan for Participation at International Meetings
	90	Quarterly and Individual Trip Reports
	100	Payment of Travel Expenses by a Non-Federal Source
	110	Other Applicable Manual Chapters
6-00-00	PURPOSE

This chapter provides information on purposes, policies, and procedures relating to all types of official international travel (excluding change of duty station) and defines and outlines categories of international travel. It also describes the requirements for Office of the Secretary review and approval of foreign travel and the preparation of corresponding quarterly and individual trip reports. This chapter applies to civilian employees, commissioned officers of the Public Health Service, and invitational travelers.
6-00-10	GENERAL POLICY

A.	HHS International Travel Goals

International travel is important to achieving Departmental goals. However, such travel is typically very expensive and entails security concerns and other sensitive issues. Therefore, managers must carefully monitor the frequency of the overseas travel performed by their employees and others authorized to travel for HHS. The heads of OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs must maintain proper delegations of authority to ensure that proposed official international travel is approved only when it effectively serves the goals of the Department. International travel can and should serve the following goals:

1.	To fulfill regulatory or inspection obligations, such as inspection of foreign manufacturers of foods, drugs, medical devices, and biologicals;

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2.	Travel related to epidemics in other countries that could have an impact on the health of U.S. citizens;

3.	To contribute, with the guidance of the Department of State, to U.S. foreign policy objectives;

4.	To fulfill U.S. responsibilities as a Member Government of multilateral organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and others; and

5.	To participate in research and science related activities deemed of high importance to HHS.

B.	Special Procedures

International travel is often of high priority and must be subject to stringent procedures for justification, approval, and monitoring beyond those applied to travel within the United States. U.S. officials traveling abroad represent the United States and the American people to other nations. International travel is especially visible and subject to Congressional and public scrutiny. For example: A disproportionately large HHS participation in an international meeting, or a succession of HHS travelers to particular countries to confer with the same individuals, can give the appearance of inefficient use of Departmental resources.

The Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (ASAM) retains the authority to review all international travel and must approve certain kinds of foreign trips, as referenced in 6-00-50 of the Manual. The ASAM also retains the authority to disapprove any international travel.

The OPDIVs, STAFFDIVs, and the Office of the Secretary (OS), through the Office of Global Health Affairs (OGHA), have a shared responsibility for the placement of controls over international travel that are both efficient and effective, including travel funded by non-federal sources.

The primary responsibility of officials in the OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs who approve international travel is to ensure that Federal funds are being used in an appropriate manner. Employees who wish to travel outside of the United States must avoid the perception that they are misusing Federal funds or taking advantage of their status as a Federal employee to receive benefits which would not be accessible to members of the general public. Accordingly, the individual should avoid travel to resort areas to which the general public is attracted because of recreational facilities or sightseeing attractions. Travelers must be particularly sensitive to the

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perception generated by their travel to conferences or meetings outside the United States when accepting full or partial sponsorship by non-Federal sources and outside organizations, whether for-profit or non-profit.

Note: The appropriate OPDIV’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC)/Ethics Office must review each such sponsored trip for potential conflicts of interest. For additional information, please reference Chapter 6-00-100 of this Manual.

Managers must also be sensitive to the high cost of registration fees for conferences held outside the United States and the perception that Federal funds are subsidizing outside organizations. Exorbitant registration fees should, in most circumstances, be grounds enough to discourage attendance by groups of employees or individual employees. OGHA reserves the right to deny the request, inclusive of such fees, when deemed exorbitant.

Managers may only permit employees to attend continuing education seminars and other training opportunities (such as technology training courses) held outside the United States after determining that the same or substantially similar courses or sessions are not held within the United States.

C.	Department of State Country Clearance

Under no circumstance, is an HHS traveler to depart on an official business trip outside the United States without first receiving country clearance from the relevant U.S. Embassy or Mission overseas. Travelers should ensure that their OPDIV/STAFFDIV processes their Department of State country clearance cables before receiving clearance and approval from the ASAM, through OGHA. U.S. Embassies and Missions may refuse clearance to HHS travelers who have failed to send their clearance cables in a timely manner prior to their date of departure. Such incidents reflect poorly on the Department and strain our good working relationship with the Department of State and its overseas posts.

All HHS travelers on duty in a country listed by OGHA as “sensitive” must register with the Administrative Officer at the U.S. Embassy Consular Section in their country of assignment. In addition, all HHS travelers on duty in any country for a period exceeding 14 consecutive days must also register with the U. S. Embassy Consular Section in their assigned country. Registering can help the U.S. Embassy contact HHS travelers in case of an emergency.

The Department of State has suggested that HHS staff and their dependents e-mail the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in their host country. The e-mail addresses and telephone numbers for the Consular Sections at U.S. Embassies can be found at http://www.travel.state.gov.

The Department of State has requested HHS travelers to provide:

6-00-20	DEFINITIONS

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•	The names of all family members accompanying them, including the names of non-U.S. citizen spouses and family members;

•	Their home address (use street address; no box numbers);

•	Home and work telephone and fax numbers;

•	E-mail addresses at both home and work; and

•	The name, address, telephone, fax, and e-mail address of an emergency contact person in the country of assignment and in the U.S.

The Department of State is responsible for the evacuation of all official USG personnel, family members, and private U.S. citizens in the case of a natural disaster or civil unrest. Registration at the local U.S. Embassy is the key element in effective security and evacuation procedures.

D.	Passports and Visas

The traveler is responsible for obtaining the necessary visa(s) required for their official international travel. Countries that do not require visas for U.S. citizens who travel on tourist passports may require visas for U.S. Government officials who travel on official passports. The traveler should always check with their OPDIV’s Travel Policy Office to verify when a visa is required.

The Director, OGHA, will maintain a system of controls for international travel for the Department. These controls will: (a) ensure that OGHA is advised in advance of all international travel to be performed by OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs, (b) include provisions for ensuring the dispatch of country clearance cables for Presidential Appointees and State Department and National Security Council members, as may be required, and (c) render assistance to travelers regarding passports and visas.

Travelers on official international travel should travel on an official U.S. Government passport, unless the Department of State advises otherwise (e.g., because of security concerns). On rare occasions, a traveler might be required to travel on a U.N. Passport (Laissez Passer). Official passports are for official use only and shall never be used for personal travel.

Note: Refer to the OPDIV/STAFFDIV’s Travel Policy Office for procedures on obtaining an official U.S. passport.

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International Travel: The terms “international travel” and “outside the United States,” as used in this chapter, are defined as meaning all travel on official duty time (except change of official duty stations) outside the 50 United States, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory under U.S. jurisdiction. Trips to the former U.S. Trust Territories in the Pacific which are now independent (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Marshall Islands) are considered international travel.

Exception: A traveler stationed outside the United States who conducts official travel solely between foreign countries will follow Department of State regulations and guidance.

Note: Official trips to meetings at United Nations and World Bank offices in New York and Washington, DC are not considered international travel, but will require the processing of a Notification of Foreign Travel (NFT) form.

“Sensitive” Countries: HHS/OGHA has identified countries in this category as those where internal political and/or social turmoil exists. E.g., countries frequently appearing on the list include Burma (Myanmar), Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Afghanistan; also, travel to Cuba will not be authorized. HHS travelers should check the OGHA website (http://ogha.psc.gov/ogha/senscountries.html) often before a planned trip, as the list of countries is updated frequently.

Note: Federal travelers on official temporary duty travel to Taiwan must follow special procedures for obtaining permission and visas through the American Institute in Taiwan and should not travel on their official passports.

Premium Class International Travel: “premium class” refers to any class of service that is higher than coach class (i.e., first class or business class).

•	“First class accommodations” refers to the highest class of accommodations on a multiple-class commercial carrier.

•	“Premium-other-than-first class accommodations” refers to any class of service between coach class and first class and is commonly called business class.

6-00-30	NOTIFICATIONS OF FOREIGN TRAVEL

Notifications of Foreign Travel (NFT) must be forwarded electronically to OGHA through the NFT system at least thirty (30) days prior to the proposed trip departure date. In exceptional circumstances, late notification may be accepted with proper justification. All notifications must include detailed cost data, including: airfare or cost of other common carrier transportation, with indication of class of service; government-established per diem for Meals and Incidental

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Expenses, or actual expenses, where authorized; registration fees; miscellaneous expenses; and any requested annual leave or comparable use of leave associated with the trip (whether approved or pending). If more than one employee is traveling for the same purpose and they have the same itinerary, names should be consolidated on one notification. It is incumbent upon travelers to confirm with their NFT preparer prior to departure that their travel has been approved. The only OGHA notification of approval or denial of travel is processed through the NFT system. In most cases, travelers and preparers WILL NOT receive direct communication from OGHA regarding the status of pending travel. NFT preparers must check their NFT bins periodically to receive status updates on pending travel.

HHS travelers on official international travel are required to forward a copy of their trip reports to OGHA through the NFT System within two (2) weeks following their return to the United States, for all travel categorized under Section 6-00-50 of this Manual.
6-00-40	CATEGORIES OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL REQUIRING OGHA NOTIFICATION AND DEPARTMENT OF STATE COUNTRY CLEARANCES

HHS travelers seeking to travel outside the United States for the following purposes are required to prepare the NFT prior to departure, but are not required to obtain clearance or approval from ASAM, through OGHA. However, Department of State country clearances are always required for international travel.

A.	Participation in International Meetings

Presentation of papers or lectures, participation in/attendance at scientific, professional, academic and technical conferences, seminars, workshops, symposia, etc., on topics and in countries not listed as a sensitive country as defined in paragraph 6-00-20 of this Manual.

B.	Activities of the Office of the Inspector General, or Food and Drug Administration Inspections and Criminal Investigations

This travel fulfills statutory obligations related to protecting the health and welfare of the American people (for example, obligations imposed by the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act) or to serving program beneficiaries, including inspections of manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, and inspections of food manufacturers and processors.

C.	Research on Topics Related to Categories of Travel Listed in 6-00-50 and Not Considered a Sensitive Country as Defined in Paragraph 6-00-20 of this Manual
A.	
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6-00-50	CATEGORIES OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL REQUIRING OGHA NOTIFICATION, APPROVAL FROM ASAM (THROUGH OGHA), AND DEPARTMENT OF STATE COUNTRY CLEARANCES

A.	International Travel Requiring Approval by ASAM

While the travel-related delegations of authority issued by the Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget on February 28, 1996, remain in effect, effective March 15, 2001, and until further notice, employees must clear certain kinds of international travel with ASAM, through OGHA. Travelers must also provide a report of work accomplished on international travel to ASAM. Political Appointee (Schedule C) and Presidential Appointee Schedule (PAS) employees require clearance and approval for all international travel.

HHS travelers seeking to travel outside the United States for the purposes listed below are required to receive approval from ASAM, through OGHA, and country clearances from the Department of State before OPDIV and STAFFDIV heads may issue travel orders. Travelers may make air and/or ground transportation reservations and book hotel rooms, but under no circumstances may an individual depart the United States on official travel without approval from OGHA and country clearance(s) from the Department of State.

The purposes of official travel outside the United States that require approval and clearance are:

1.	Multilateral Organization Travel
Attendance or participation in meetings with senior staff, study, or working groups, seminars, board meetings, advisory group or expert committee meetings, strategic planning meetings or sessions, or gatherings of the governing bodies of: WHO and its regional offices; PAHO; the Codex Alimentarius Commission; FAO; UNICEF; OECD; the International Organization for Migration; the World Bank and other regional development banks; and the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, its Committees, and all other UN agencies.

Attendance at meetings held by multilateral organizations at which HHS travelers will serve on official U.S. Delegations. Procedures for obtaining authorization to serve on a U.S. Delegation accredited by the Department of State to an intergovernmental meeting are contained in Chapter 6-00-50(B) of this Manual.

This category includes trips in which HHS employees serve as consultants at the request of the organization, for which the travel costs and per diem usually are paid by the organization to make use of the expertise of the HHS official. Generally, the topics are professional or technical in nature.

NOTE: This category also covers official trips or Delegations to meetings at United Nations (UN) and World Bank offices in New York and Washington, DC.

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2.	Travel to Sensitive Countries
Travel to countries designated as “sensitive” by OGHA may require additional clearance and approval by ASAM, through OGHA, including an explanation of the mission-critical nature of the travel. (These countries are listed in this Manual under Chapter 6-00-20 - “Sensitive” Countries.) HHS travelers on official temporary duty travel to Taiwan must follow special procedures for obtaining permission and visas through the American Institute in Taiwan and should not travel on their official passports.

3.	Travel Concerning Emerging or Re-emerging Infectious Diseases
Attendance at or participation in meetings, consultations, technical assistance missions, public health surveillance, and conferences involving HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and other emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases.

4.	Travel at the Invitation of a Foreign Government Including disaster relief or humanitarian missions. (Some missions may obviously require expedited clearance.)

5.	Site Visits to Overseas Recipients of Grants or Cooperative Agreements from HHS Agencies
Travel to perform operational or managerial activities (e.g., to oversee program activities, grant operations, or management activities for control proposes; carry out an audit; conduct negotiations; or provide technical assistance) or to discuss or negotiate development of new program activities at a particular site or organization outside the 50 United States, Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory under U.S. jurisdiction that has received grants from or entered into cooperative agreements with HHS agencies. Trips to the former U.S. Trust Territories in the Pacific which are now independent (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Marshall Islands) are considered international travel for the purposes of this category.

B.	Approval and Authorization for Participation in Official Intergovernmental Meetings as a Member of a U.S. Delegation

The Secretary reserves the authority to nominate Department personnel or individuals to serve on official U.S. Delegations accredited by the Department of State. All requests to nominate members of official U.S. Delegations to intergovernmental meetings, including those held in the United States, must be made on the proper form (see Exhibit 6-00-50 A, at end of this Chapter) and referred to OGHA. OGHA will consult with the Secretary and appropriate Department officials with respect to making nominations, which, upon the Secretary’s approval, will be forwarded to the Department of State and the White House.

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OGHA is responsible for obtaining both the necessary Office of the Secretary approval and the certification of security clearance that the Department of State requires for nominees. Under no circumstances may an HHS employee attend, in an official or personal capacity, an intergovernmental meeting to which the United States is sending an official Delegation, without having received the proper approvals to participate as a part of that Delegation.
6-00-60	PREMIUM CLASS INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

A.	First Class Travel Accommodations

International first class travel is not permitted, except (a) in extraordinary medical circumstances documented by a letter from the traveler’s personal physician or specialist, or (b) other exceptional travel situations, such as security or mission critical. Full justification and documentation is required for approval of these types of circumstances (see Exhibit 6-00-60 A, at end of this Chapter) .

Justification letters from the traveler’s personal physician for extraordinary medical circumstances must include when special accommodations are needed (e.g., flights that exceed 5 hours) and what level of accommodation is required (e.g., additional leg-room). Approvals granted to accommodate a temporary condition will expire after 6 months from the date of approval, unless the medical documentation indicates that the need for accommodation will cease at an earlier date. In cases where the medical condition is chronic or unlikely to change, the approval may be granted for a period not to exceed 3 years. The traveler may not be granted an extension beyond the three year limit. However, the traveler may request an updated approval based upon new documentation provided by the personal physician or specialist.

B.	Premium-other-than-First Class Accommodations

For HHS travelers, based overseas and in the United States, the following guidance must be applied for all international premium class travel requests. These instructions supersede all previous directives for premium class travel. Managers should discourage international premium class travel whenever possible.

The OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs who approve overseas travel have the primary responsibility to ensure that international premium class travel is consistent with the Department’s and Government's mandate to operate efficiently and effectively. The ASAM retains the authority to review all requests for international premium class travel, including those trips that require only notification. The ASAM also retains the authority to deny any international premium class travel request.

Travelers must submit their requests for international premium class travel along with their requests for clearance/approval or notification, as appropriate via the NFT automated system. A

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justification memorandum must be attached to the travel request (see Exhibit 6-00-60 A, at end of this Chapter) and must accompany the travel authorization. The OPDIV/STAFFDIV authorizing official must approve both the memorandum and any required cost analysis justification before submitting the international travel request to OGHA.

When an employee requests international premium class travel using the fifth (5) criteria below (Overall Cost Savings), he or she must complete a cost analysis justification and attach it to the travel request or notification. In this analysis, the employee must compare the total costs of coach class to premium class, including the costs of the ticket, additional subsistence expenses incurred during a rest stop, overtime (if applicable), and lost productive person time. Based on this cost analysis, premium class is only justified when it is the lesser of the two. (See examples in Exhibit 6-00-60 B at end of this Chapter.)

The statement "premium-other-than-first class is authorized" should appear only on travel authorizations for which premium class other than first class (i.e., business class) travel is approved.

Employees may request international premium-other-than-first class accommodations only under the following circumstances:

1.		No space is available in coach class, and the trip cannot be scheduled on other flights/carriers or routing in time to accomplish the purpose of travel, which is so urgent that travel cannot be postponed.

2.		Physical condition of traveler requires use of premium class travel service, as documented by a letter signed by the traveler’s personal physician or specialist. Guidelines for documentation required are contained directly above in subsection A..

3.		Premium class accommodations are required for security purpose(s), as documented in a letter from the Chief of Security of the Department.

4.		Travel by less-than-premium class on a foreign carrier does not provide adequate sanitation, and use of foreign-flag air carrier service is approved in accordance with the International Air Transportation Fair Competitive Practices Act of 1974 (P. L. 93-623), also known as the “Fly America Act.”

5.	 Use of premium class accommodations would result in an overall cost savings to the government. (Cost analysis must accompany the travel authorization. Please see examples in Exhibit 6-00-60 B.)

6.		Scheduled actual flying time, not including domestic layovers, is in excess of 14 hours, and a rest stop cannot be taken because of the urgency of the mission (e.g.,
1.	
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insufficient time upon arrival at the foreign destination for a rest period, because an inspection must be commenced shortly after arrival in order to complete it on a schedule which cannot be modified due to strict mission requirements). The urgency must derive from the nature of the task, not because the employee is delayed due to personal choices such as electing to take a later flight which creates time pressure. A rest stop is a stop-over point, during travel, of up to 24 hours, midway in the journey, or as near to the destination as the schedule permits, or at the destination.

Notes: (1) Coach class shall be used for all domestic segment(s) of trips using this exception. Any premium class approval must be limited to the flight segment between the gateway city and the foreign destination.

(2)	In most instances, the rationale supporting the “urgency of the mission” criterion will only be satisfied on the outbound flight; the return flight home will not generally be subject to identifiable mission urgency. Premium class may be approved solely for the outbound flight unless a specific mission urgency demands the employee’s return without a rest stop.

(3)	Requests to travel premium class in lieu of a rest stop will be carefully reviewed by OGHA.

7.	Frequent traveler benefits permit an upgrade in the class of service, either through the use of frequent-flier miles or by virtue of the employee’s advanced frequent-traveler status, at no cost to the Government. Reimbursement for a rest stop may not be authorized under this circumstance.
6-00-70	ANNUAL LEAVE

The Department strongly discourages employees from using annual leave in conjunction with official international travel. Taking annual leave in conjunction with official international travel can generate the impression that Federal funds are being used to finance holidays or junkets for employees or that travelers are taking advantage of their status as Federal employees to receive benefits which would not be accessible to members of the general public. Accordingly, Department employees should especially avoid taking any annual leave in conjunction with official international travel to resort areas to which the general public is attracted because of recreational facilities or sight-seeing attractions, such as Europe during the summer. A traveler may be authorized annual leave in conjunction with an international trip one time per fiscal year, and the annual leave taken cannot exceed 2 days. Employees should not be permitted to evade this policy by paying part or all of the expenses for the round trip airfare themselves (whether

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out-of-pocket or through reimbursement from another source). OGHA may allow exceptions for travelers on long-term details in excess of 30 days.

Note: Employees shall not be permitted to take annual leave in conjunction with trips that are sponsored through payment of travel costs, in whole or in part, by non-Federal sources, whether for-profit or non-profit.

6-00-80	ANNUAL PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION AT INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS

Effective for travel in FY 2004, each OPDIV and STAFFDIV will forward to OGHA an annual plan that displays for each international conference and meeting, anticipated attendance of 20 or more travelers. The plan is due to OGHA no later than August 1 of the preceding fiscal year.

OGHA will review these travel plans to ensure that the level of participation in these international conferences and meetings is commensurate with the Department’s mission. Approved or disapproved plans will be returned to the OPDIV/STAFFDIV concerned. Any increases in the level of participation, especially in conferences, must be approved by OGHA.

6-00-90	QUARTERLY AND INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL REPORTS

A.	Quarterly Reports

Following the end of each fiscal quarter, OGHA will prepare a report on all international travel which will be submitted to ASAM. Each report shall include cost data for trips paid for by both appropriated funds and funds provided by all outside sources in accordance with the specific categories of travel outlined in paragraphs 6-00-40 and 6-00-50 of this Chapter.

The report will also detail annual leave taken in connection with official international travel and the use of premium class accommodations.

B.	Individual Reports

OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs will require each traveler to prepare a brief written report of the significant aspects and results of his or her trip, including a summary of the extent of achievement of the purpose(s) of the trip. Exception: A trip report is not required for certain travel related to investigation and enforcement activities where statutory requirements prohibit the release of relevant trip information.

OGHA may request an individual trip report for any trip undertaken by an HHS official. Reports shall be filed with the corresponding NFT at the conclusion of the trip. For procedures on how to file these reports refer to the NFT Guidelines. A small number of travelers may be permitted to

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file a combined trip report if all aspects of their trip are the same; consult with OGHA as to whether a small-group report, in lieu of individual reports, will be permitted based upon the circumstances.
6-00-100	PAYMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES BY A NON-FEDERAL SOURCE

A.	General Information

The acceptance of payment of “cash or in-kind” services or expense reimbursement from a non-Federal source for international travel should be the exception and not the rule. Departmental components shall not use their authorities to shift the cost of their normal international travel programs to non-Federal sources. The underlying principle of the Department’s policy is that if the employee’s participation in an international trip warrants the expenditure of official time, it also warrants the expenditure of HHS travel funds. Departmental employees shall not solicit payment of international travel expenses from non-Federal sources. For additional guidance regarding acceptance of payment in cash or in-kind, see Chapter 1-70 of this Manual.

When a non-Federal source funds only a certain portion or type of travel expenses and the Federal government reimburses additional expenses, the total reimbursement from all sources cannot exceed the applicable maximums established in the FTR.

HHS travel orders shall reflect that payment of travel expenses, including per diem and related expenses, by a foreign government or international organization is accepted by the traveler on behalf of the U.S. Government.

Note: The appropriate OPDIV’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC)/Ethics Office
must review each such sponsored trip for potential conflicts of interest.

B.	Reimbursement Received from a Non-Federal Source

HHS employees traveling on official business are permitted to receive directly from foreign governments or international organizations airplane tickets or other travel documents, as well as payments to cover other expenses incident to official travel, when approved in accordance with the procedures outlined above in this chapter and Chapter 1-70 of this manual. HHS employees may not accept payment for plane tickets directly. If a foreign government, foreign university, foundation, or institute, or international organization provides payment in lieu of plane tickets, that reimbursement must be made to the HHS agency employing the traveler, for deposit to its appropriation.

C.	Reimbursement in Excess of Established Lodgings-Plus Per Diem Rates
A.	
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OPDIV and STAFFDIVs may accept payment in excess of the established lodgings-plus per diem allowances prescribed in the FTR if HHS would have authorized acceptance of payment for such a higher allowance, only when the following conditions are met:

1.		The non-federal source pays the full amount of the expense at issue;

2.		The expense paid by the non-federal source is comparable in value to that offered to or purchased by other similarly-situated meeting attendees; and

3.		The full amount of the expense does not exceed the allowance for actual expense which would have been approved for the trip in the usual course of business, in full compliance with the standards set forth in Section 5-00-30-D of this Manual. Under no circumstances may the 300% cap on actual expense allowance be
exceeded.

The invitation letter from the non-Federal source must contain language to this effect when an organization offers payment in excess of the established lodgings-plus per diem rates.

Premium Class Air Travel Accommodations:

Authorizing officials must be especially mindful of accepting payments for any premium class (first, business, or comparable class) air accommodations from private, for-profit commercial entities and from international organizations to which the United States Government pays dues or assessed contributions, including -- but not limited to -- WHO, FAO, UN, UNICEF, IARC, OECD and PAHO. Travelers may only accept payments for premium class accommodations under the following conditions:

1.		The non-federal source makes full payment for such transportation services in advance of travel; and

2.		Transportation accommodations furnished are comparable in value to those offered to, or purchased by, other similarly-situated meeting attendees; and

3.		All requirements for one of the circumstances outlined in Chapter 6-00-60 are met. Hotel Accommodations:

In the case of hotel accommodations abroad, OPDIVs, STAFFDIVs, and individual travelers must be careful to avoid the perception that they are accepting payments to finance holidays or junkets or taking advantage of their status as a federal employee to receive benefits to which members of the general public would not have access.

6-00-110	OTHER APPLICABLE CHAPTERS
•	Security considerations related to international travel and contacts with foreign nationals are contained in HHS security manuals.
•	Provisions related to change of duty station are contained in Appendix B, found at the end of the HHS Travel Manual.
•	Paragraph 1-3.6 of Appendix A, found at the end of the HHS Travel Manual, should be consulted for guidelines implementing the International Air Transportation Fair Competitive Practices Act of 1974 (P. L. 93-623). Under this Act, U.S. flag carriers or flag ships must be used except when the clearly-specified circumstances in Appendix A are satisfied.
•	Provisions related to the acceptance of payment of travel expenses (“Cash or In-Kind”) from foreign governments or international organizations are referred to in Chapter 1-70 of this Manual and paragraph 6-00-100 of this Chapter.
•	

on

Form HHS - 621

EXHIBIT 6-00-50 A
Department of Health and Human Services Nomination of Member for Official U.S. Delegation
Date To: Director , Office of Global Health Affairs, OS

Through:
nominates
(Agency)	(Individual)

to be a member of the U.S. Delegation to (Title)

the 		of the (Meeting)

at
(International Organization)
(Place)
Estimated cost

(Date)
Funding Source ___________________

(Signature)
(Title)	(Agency)
HHS Security Approval 	Approved 	Disapproved International Meeting

Date
(Signature)	Director, Office of Global Health Affairs, OS

Exhibit 6-00-60 A
Must be Attached to Travel Request/Notification and Authorization
MEMORANDUM
TO:	OPDIV/STAFFDIV Approving Official
FROM:	Traveler's Name/Office
SUBJECT:	Justification for Use of Premium Class Travel
I am requesting first class or premium-other-than-first class travel accommodations based on the criteria checked below:
____No space available in coach class, and trip cannot be scheduled on other flights/carriers or routing in time to accomplish purpose of travel, which is so urgent that travel cannot be postponed. ____My physical condition, as documented by the attached letter signed by my personal physician or
specialist, requires that I use premium class travel service. (Letter must specify class of accommodations required by medical condition.)
____ Premium class accommodations are required for security purpose(s), as documented by the attached letter from the Chief of Security of the Department.
	Travel by less-than premium class on foreign carrier does not provide adequate sanitation, and use of ____
foreign flag air carrier service is approved in accordance with the Fly America Act.
____Use of premium class accommodations would result in an overall cost savings to the government. (Cost analysis must be attached to travel request/notification and authorization.)
____Scheduled flight time, not including domestic layovers, is in excess of 14 hours, and a rest stop cannot be taken because of the urgency of the mission. (Travel should be urgent because of the nature of the task – not because the employee is delayed due to personal choices such as electing to take a later flight which creates time pressure.) A rest stop is a stop-over point, during travel, of up to 24 hours, midway in the journey (as near to it as the schedule permits) or at the destination.
	Frequent-traveler benefits permit an upgrade to premium class, either through the use of frequent-____
flier miles or by virtue of my advanced frequent-traveler status, at no cost to the Government.
(Explain in specific detail (on a separate sheet) how item(s) checked above applies to you. All requests for round-trip accommodations via premium class must be justified as to each direction and/or segment of travel.)
Approve 	Disapprove
_________________
Signature of Premium Class Approving Official

Exhibit 6-00-60 B
COST ANALYSIS FOR PREMIUM CLASS OTHER THAN FIRST-CLASS TRAVEL
(OVERALL COST SAVINGS)
EXAMPLE NO.1 (SAVINGS TO FLY COACH CLASS)
	Coach
Class	-vs-	Premium Class other
than First Class	
A. Ticket
Cost	$1,000	$2,000	
B. Per Diem
(Additional
Subsistence Costs
for Rest Stop)	150	0	
C.	Overtime

D.	Productive Person Hours (Lost Productive Time	500	0
equals employee's hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours of
duty time at rest stop)
Totals	$1,650	$2,000
*Note: Compare total costs of coach class to premium class other than first class and circle the lesser of the two. Based on this cost analysis, the traveler should fly coach class because it is the lesser of the two.

COST ANALYSIS FOR PREMIUM CLASS OTHER THAN FIRST CLASS TRAVEL
(OVERALL COST SAVINGS)
EXAMPLE NO. 2 (SAVINGS TO FLY PREMIUM CLASS OTHER THAN FIRST CLASS) Coach	Premium Class other
Class	-vs-	than First Class

A. Ticket	$1,000	$1,500
Cost

B. Per Diem	150	0
(Additional
Subsistence Costs
for Rest Stop)

C.	Overtime

D.	Productive Person Hours (Lost Productive Time -	800	0
equals employee's
hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours
of duty time at rest stop)
Totals	$1,950	$1,500
*Note: Compare the total costs of coach class to premium class other than first class and circle the lesser of the two. Based on this cost analysis, premium class other than first class is justified because it is the lesser of the two.

COST ANALYSIS FOR PREMIUM OTHER THAN FIRST CLASS TRAVEL
(OVERALL COST SAVINGS)
EXAMPLE NO. 2 (SAVINGS TO FLY PREMIUM CLASS OTHER THAN FIRST CLASS)

Coach	Premium Class other
Class	-vs-	than First Class

A. Ticket	$1,000	$1,500
Cost

B. Per Diem	150	0
(Additional
Subsistence Costs
for Rest Stop)

C.	Overtime

D.	Productive Person Hours (Lost Productive Time -	800	0
equals employee's
hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours
of duty time at rest stop)
Totals	$1,950	$1,500
*Note: Compare the total costs of coach class to premium class other than first class and circle the lesser of the two. Based on this cost analysis, premium class other than first class is justified because it is the lesser of the two.

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	Subject:	TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF EMPLOYEES UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
	7-00-00	Purpose
	10	General
	20	Allowances
	30	Supplemental HHS Policies
	40	Federal Travel Regulation Provisions
	7-00-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter provides supplemental guidance and references to the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) for HHS OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs regarding agency requirements for payment of expenses connected with the death of civilian employees.
	7-00-10	GENERAL

OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs must pay expenses incurred as specified in the FTR that are related to an employee’s death (regardless of cause) when, at the time of death, the employee was:

A.	conducting official TDY travel, including when death occurs while on leave or on a non-workday; or

B.		performing official duties while stationed outside of CONUS (outside of the continental U.S., consisting of the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia), including when death occurs while on leave or on a non-workday; or

C.		reassigned away from his/her home of record under a mandatory mobility agreement, such as an assignment under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA).

In very limited circumstances, some expenses may be paid related to the death of an immediate family member, residing with the employee.
	7-00-20	ALLOWANCES

The FTR is very carefully worded as to the allowances an agency must authorize versus the allowances an agency may authorize. Some allowances pertain to all three categories of

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employees listed above, while other allowances only pertain to employees (and their immediate families) who are stationed outside of CONUS. Some allowances may be subject to time limits. OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs must provide assistance in arranging for preparation and transportation of the employee’s remains.

Allowable expenses that must be reimbursed include:

1.	preparation and transportation of the employee’s remains, including costs for embalming or cremation and a casket or container suitable for shipment to place of burial;

2.	mortuary and transportation services when an immediate family member, residing with the employee, dies while the employee is stationed outside CONUS, as authorized under the guidelines and conditions set forth in FTR 303-70.400, -.401, and -.403);

3.	transportation costs to return the deceased employee’s baggage to the official duty station or residence, excluding insurance or reimbursement for loss of or damage to the baggage;

4.	transportation of immediate family members, baggage, and household goods as defined in the FTR, only when the employee dies at or while in transit to or from the official duty station outside CONUS; and

5.	continuation of relocation expenses for an employee’s immediate family, if the employee dies while in transit to the new duty station within CONUS, provided the immediate family is included on the relocation travel order and the family chooses to continue the relocation. Relocation expenses that must be authorized are referenced in FTR 303-70.305.

Some allowable expenses that may be reimbursed include:

A.	transportation of the employee’s remains to an alternate destination, provided the allowable expenses do not exceed the cost of transportation to the official duty station; and/or

B.	travel expenses for no more than two persons to escort the remains of a deceased employee to:

1.	the home or official duty station of the deceased; or

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2.	any other place deemed appropriate by the head of HHS, provided that the allowable expenses do not exceed the cost of transportation to the employee’s official duty station.

When an employee is injured and subsequently dies from those injuries sustained while performing official duty or conducting official travel, under the provisions outlined in 7-00-10, death-related expenses are payable under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, 5 U.S.C. 8134.

Federal Travel Regulation Guideline:

•	FTR Part 303-70, Agency Requirements for Payment of Expenses Connected with the Death of Certain Employees. These requirements are specified in: (a) FTR Amendment 76, issued on January 14, 1999 and effective for certain employee deaths on or after March 1, 1999; and (b) FTR Amendment 86, issued on August 23, 1999, effective for expenses incurred in connection with the escort of remains of certain employees on or after August 23, 1999.
7-00-30	SUPPLEMENTAL HHS POLICIES

The responsible official must render every reasonable assistance in arranging for preparation and transportation of the remains of the decedent when death occurs during travel status or at an official duty station outside the United States. Also, a designated official will provide necessary assistance for the return of the decedent’s immediate family and household goods to the official duty station, when the decedent’s official station was outside of CONUS.

OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs are responsible for establishing a delegation of authority level to authorize and approve these FTR allowances and for establishing internal procedures to ensure compliance with all FTR requirements.

Note: Under FTR 301-70, Subpart F, Policies and Procedures for Payment of Expenses, receipts are required for all reimbursement claims. The agency may make payment directly to the person performing the service (who will submit an invoice) or reimburse the person who made the original payment. HHS officials who authorize and approve expenses under these guidelines should coordinate with their servicing travel, procurement, transportation, and financial payment offices to determine the proper administrative processes to follow.
7-00-40	FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATION PROVISIONS

The following provisions of the FTR Part 303-70 provide detailed guidance regarding agency requirements for payment of expenses connected with the death of employees:

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•	Subpart A - General Policies
•	Subpart B - General Procedures
•	Subpart C - Allowances for Preparation and Transportation of Remains
•	Subpart D - Transportation of Immediate Family Members, Baggage, and Household Goods
•	Subpart E - Preparation and Transportation Expenses for Remains of Immediate Family Members
•	Subpart F - Policies and Procedures for Payment of Expenses
•	Subpart G - Escort of Remains
•	
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	Subject:	TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES UNDER THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PERSONNEL ACT
	8-00-00	Purpose
	10	Coverage
	20	General
	30	Allowances
	40	Comparison of Costs
	50	Travel Orders
	60	Claims for Allowances and Reimbursements
	8-00-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter provides supplemental guidance for HHS civilian employees, OPDIVs and STAFFDIVs, and non-Federal personnel assigned to HHS under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (IPA), regarding the travel and transportation expenses which can be authorized and paid from agency appropriations.
	8-00-10	COVERAGE

A.	This Chapter covers:

A.	All appointed Federal civilian employees of HHS who are detailed or assigned to work in an organization or governmental agency outside of HHS, under an approved IPA agreement with that outside entity, and

B.		Employees of governmental agencies and organizations outside HHS who are appointed, detailed, or assigned to work within HHS, under an approved IPA agreement, and to whom the OPDIV/STAFFDIV reimburses approved travel and per diem allowances directly during the IPA.

B.	Excluded from its coverage are the following:

A.	Members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps;

B.	Individuals who perform work for HHS or any of its OPDIVs or STAFFDIVs under a personal services contact or who are employees of an organization that is under contract to provide goods and/or services to HHS or any of its OPDIVs or STAFFDIVs;
A.	
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C.	Individuals assigned to HHS in any of its OPDIVs or STAFFDIVs by other governments or organizations whose travel and per diem allowances are paid by their regular employers;

D.	Individuals assigned to HHS in any of its OPDIVs or STAFFDIVs by other governments or organizations whose travel and per diem allowances are paid to their regular employers by the OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs to which they are assigned; and

E.	Individuals who have not signed an IPA agreement.
8-00-20	GENERAL

A.	The Intergovernmental Personnel Act provides for temporary exchanges of personnel between the Federal Government and state or local governments, institutions of higher education, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and any other eligible organization. Each such exchange is carried out under the provisions of a specific agreement that states the purpose and duration of the exchange, the places, hours, and conditions of work, and the methods of financing the individual’s pay and allowances.

B.	Representatives of both the Federal Government and the other government or entity participating in a personnel exchange under the IPA must sign an agreement that sets forth explicitly the travel and transportation arrangements of the exchange. Travel and transportation arrangements must always be approved by the official who has authority to approve travel allowances (in advance of travel, unless exceptional circumstances occur) and reimbursements of travel expenses. If that official is different from the one who is negotiating the IPA agreement for HHS, the latter must secure the approval of the official(s) authorized to approve travel or relocation allowances.

C.	The employee must sign a service agreement for one year or the length of the assignment, whichever is shorter, to be eligible for payment of per diem at the assignment location or limited relocation expenses. This service agreement must be incorporated into a written IPA Agreement (such as an OF 69 or agency equivalent) or must be documented via a separate Employment Agreement (such as an HHS-355) in accordance with each OPDIV’s/STAFFDIV’s personnel practices. The employee will be responsible for repaying any expenses if he or she fails to complete the service agreement, unless the reason for failing to complete the agreement is beyond his/her control and acceptable to the OPDIV/STAFFDIV. In addition, management of the HHS OPDIV/STAFFDIV may waive the requirement to pay back expenses if the waiver is considered justified.
A.	
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D.	When an individual is assigned to HHS by a non-Federal government or organization, all travel and transportation expenses, in the form of either a limited relocation allowance or a temporary per diem allowance, must be processed through the travel authorization and travel voucher mechanisms in accordance with this Manual and the OPDIV/STAFFDIV’s procedures for accounting for such travel expenses.

E.	Other information pertinent to the execution of IPA agreements may be found at HHS Personnel Instruction 334-1, “Temporary Assignments of Personnel Under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970," dated March 7, 1996. The legal authority is contained in 5 U.S.C. 3371-3375. Implementing regulations are in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Title 5, Part 334.
8-00-30	ALLOWANCES

Persons who are assigned away from their places of regular employment under the terms of an IPA agreement may be authorized and reimbursed for travel or limited relocation expenses under the IPA, as provided in 5 U.S.C. 3375. When an OPDIV/STAFFDIV authorizes travel or relocation allowances under an IPA agreement, it is the responsibility of the authorizing official to select between payment of a per diem allowance at the assignment site (paragraph A below) OR the limited allowable relocation expenses (paragraph B below). The authorizing official may not pay both types of allowances. In making a determination, consideration should be given to the cost to the Government, as well as the duration of the assignment. For example, a per diem allowance would usually be authorized for short-term assignments, because it is more cost-beneficial to the Government.

For any assignment over 30 days where a per diem allowance is authorized, that allowance shall be reduced in accordance with the guidance in Section 5-00-30-C, Reduced Per Diem. When properly authorized, the length of an IPA assignment may be extended at the current TDY site. In such instances, the per diem allowance for the extended period must remain at the same rate that was in effect at the end of the previous assignment period. In addition, once a per diem allowance has been negotiated, the agreement may not be changed to authorize limited relocation allowances. Furthermore, IPAs that authorize payment of limited relocation expenses may not be modified to include additional benefits/expenses (e.g., per diem).

Note: If both the assignee’s regular place of employment and the IPA official duty station are within the same city/town, these IPA travel allowances do not apply. Refer to HHS Travel Manual Section 4-20-10.

A.	Per Diem Allowance at Assignment Location

Under an IPA agreement that does not provide for payment of limited relocation expenses, the following temporary duty travel expenses may be authorized, in accordance with the FTR

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provisions related to temporary duty travel. The following allowances only apply to expenses incurred by the employee; there is no authority to pay for any expenses incurred by the employee’s immediate family.

1.	Travel of the employee, including a per diem allowance, to and from the place of assignment, under FTR Part 301-10, Transportation Expenses, and 301-11, Per Diem Expenses.

2.	A per diem allowance for the employee while at the place of assignment, under FTR Part 301-11, Per Diem Expenses. If the HHS official who negotiates the IPA agreement is not the travel-authorizing official, the negotiating official should consult the appropriate travel-authorizing official to determine the amount of the per diem allowance, if any. The travel-authorizing official is responsible for establishing the per diem allowance, and once the allowance has been set, it must be specified in the agreement, as well as on an approved travel order.

B.	Limited Relocation Allowances

In some situations, where it is more economical or otherwise more advantageous to the Federal Government, IPA assignees may be authorized to move their families and household goods to the point of their IPA assignment at the expense of the Federal Government.

When the terms of an IPA agreement provide that the employee will be entitled to relocation allowances, HHS may agree to pay the following expenses in accordance with the applicable FTR provisions on relocation (see FTR 302-3, Relocation Allowances):

1.	travel and transportation expenses of the employee to and from the assignment location;

2.	travel and transportation expenses of the employee’s immediate family to and from the assignment location;

3.	transportation and temporary storage expenses of the employee’s household goods and personal effects;

4.	temporary quarters subsistence expenses -- at the time the assignment commences and at the time the assignment is completed;

5.	a miscellaneous expense allowance (for items such as disconnecting and connecting appliances, equipment, and utilities, cutting and fitting transported rugs, etc.) – NOTE that this expense may only be authorized when shipment of household goods and personal effects is authorized under item 3 above, or when storage of such items is authorized under item 6 below;
1.	
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6.	non-temporary storage of the employee’s household goods and personal effects when the employee is assigned to an isolated location.

NOTE:Once an OPDIV/STAFFDIV decides to offer limited relocation allowances in line with FTR 302-3, it must authorize payment for, and reimburse the individual for the full costs incurred associated with, any authorized service(s) as described above. In projecting the estimated obligations, the OPDIV/STAFFDIV may not cap or limit the amount to be reimbursed.

Other relocation allowances listed under FTR Part 302-3, but not listed above, are not allowed. For example, an agency cannot pay expenses of selling or purchasing a residence, property management services, house-hunting trips, relocation income tax allowance, or transportation of privately-owned motor vehicles. Also, a temporary change of station, under FTR Part 302-3, Subpart E, may not be authorized.

C.	Temporary Duty Travel Away from the IPA Assignment Location

Travel orders shall be issued to authorize travel expenses, including a per diem allowance, for official temporary duty assignments away from the designated post of duty. Such travel must be approved by the designated travel authorizing official. On occasion an employee may continue to receive lodging entitlements under an IPA assignment concurrent with authorized temporary duty (TDY) travel away from the IPA assignment location. However, the employee cannot receive an M&IE allowance under both the IPA assignment and TDY concurrently.
8-00-40	COMPARISON OF COSTS

A.	In determining whether an IPA assignment should be authorized as a temporary duty assignment (per diem allowance) or a change in duty station (relocation allowance), the length of the assignment as well as the costs must be considered.

1.	For assignments of relatively short duration (for example, four months) payment of a per diem allowance may be more advantageous to the Government.

2.	With assignments for extended periods (for example, one year), it usually is less costly as well as more advantageous to both the employee and the Government to authorize the applicable relocation allowances.

B.	Consideration must be given to the estimated costs for each of the two alternatives. The method and amount of reimbursement will be determined on the basis of this cost comparison.

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	1.	If relocation is determined to be the least expensive method:

A.	the applicable relocation allowances may be authorized, or

B.	if it is not feasible for the employee to move family and/or household goods, per diem may be authorized for a specified amount which should not exceed the estimated costs of relocating.

	2.	If temporary duty assignment is determined to be the least expensive method:

A.	the applicable per diem allowances may be authorized, or

B.	if the employee elects to move the family and household goods, relocation allowances may be authorized for a specified amount which normally should not exceed the estimated costs of per diem payments.

	3.	Example: An employee of the California State Department of Education is to be assigned to the HHS San Francisco Regional Office for a one-year period. The employee resides in San Diego with his/her spouse and two children.

a.	Relocation Expenses:

Mileage between San Diego and San Francisco	$ 100
Travel per diem for employee and immediate family	$ 250 [assumes trip takes over 12 hours]
Transportation of household goods	$ 4,500
Miscellaneous expense allowance	$ 1,000
Estimated costs to return to San Diego (total of above)	$ 5,850
Total estimated costs to relocate:	$11,700

b.	Temporary Duty Expenses:

Round trip air fare, San Diego - San Francisco	$ 200
Travel per diem for employee (round trip)	$ 150 Per diem at assignment location for employee
(reduced per diem rate applies)	$16,000
Total estimated costs for TDY reimbursement	$16,350

Based on the results of the cost comparison, relocation allowances should be authorized. If it is not feasible for the employee to move the family, the employee may elect to be paid a per diem allowance. Under such circumstances, a monetary limitation should be established; for example, based upon the calculations above, the per diem authorized at the maximum rate would not exceed $11,700 (the estimated cost of relocation) so that

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amount would be the cap on reimbursement. In establishing a monetary limitation, the authorizing official must include in the calculation the proper amount of any costs for transportation associated with periodic trips home to the assignee’s residence (non-Federal person) or official duty station (Federal employee).

Note: An agency should not pay a per diem allowance for an assignment expected to last more than one year, or for an indefinite period. The payment of per diem for a period of more than one year is taxable to the employee (although an income tax reimbursement allowance applies).
8-00-50	TRAVEL ORDERS

A.	The travel order is the official authorization to perform travel at Government expense and must be prepared for all assignments where travel and per diem allowances are paid directly to the individual on the IPA assignment. This includes both limited relocation allowances and temporary duty per diem allowances.

B.	In addition to authorizing the travel, the travel order specifies the employee’s entitlement to reimbursement for the allowable expenses. It should be prepared as soon as the assignment agreement has been completed.

C.	Caution is required in the preparation of travel orders to properly reflect the approval to incur expenses in accordance with regulations. Travel orders must indicate that travel and transportation expenses are authorized in accordance with the IPA. The length of the assignment, the duty reporting date, the estimated expense, and any applicable cap of reimbursement also must be included.

D.	When the assignment agreement provides for the payment of relocation allowance, a change of station travel order must be initiated, listing the allowances to be paid. Authorization must be given by an official who has been delegated the authority to approve such travel.

E.	When it has been administratively determined that the payment of a per diem allowance is more advantageous to the Government, a temporary duty travel order must be prepared, indicating the per diem allowances to be paid. Authorization must be given by an official who has been delegated the authority to approve such travel.

The provisions above apply only to formal negotiated IPA assignments. See Section 8-00-20-C of this Chapter for information on temporary duty travel during an IPA assignment.

Note: An employee who performs official travel or incurs change of station expenses without a travel order, or who departs earlier than necessary to carry out the purpose of travel, does

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so at the risk of not being reimbursed for some/all expenses incurred or losing benefits that might accrue.

8-00-60	CLAIMS FOR ALLOWANCES AND REIMBURSEMENTS

Individuals assigned to HHS OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs under IPA agreements which provide that HHS will pay travel expenses and allowances should submit their claims for such allowances and reimbursements on a travel voucher, in the same manner as prescribed for permanent HHS employees. If an employee is drawing station per diem allowances, he/she should submit the travel vouchers at the end of each month. Individuals claiming relocation allowances should submit their vouchers within five workdays after the expense has been incurred and paid.

Note: A copy of the IPA agreement should accompany the voucher when submitted for reimbursement.

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Subject: TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION REFORM ACT OF 1998

	9-00-00	Purpose
	10	Mandatory Travel Charge Card Usage
	20	Submission of Travel Vouchers, Payment Process, and Late Payment Penalties
	30	Collection of Undisputed, Delinquent Travel Card Debts
	40	Income Tax Reimbursement Allowances for Long-Term Temporary Duty Travel
	50	HHS Travel and Relocation Test Programs
	60	Payment Audits of Transportation Bills

	9-00-00	PURPOSE

This Chapter provides supplemental policy guidance to HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs) concerning implementation of specific GSA regulations stemming from the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998. It applies to all HHS civilian employees, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5701(2) and in the FTR 302-1.1.

The Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-264) was signed into law on October 19, 1998. One of its chief purposes is to reduce Federal travel costs and to streamline Federal travel processes. Among its provisions, it requires employees to use Federal travel charge cards for payment of official travel expenses. It provides for the payment of a late payment fee to employees when an agency fails to reimburse them for approved expenses within 30 days after submission of a proper voucher. It gives agencies the authority to collect undisputed, delinquent travel charge card debts through salary offset. It authorizes GSA to approve a limited number of agency pilot programs for cutting travel and relocation administrative expenses. It requires agencies to audit transportation bills for accuracy prior to payment, instead of after payment. It authorizes the payment of income reimbursement allowances to employees when their reimbursement for travel expenses becomes taxable after one year of continuous duty at a temporary duty location.

 Note 1: Commissioned Corps officers of the Public Health Service are covered under the Department of Defense’s Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR). The Division of Officer Support, within the Office of Commissioned Corps Operations, issues separate travel policy guidance for commissioned officers.

	Note 2:	There are some categories of individuals who perform work for an agency but do not fit the definition of “employee” in 5 U.S.C. 5701(2)(d)(3)(B) and FTR 301-1.2. Such categories include, but are not limited to, research trainees (appointed pursuant to 42 C.F.R. Part 63) and regular research fellows (hired pursuant to 42 C.F.R. Part 61, Subpart B). Because these categories of individuals do not fall

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under the applicable definition of “employee,” they are not covered by this Chapter.

9-00-10	MANDATORY TRAVEL CHARGE CARD USAGE

HHS employees are required to use the Government travel charge card for all official travel expenses, including cash advances through an ATM machine, unless they have an exemption. Exception: It is HHS policy that the travel charge card may not be used for local travel expenses (see paragraph I of this Section). Employees must pay bills for use of the travel charge card in accordance with the terms of the cardholder’s agreement they sign with the bank. Employees who do not adhere to these mandatory travel card usage policies may be subject to disciplinary action and/or may have their charge card canceled.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-51, Subpart A, Paying Travel Expenses – General
•	FTR Part 301-70, Subpart H, Internal Policies and Procedures Relating to
Mandatory Use of the Government Contractor-Issued Travel Charge Card for
Official Travel

A.	Granting Exemptions in HHS

The Federal Travel Regulation grants authority to the head of a Federal agency or his/her designee to exempt any payment, person, type or class of payments, or type or class of agency personnel if the exemption is determined to be necessary in the interest of the agency. Exemptions must be in writing. In HHS:

•	The Director of OAMP will grant Department-wide exemptions for specific types or classes of payments or agency personnel;

•	Heads of OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs or their designees may grant additional exemptions only for individual payments or persons in their organizations. The following information must be included in a written exemption memorandum: (a) letterhead should specify name of issuing HHS OPDIV/STAFFDIV; (b) “Date:” date the exemption is issued; (c) “To:” name of employee receiving the exemption; (d) “From:” title of manager granting the exemption; (e) “Subject: Exemption from Mandatory Travel Card Use;” (f) in the body of the memo, a description of what the exemption is for, its duration, and reason for granting it; and (g) name and signature of “Exemption Authorizing Official.”
•	
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•	Exemptions should only be granted under exceptional or unusual circumstances when it is determined to be necessary in the interest of the agency. Please refer to Exhibit 9-00-A for sample wording for exemption memorandum.

Within OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs, the authority to grant mandatory travel card exemptions on anindividual case basis should be consistent with other travel authority delegations. HHS officials who grant exemptions will retain the original written exemption in their travel administrative files for the life of the exemption. Whenever it terminates by its terms (e.g., limited to a single trip) or is canceled, it must be retained an additional six years for audit purposes. Exemption memoranda should be maintained in an “exemption” travel file with separate “current” and “inactive” folders, in which memoranda are filed alphabetically by the employee’s last name. If a long term or indefinite exemption is canceled, mark “canceled” on the document, initial and date it, and move it from the “current” to the “inactive” folder.

Note: If an OPDIV/STAFFDIV uses a Government contractor-issued centrally-billed account for certain types or classes of travel payments (such as airline tickets), such payments meet mandatory travel card use requirements and should not be listed as an exemption.

B.	Notification to GSA of Exemptions

HHS officials with exemption authority will provide written notification, within 30 days after granting new exemptions, directly to the Administrator of General Services (Attention: MTT), 1800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20405, at the following levels:
•	The Director, OAMP will provide written notification of Department-wide exemptions to GSA on behalf of all HHS components.
•	OPDIV/STAFFDIV officials are responsible for providing written notifications to GSA for any individual exemptions they grant in their own OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs; do not send a copy to ASAM.

C.	Government-wide Exemptions

FTR 301-51.2 specifies Government-wide exemptions to mandatory travel card use, as follows. Exemptions of Agency Employees:
•	Employees with an application pending for the travel charge card (this includes applications for new or replacement cards)
•	Individuals traveling on invitation travel
•	
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•	New appointees
•	Employees who travel 5 times or less per year, although an agency may issue travel charge cards to such employees, in its discretion

Exemptions of Types or Classes of Payments:
•	Expenses incurred at a vendor that does not accept the Government travel charge
card
•	Laundry/dry cleaning services
•	Parking
•	Local transportation system (buses, subways, etc.)
•	Tax
•	Tips
•	Meals (when use of the card is impractical, such as group meals, or the Government travel charge card is not accepted)
•	Phone calls (when a Government calling card is available for use in accordance with agency policy)
•	Relocation allowances, except en route travel and househunting trips D.	Department-wide Exemptions

In addition to the Government-wide exemptions specified in the FTR, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance granted the following exemptions to HHS civilian employees, under delegated authority, and each of the exemptions remains in effect.

Exemptions of Agency Employees:
•	Members of national advisory councils and advisory committees
•	Temporary employees whose term of appointment is less than 120 days
•	
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•	Intermittent or temporary consultants and experts, paid on a daily when-actuallyemployed (WAE) basis, serving less than one year
•	Special Government Employees (SGEs, e.g., scientist and researchers from private industry and academia) who serve as second level review officials of grant applications

NOTE:HHS has adopted the GSA Government-wide exemption for mandating application for the travel charge card, including its definition of infrequent travelers. HHS management will, however, exercise its discretion in appropriate cases to require infrequent travelers to apply for that charge card or permit them to retain cards issued to them under the prior policy.

Exemptions of Types or Classes of Payments
•	Telephone calls (when a Government calling card is not available)
•	Purchases costing less than $10
•	Relocation allowances for en route travel and househunting trips

E.	Use of Travel Charge Card for Official Travel Where Exemptions Have Been Granted

Employees who have a Government travel charge card may use the card for types or classes of official travel payments that have been given an exemption from mandatory travel card use. Use of the travel card where such a type/class of payments exemption has been given is discretionary.

F.	Refusal to Apply for and/or Use the Government Travel Charge Card

Employees who refuse to apply for and/or use the travel charge card for official travel, or have had their travel charge cards canceled for misuse or abuse, will not be authorized a cash travel advance unless they otherwise are covered by an exemption.

G.	Responsibility to Pay Travel Charge Card Bills in Accordance with Cardholder Agreement

Employees are responsible for reading and adhering to the policies and procedures specified in the cardholder agreement they sign in order to obtain a Government travel charge card. Under the cardholder agreement currently in effect, the travel charge card bill is due and payable in full when delivered at the employee’s billing address. The employee is liable to the travel card bank for full reimbursement of all charges authorized by the employee, independent of any agreement or program for reimbursement that may exist between the employee and the HHS

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OPDIV/STAFFDIV. Under FTR 301-52.24, employees must pay amounts owed to the travel card bank in accordance with the cardholder agreement, even if the employee has not yet been reimbursed for those expenses appearing on the billing statement.

Note: The cardholder agreement informs employees about how to handle disputed charges on a travel charge card bill. The employee should follow these procedures by submitting a signed Cardholder Statement of Questioned Item form to the bank within 60 days of the statement date on which the original transaction appears. Once the form is received, the bank will issue a temporary credit to the employee’s account while the dispute is being researched. While the bank is conducting this investigation, the cardholder does not need to pay the amount of the disputed charge and it will not be considered past due.

H.	Improper Use of the Government Travel Charge Card

The travel charge card must only be used for official transportation and travel related expenses. Employees shall not use the travel charge card to make personal purchases or ATM withdrawals for personal use.

I.	Use of Government Travel Charge Card for Local Travel

It is HHS policy that the travel charge card may only be used for official travel and related expenses connected with temporary duty travel or relocation. The travel charge card may not be used for expenses within the local travel area unless: (a) a travel order has been issued consistent with the limited exemption in Chapter 4, subsection 4-20-10-A-2, of this Manual; (b) travel is performed for training under GETA (Chapter 5, subsection 5-00-40-B, “Statutory Exception”); or (c) the employee is authorized to rent a car for a local travel area site visit or similar purpose, in which case the travel charge card must be used for renting the car.

J.	Internal Controls Over Government Travel Charge Card

Heads of OPDIVS/STAFFDIVs or their designees are responsible for establishing appropriate management controls over the travel charge card program to ensure compliance with FTR requirements, the supplemental HHS policy and guidance contained in this Chapter, and the HHS task order with the bank. They are also responsible for providing guidance to their managers on disciplinary issues, when employees violate mandatory travel charge card usage policies. As part of this internal control system, each OPDIV/STAFFDIV will establish a network of employees designated as Agency/Organization Points of Contact (A/OPCs) and issue supplemental procedural guidelines to handle internal administration of the travel charge card program within their organization. A/OPC basic duties will typically include:

• Coordinate individual travel charge card applications, modifications, issuance, and destruction;

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•	Inform employees about HHS travel charge card policies and procedures, to respond to their questions about the program; and
•	Review travel charge card program reports; communicate with employees, supervisors, and the bank, as appropriate, regarding unusual charges, overdue balances, suspended or cancelled accounts, and other related items.

9-00-20	SUBMISSION OF TRAVEL VOUCHERS, PAYMENT PROCESS, AND LATE PAYMENT PENALTIES

HHS employees must submit a travel voucher to their designated reviewing official: (a) within five working days after they complete their trip or period of travel; or (b) every thirty days if they are on continuous travel status. When an employee submits a travel voucher, the HHS reviewing or approving official must notify the employee within seven working days after submission to the first-level reviewing official of any error (i.e., improper voucher or disallowed expense item) that will prevent payment within thirty calendar days after submission. If an error is detected when the voucher is forwarded to the HHS payment office, that office must notify the employee and the approving official of the error within five working days of receipt. HHS must pay the employee for approved expenses items within thirty calendar days after the employee submits a proper travel voucher to the first-level reviewing official or pay a late payment fee, in addition to the vouchered amount. All temporary duty and local travel claims are subject to this requirement. Most relocation allowances are exempt from this requirement; however, en route travel expenses and househunting trips are subject to this requirement.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-52, Claiming Reimbursement
•	FTR Part 301-71, Agency Travel Accountability Requirements
•	FTR Appendix C to Chapter 301 – Standard Data Elements for Federal Travel

A.	Elements of a Proper Travel Voucher

The employee will submit a travel voucher in accordance with OPDIV/STAFFDIV administrative procedures and systems, such as a hard copy SF-1012 Travel Voucher or an electronic voucher created through a travel management system. A proper travel voucher will include the elements specified in FTR 301-52.1 through 301-52.4, and Appendix C to Chapter 301, Travel Expense Information. FTR 301-52.8 through 301-52.11 provide guidance on when agencies can disallow a travel claim and steps an employee should follow when a claim is disallowed. In preparing or approving vouchers, employees and approving officials should review and follow these FTR guidelines and any supplemental guidance issued by HHS and their OPDIV/STAFFDIV.

B.	Late Payment Penalties

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Typical travel voucher elements (not all inclusive) are:

1.		Traveler’s name, address, and social security number

2.		Official Duty Station

3.		Travel authorization number and date

4.		Outstanding travel advance and/or remaining balance

5.		Ticket information for air, rail, and/or other common carrier transportation

6.		Itemized list of travel points (i.e., stops and indirect routing during the course of the entire trip), and all departure and arrival dates (including any non-duty points added to the trip at the employee’s election for personal reasons, such as a trip extension which may include days of annual leave or week-end time)

7.		Type of leave and number of hours of leave for each day, if leave was used

8.		Itemized list of reimbursable expenses by travel day (e.g., per diem or subsistence, common carrier and local transportation, including rental cars, privately owned vehicles, taxis, buses, etc., miscellaneous expenses, including hotel taxes, phone calls, laundry, etc.)

Common supporting attachments (not all inclusive) include:

1.		Itemized receipts for all lodging and any single purchase of transportation or miscellaneous expense items exceeding $75

2.		Travel authorization with approving official’s signature (hard copy or electronic) and designation of funds certification (hard copy or electronic)

3.		Documentation of any necessary special authorizations (e.g., premium-class travel, use of cash to pay for common carrier, etc; see FTR 301-2.5 for list of travel arrangements requiring specific authorization or prior approval)

Proper travel vouchers must be in the specific format required by the employee’s OPDIV/STAFFDIV. Hard copy vouchers must be signed and dated by the traveler and approving official in ink. Electronic vouchers must be submitted under the electronic signature or password controls established by the employee’s OPDIV/STAFFDIV.

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OPDIVs/STAFFDIVs must establish manual and/or electronic methods for tracking: (a) the date when a proper travel voucher is submitted by an employee to his/her first-level reviewing official; and (b) the date when payment is made, so the payment office will be able to determine if a late payment penalty is due and how much. HHS payment offices will pay late payment penalties on travel voucher amounts under the following conditions: (a) the travel claim has been submitted on a proper voucher, (b) the claimed expense amount has not been disallowed, (c) payment has not been made within thirty days of the employee’s submission of a proper voucher to the first-level reviewing official, and (d) the claim is not for a relocation allowance exempted from this requirement in the FTR. Payment will be considered made on the settlement date for an electronic fund of transfer (EFT) payment on the date of a check payment. If a claimed expense is disallowed by the reviewing/approving official or payment office and, subsequently, is reconsidered and allowed due to provision of additional supporting facts or documentation by the traveler, the thirty day window for payment will begin on the date the traveler submits the required, additional supporting facts or documentation to the approving official or payment office, as indicated.

Late payment fees may consist of two elements:

1.	A late payment fee calculated using the prevailing Prompt Payment Act Interest Rate beginning on the 31st day after the required payment date and ending on the date which payment is made; and

2.	An amount equivalent to any late payment charge that the card contractor would have been able to charge the employee had the bill not been paid. See Section C below for guidance on calculating this amount.

Note: Delay or failure by an employee to respond to a Finance Office’s request for banking information to enable voucher payment by EFT, instead of check, will not delay or stop the 30 day window for payment and the assessment of late payment fees.

C.	Calculation of Late Payment Fee Equivalent to Card Contractor Late Payment Charges

Under the current bank card contract, the bank may impose a monthly 2.5 percent late fee on outstanding balances for accounts that meet cancellation criteria, when they are between 120 and 180 days old. After 180 days, they are required under banking regulations to charge off the account and refer it to a collection agency; no additional late fees are imposed thereafter. This means that when the account reaches over 120 days old, a 2.5 percent late fee may be imposed on the outstanding balance for that billing period. If the account status does not change when it is over 150 days old, a new 2.5 percent late fee may be imposed on the outstanding balance for the next billing period (the balance includes any outstanding late fee from the previous billing period). No additional late fees will be imposed for future billing periods because the account

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will be charged off by the bank and sent to a collection agency. Therefore, a maximum of two monthly late fees can be used for purposes of calculating this late payment fee.

The payment office will use the following formula to determine if a late payment charge is due under this provision and the amount of the additional charge:

1.	If it is less than 120 calendar days since the traveler submitted a proper voucher, no late payment fee is due under this provision.

2.	If it is 120 to 149 calendar days since the traveler submitted a proper voucher, one month’s late payment fee under this provision is the dollar amount of allowed expenses on the voucher times 2.5 percent. Example: $2,500 times .025 equals a late payment fee of $62.50.

3.	If it is 150 or more calendar days since the traveler submitted a proper voucher, the maximum two monthly late payment fees under this provision are the dollar amount of allowed expenses on the voucher times 1.025 times 1.025 [minus the dollar amount of allowed expenses on the voucher]. Example: $2,500 times 1.025 times 1.025 [minus $2,500] equals a late payment fee of $126.56.

D.	Late Payment Fees of Less than One Dollar HHS will not pay late payment fees of less than one dollar.

E.	Finance Office Tax Reporting of Late Payment Fees

The Internal Revenue Service requires different tax reporting treatment for the two types of late payment fees for travel vouchers:

1.	For a late payment fee calculated using the prevailing Prompt Payment Act Interest Rate beginning on the 31st day after the required payment date on which payment is made -- HHS Finance Offices will report this late payment fee as interest income on IRS Form 1099-INT in accordance with guidelines issued by the IRS. Current IRS guidelines state that interest paid in the course of business should be reported only if the interest totals $600 or more for the tax year. (Note that this amount may be subject to change.) Also, refer to the HHS Departmental Accounting Manual, Chapter 10-70, Filing and Reporting Form 1099 Information Returns with the Internal Revenue Service.

2.	For an additional late payment fee equivalent to any late payment charge that the card contractor would have been able to charge the employee had the bill not been paid -- HHS finance offices will report this late payment fee as additional wages on Form W-2.
1.	
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9-00-30	COLLECTION OF UNDISPUTED, DELINQUENT TRAVEL CARD DEBTS

The Federal Travel Regulation allows, but does not require, agencies to collect undisputed, delinquent travel card debts from their employees' pay for the bank contractor. HHS will allow agencies to perform this debt collection activity for the bank only when the travel card company requests the agency, in writing, to initiate debt collections.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 301-54 and Part 301-76, Collection of Undisputed Delinquent Amounts Owed to the Contractor-Issuing individually Billed Travel Charge Card

9-00-40	INCOME TAX REIMBURSEMENT ALLOWANCE FOR LONG-TERM TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL

HHS employees (and spouse, if filing jointly) are eligible to receive an Income Tax Reimbursement Allowance (ITRA) if: (a) the employee is in a temporary duty travel status at one location for a period exceeding one year and (b) the employee (and spouse, if filing jointly) incurs Federal, State, or local income taxes on amounts received as reimbursement for official travel expenses.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Interim Rule 7, Part 301-11, Subpart E-Income Tax Reimbursement Allowance (ITRA), Tax Years 1993 and 1994
•	FTR Interim Rule 7, Part 301-11, Subpart F-Income Tax Reimbursement Allowance (ITRA), Tax Years 1995 and Thereafter
•	Chapter 302-17.10, Claims for payment and supporting documentation and verification (Relocation Income Tax Allowances)

A.	Documentation Required to Support ITRA Claims

Employees will submit their claims on a travel voucher in accordance with the HHS OPDIV's or STAFFDIV's travel management system's procedures. They will provide standard documentation required to support an income tax allowance claim, as defined in Federal Travel Regulation Chapter 302-11.10:

1. Certified Statement concerning income tax information being reported to HHS on this claim (see FTR 302-11.10 (a) for sample wording), signed by employee (and spouse, if filing jointly)

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2.	Supporting Documentation (copies of W-2 and 1099 forms, and completed IRS Tax Return-Form 1040 if the claim is for a past tax year)

For claims involving income taxes for tax years prior to 1999, employees should provide information or documentation (such as employee's copy of pertinent travel orders) to enable the HHS reviewing office to associate the claim with applicable HHS travel orders.

B.	Obligation of Funds for ITRA Claims

ITRA claims should be charged to the appropriation of the fiscal year in which the taxable temporary duty expenses associated with the ITRA were incurred, regardless of when the ITRA claim is vouchered or paid.

Example 1: ITRA claim is filed January 2000 for taxes incurred on temporary duty travel extending from July 1999 through November 1999. You will fund that part of the allowance pertaining to the July 1999 - September 1999 period from the FY 1999 appropriation and fund that part of the allowance pertaining to October 1999 - November 1999 from the FY 2000 appropriation.

Example 2: ITRA claim is filed January 2000 for taxes incurred on temporary duty travel extending from March 1996 through July 1996. You will fund the ITRA from the FY 1996 expired appropriation, which is available for upward adjustments of obligations.

Example 3: ITRA claim is filed January 2000 for taxes incurred on temporary duty travel extending from January 1993 through August 1993. This appropriation is closed and no longer available for obligations or payments. Therefore, you will fund the ITRA from the current appropriation (FY 2000) in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 1553.

9-00-50	HHS TRAVEL AND RELOCATION TEST PROGRAMS Requests to GSA for authority to conduct a travel or relocation test program.

•	For test programs within the Office of the Secretary, requests will be submitted to GSA under the signature of the Director of OAMP.

•	For test programs within the OPDIVs, requests will be submitted to GSA under the signature of the Head of the OPDIV or his/her senior level designee. An advance draft copy will be submitted via memorandum to the Director of OAMP, for review and comment prior to submission to GSA. OPDIVs should allow approximately 21 calendar days for a response.
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•	OPDIVs whose travel management system is administered by the Program Support Center (PSC) must obtain concurrence by the PSC's CFO before forwarding their request to GSA. This is to ensure that the travel management system will be able to support the travel or relocation program changes being proposed.

•	OPDIVs will comply with labor-management requirements to obtain union concurrence if the pilot program will involve bargaining unit employees.

Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:

•	FTR Part 300-80, Travel and Relocation Expense Test Programs 9-00-60	PAYMENT AUDITS OF TRANSPORTATION BILLS

HHS OPDIVs, which pay transportation bills, must establish and/or maintain an approved prepayment audit program or obtain a waiver of this requirement from GSA in accordance with GSA regulations. Transportation bills cover services for the movement of products, people, household goods, and any other object as well as activities directly related to or supporting that movement, such as storage, crating, or connecting appliances. They include express, courier, and small package shipments of objects. Transportation audits entail a thorough review and validation of bills by examining the validity, propriety, and conformity of the charges with tariffs, quotations, agreements, or tenders, as appropriate. Audit procedures must prevent duplicate payments and only allow payment for authorized services when the bill is complete with required documentation.

OPDIVs which perform prepayment audits must audit all transportation bills and payments that are not covered by an approved waiver. Exception: OPDIVs may use a statistical sampling technique to audit transportation bills at or below $2,500. Prepayment audit documentation must be forwarded monthly to GSA Audit Division, which will store it for 3 years under the General Records Schedule 9, Travel and Transportation.

Under the Prompt Payment Act, OPDIVs must notify the transportation service provider of any billing errors and related adjustments it will make in payment via an electronic or written statement of difference within 7 days of receipt of a transportation bill. This notice must contain the information elements specified in the GSA regulation.

OPDIVs which have a waiver for some or all transportation bills must forward all paid, unaudited transportation bills, with required information annotated on the bills, to the GSA Audit Division for a post payment audit.

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If the OPDIV conducts prepayment audits of its transportation bills, the Finance Office certifying officer is held liable for verifying transportation rates, freight classifications, and other information on the bill and for any overpayment made. If the OPDIV has a waiver from GSA and forwards bills for post payment audit to GSA Audit Division, the Finance Office certifying officer is not personally liable for verifying transportation rates, freight classifications, and other information on the bill or for any overpayment made.

Federal Management Regulation Guidelines:

•	Federal Property Management Regulation, Part 101-41
•	Federal Management Regulation Part 102-118, Subpart D, Prepayment Audits of Transportation Services
•	Federal Management Regulation Part 102-118, Subpart E, Post payment Transportation Audits

Coordination with the Department for Approval of Prepayment Audit Program Plans or Requests to GSA for Waiver:

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for each HHS OPDIV that pays transportation bills, is responsible for the development and implementation of a Prepayment Audit Program Plan that meets the requirements of the Federal Management Regulation, Subpart D, Prepayment Audits of Transportation Services, unless a waiver is being requested or has been granted. It is HHS policy that CFOs may establish a minimum dollar threshold for transportation bills subject to prepayment audit up to $2,500. The initial Prepayment Audit Program Plan and any future planned changes to approved Plans should be submitted by the CFO to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance (DASF) for review and submission to the GSA Audit Division for final approval.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for each HHS OPDIV that pays transportation bills, is responsible for determining whether or not a waiver for some or all bills is justified and for submitting a written Request for Waiver through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance to the GSA Audit Division for approval. The Request for Waiver must meet the requirements of the Federal Management Regulation, Subpart D, Prepayment Audits of Transportation Services. It must identify the mode or modes of transportation to which the waiver will apply and provide a detailed explanation as to why a waiver should be granted, such as: cost-effectiveness, Government efficiency, public interest, agency mission, or not feasible for the OPDIV to implement. GSA will provide a written response to the HHS request within 30 days of receipt. Waivers cannot exceed a two-year period. CFOs of OPDIVs must reapply with a new Request for Waiver every two years to document to the Department and GSA that conditions still warrant a waiver.

Official C

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EXHIBIT 9-00-A
Sample Individual Exemption Memorandum (HHS Operating Division Name on Letterhead)
Date: Month, Day, Year

To: Employee A

From: Director, Division X

Subject: Exemption from Mandatory Travel Card Use
This is to document that you are granted an indefinite exemption from mandatory travel card use for the following reason: your application for a replacement Government travel card is still pending. This exemption will continue until a decision is made on your application.

Please be advised that you still must use a Government contract city-pair fare for airline and other common carrier transportation according to Federal Travel Regulation 301-10.107. City-pair fares can be purchased through our agency's centrally billed charge card account. Please contact Employee B, our office's designated travel card point of contact, if you need assistance with using the centrally billed account.