Training Policy Handbook
Use of Government Funds for Training
Title 5 USC §4112 provides for the absorption of costs
of agency training programs from applicable appropriations or funds available
to the agency for each fiscal year, including program funds. Heads of
agencies may delegate their authority to approve expenditures for training.
See Comp. Gen. B-175024 (June 1, 1972).
Section 624 of the Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government
Appropriations Act, 1997 as contained in section 101(f) of the Omibus
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997, Pub. L. 104-208, prohibits
all agencies from spending appropriated funds on training that is offensive
to Federal employees and unnecessary in the execution of their official
duties. Congress defined inappropriate or offensive training as training
that:
does not bear directly on an employee's official duties;
induces high levels of unnecessary emotional or psychological stress;
does not notify employees prior to training of the content and methods
to be used;
does not have required written course evaluations;
contains methods or content associated with religious, quasi- religious
belief systems, or "new age" belief systems (see EEOC
Notice N-915.022 (September 2, 1988));
is offensive to, or designed to change, employee's personal values
or lifestyle outside the workplace; or
includes non-work related material on human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).