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HHS Chapter 4-10
Travel Manual
HHS Transmittal 2000.02 - December 15, 2000
Subject: Transportation Expenses
4-10-00 Purpose
4-10-10 Transportation Expenses - General
4-10-20 Transportation Method, Travel Routing, and Tips
4-10-30 Procuring Common Carrier Transportation
4-10-40 Mandatory Use of Contract Fares and When Cannot Use
4-10-50 Coach Class and When Higher Class Accommodation Upgrades Allowed
4-10-60 Fly America Act Requirements
4-10-70 Compensation From Airline for Seat Denial vs. Voluntary Vacate
4-10-80 Use of Privately Owned Vehicles and Rental Cars
4-10-90 Internal Controls Over Authorization and Payment of Expenses
4-10-00 PURPOSE
This Chapter provides supplemental guidance for HHS civilian employees
and Operating Divisions regarding allowable transportation expenses for
temporary duty travel.
4-10-10 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:
These sections of the FTR provide detailed guidance to the employee and to the agency's management, respectively, regarding transportation expense policies. Topics in FTR Part 301-10 include:
4-10-20 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 and other factors are
considered. If an employee travels by a non-authorized method of transportation,
any additional expenses will be borne by the employee. For 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 4-10-30,
Procuring Common Carrier Transportation, and 4-10-40, Mandatory Use of Contract
Fares and When Cannot Use, for additional information about indirect or
interrupted travel for personal convenience.
Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:
B. Tips for Transportation
Effective January 1, 2001, it is an HHS policy
that tips to a taxi, shuttle service or courtesy transportation driver are
limited to 15 percent of the service charge; if there is no service charge,
the limit for tips is $2. Note: this expense should be recorded as a transportation
expense on the voucher; it is not included in the $2 "incidentals" portion
of per diem.
4-10-30 PROCURING COMMON CARRIER TRANSPORTATION
Employees are required to use a Government
contractor-issued individually billed travel 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 Operating Division
travel authorizing or approving official may allow reimbursement for the
full cost of the transportation as a one-time exemption
(any future travel must 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-issued travel 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 contractor-issued individually billed travel card, centrally billed account and GTR are not practicable. For passenger transportation services costing more than $100, the OPDIV's designated authorizing or approving official can authorize the use of a cash-equivalent purchase method to obtain a reduced fare for group, charter, or excursion arrangements or 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.
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.
For 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 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 4-10-40, Paragraph B, When Contract Fares May
Not Be Used.
Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:
C. Government Liability for Authorizing Restricted, Non-Contract Fares for Common Carrier Transportation
The FTR Part 301-10, Subpart B, Use of Contract
City-Pair Fares, lists exceptional circumstances when a contract government
fare does not have to be used. When such circumstances exist and the travel
authorizing official authorizes the procurement of a restricted or non-refundable
commercial fare for the official trip AND the government undertakes actions
(such as canceling the trip or changing the travel dates) 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 the unused authorized ticket to the OPDIV, according
to its procedures.
However, the government is not liable for 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 indirect travel for personal convenience. See Paragraph B. above.
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.
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:
4-10-40 MANDATORY USE OF CONTRACT FARES
AND WHEN CANNOT USE
A. Mandatory Use of Contract City-Pair Fares
If the GSA city-pair contract 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 Part 301-10, Subpart B 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 4-10-90, 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 from a Non-Federal Source for Travel Expenses, 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 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 for 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-issued travel 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 4-10-30, B. Personal Liability for Purchase of Indirect Route Transportation Tickets for Personal Convenience.
3. Contractors (including cost-reimbursable)
Use of GSA contract air passenger fares is governed by GSA's contracts with the airlines. As of 10/1/98, under GSA's contracts, contractors (including cost-reimbursable) are not eligible to use GSA's contract city fares. Invitational travel orders should not be issued for contractors at the Government contract fare, nor should contractor travel tickets be issued on Government centrally-billed accounts at the Government contract fare.
Federal
Travel Regulation Guidelines:
4-10-50 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-class other than 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.
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 HHS Travel Manual Section
3-30-20, Frequent Traveler Programs and Promotional Materials, for HHS policies
on using frequent flyer benefits for transportation accommodation upgrades.
Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:
4-10-60 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. App. Sec. 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:
4-10-70 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 management of the Operating Division will charge the employee with annual
leave for the additional hours.
Federal Travel Regulation Guidelines:
4-10-80 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:
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 speculative expenses. Other non-reimbursable costs are:
parking violations, locksmith charges, flat tires, and gasoline purchases.
Note: under U.S. Code Title 5, Section 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.
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 uses while at the temporary duty station, including travel to and
from restaurants near the work site or hotel. Employees are encouraged to
obtain vehicles from rental agencies who have negotiated agreements with
the Department of Defense, Military Traffic Management 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 trip away from the
temporary duty point on a weekend or other non-workday or at any other off-duty
time for reasons not related to official travel, any additional expenses
incurred may not be claimed. Additional
costs, such as gasoline purchases that cover travel mileage for personal
reasons, are not reimbursable. Additionally, employees should be aware that
the Government can deny liability for any loss or damage to the rental vehicle
that arises from activities outside the scope of official business travel.
4-10-90 INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER THE
AUTHORIZATION AND PAYMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES
Heads of Operating Divisions and Staff Divisions
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 policy and procedure requirements.
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:
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 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.