Basic Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) update -Temporary Duty Travel

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Basic Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) update
-Temporary Duty Travel Federal Civilian
Rick MillerTravel Program AnalystTravel and
Transportation Management Policy (MTT) Office of
Travel, Transportation and Asset Management GSA
EXPO 2010
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Federal Travel Regulation (FTR)

• Issued by GSA to implement Title 5 United States
  Code (U.S.C.), Chapter 57, regarding travel,
  transportation, and subsistence expenses of
  federal civilian employees
• FTR is promulgated under direction from Congress
  it is a legislative rule which is entitled to
  special weight binding on all agencies (41 Code
  of Federal Regulation - CFR)
• Agency policy/regulation are interpretive rules
  since they are typically issued without statutory
  approval and generally used to implement and
  supplement the FTR for civilian employees

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WHERE TO LOOK www.gsa.gov/ftr
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FTR - On-line
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FTR - Purpose / Format

• Purpose
• To interpret statutory and other policy
  requirements
• To communicate the resulting policies in a clear
  manner to Federal agencies and employees
• Formats
• Question and answer
• Title and narrative

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FTR - Glossary of Terms

• Common Carrier
• Employee with a Disability
• Furnished Meals
• Immediate Family
• Non-Foreign Area

• Per Diem Allowance
• Reduced Per Diem
• Travel Authorization
• United States

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FTR - Employee

• Employee
• An individual employed by an agency, regardless
  of status or rank
• An individual employed intermittently in
  Government service as an expert / consultant and
  paid on a daily when-actually employed basis
• An individual serving without pay or at 1 a year
• FTR does not pertain to Contractors, State,
  County, or Local Government employees,
  Non-federal employees, corporations/private
  businesses, and Title 22 employees

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FTR - Travel Authorization

• Travel Authorization (Orders)
• A written/electronic travel authorization -
  provides purpose of the employees official travel
  / type of special conditions
• Provides travel expenses the agency may pay, such
  as transportation, per diem, miscellaneous
  expense
• Provides specific authorizations, such as
  other-than-coach class, foreign air service,
  rental car, actual expense per diem,
• The travel authorization is a record of vested
  travel entitlements and may not be
  administratively altered after the fact to
  increase/decrease benefits in the absence of
  clear error

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FTR - Transportation

• Transportation methods
• Agencies may authorize the following types
• Common carrier transportation airline, train,
  ship, bus
• Government vehicle (GOV)
• Privately owned vehicle (POV) mileage or NTE the
  constructive common carrier
• Special conveyance taxi or commercial automobile

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FTR - Liability / Route

• Liability
• If you do not travel by the method of
  transportation required by your agency, any
  additional expenses will be borne by you
• Route of Travel
• You must travel to your destination by the
  usually traveled route unless your agency
  authorizes or approves a different route as
  officially necessary

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FTR - Airlines

• Airline basic requirements
• Three categories
• Contract carriers, when available
• Coach class service, unless other than coach
  class is authorized
• U.S. flag air carrier service

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FTR - Contract City-Pair Fares

• Contract City-Pair Fares
• Civilian employees of an agency must always use a
  contract city-pair fare for scheduled air
  passenger transportation service unless one of
  the limited exceptions exits (FTR 301-10.107)
• Contact city-pair fares are available at
  http//www.gsa.gov/citypairs
• Contractors and grantees are not eligible for the
  use of city-pair fares

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FTR - Airline Accommodations

• Type of Classes of Accommodations
• Coach-class - The basic class of accommodation by
  airlines that is normally the lowest fare offered
  regardless of airline terminology used
• Other-than-Coach-class - Any class of
  accommodations above coach-class, e.g.,
  first-class or business-class
• For official business travel, both domestic and
  international, you must use coach-class
  accommodations, except as provided under FTR
  301-10.123 and 301-10.124

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FTR - U.S. Flag Carrier

• U.S. Flag Carrier
• An employee is required by 49 U.S.C 40118 (Fly
  America Act) to use U.S. flag air carrier for all
  Government funded travel. There are some
  exceptions
• Use of a foreign air carrier is determined to be
  a matter of necessity with FTR 301-10.138
• The transportation is provided under a bilateral
  or multilateral air transportation agreement
  (Open Skies)
• You are an employee of a Foreign Affairs agency

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FTR - Mileage Rates / Distance

• Mileage rates effective 1 January 2010
• Privately-owned airplane 1.29
  per mile
• Privately-owned automobile 0.50 per
  mile
• Privately-owned motorcycle 0.47 per
  mile
• Distance measurements for travel
• POV/motorcycle As shown in paper or electronic
  standard highway mileage guides, or the actual
  miles driven as determined from odometer readings
• Privately-owned airplane FAA charts

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FTR - Taxi / Shuttle Services

• Taxi or Shuttle services
• May be used when agency authorizes / approves
  for
• To and from a carrier terminal
• For travel at the TDY location
• Between residence and office on day you perform
  official travel
• Tips - Amount which your agency determines to be
  reasonable

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FTR - Per Diem Eligibility

• Eligibility
• When you perform official travel away from your
  official station, or other areas defined by your
  agency
• You incur per diem expenses while performing
  official travel
• You are in a travel status for more than 12 hours
• Non-eligible --You perform travel to a training
  event under the Government Employees Training Act
  (5 U.S.C. 4101-4118), and you agree not to be
  paid per diem expenses

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FTR - Per Diem Methods

• Methods of Per Diem
• Lodging-plus per diem method
• Reduced per diem method
• Conference lodging allowance method
• Actual expense method

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FTR - Per Diem Rates

• Per Diem rates
• Continental United States (CONUS) Rates set
  by GSA (http//www.gsa.gov/perdiem)
• Non-foreign areas Rates set by Department of
  Defense (http//defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/)
• Foreign areas Rates set by Department of
  State (http//www.state.gov)
• Your TDY location determines your maximum per
  diem reimbursement rate

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FTR - MIE Allowance

• Applicable MIE allowance
• More than 12 but less than 24 hours
• 75 of the applicable MIE for each calendar day
• 24 Hours or more
• Day of departure - 75 of the applicable MIE
  rate
• Full days of travel - 100 of the applicable MIE
  rate
• Day of return - 75 of the applicable
  MIE rate

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FTR - Meal Rates

• Meal rates effective 10/1/09
• MIE 46 51 56 61 66 71
• Breakfast 7 8 9 10
  11 12
• Lunch 11 12 13 15 16
  18
• Dinner 23 26 29 31 34
  36
• Incidentals 5 5 5
  5 5 5
• MIE rate must be adjusted for a meal(s)
  furnished to you by the government by deducting
  the appropriate amount shown

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FTR - Baggage

• Baggage
• Checked / Transferring Baggage
• First checked bag - miscellaneous expense
• Second / subsequent checked bags when agency
  determines the baggage was needed for official
  reasons
• Travelers should verify their agencies current
  policies and procedures regarding excess baggage
• Tips for baggage handling, to include curb-side,
  are not allowed unless for government property or
  disability/special need employee

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FTR - Lodging Taxes

• Lodging Taxes
• Lodging taxes are reimbursable as a miscellaneous
  expense for CONUS / non-foreign areas
• Separate claims for lodging taxes incurred in
  foreign areas are not allowed
• Exemptions from taxes for Federal travelers, and
  the forms required to claim them vary from
  location to location
• Web site www.gsa.gov/smartpay

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FTR - Laundry

• Laundry, cleaning and pressing of clothing
  expenses
• Miscellaneous travel expense
• No dollar restriction prudent traveler
• Must incur a minimum of 4 consecutive nights
  lodging on official travel to quality for this
  reimbursement
• Separate claims for laundry and dry cleaning
  expenses incurred in foreign and non-foreign
  areas are not allowed

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FTR - Misc Expenses

• Miscellaneous expenses
• Baggage expenses
• Use of computers, printers, faxing machines
• Official phone calls/service, faxes
• Energy surcharge and lodging resort fee(s) (when
  such fee(s) is/are not optional)
• Transaction fees for use of automated teller
  machines (ATMs)Government contractor-issued
  charge card

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FTR - Travel Claims

• Travel claim
• Travel authorizations including any necessary
  special authorizations
• Receipts
• Within 5 working days after you complete your
  trip
• Every 30 days if you are on continuous travel
  status

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FTR - Receipts

• Receipts requirements
• Lodging
• Authorized expenses over 75
• Provide a reason acceptable to your agency
  explaining why you are unable to provide the
  necessary receipt
• Receipts must be retained for six (6) years,
  three (3) months

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FTR - Training

• GSA Travel Training Branch offers a wide range of
  courses www.gsa.gov/traveltransportationtraining
• Conference Planning
• Relocation Allowances
• Relocation Income Tax Allowances
• Temporary Duty Travel Joint Travel Regulation
  (JTR Vol.2)
• Temporary Duty Travel Federal Travel Regulation
  (FTR)
• Advanced Temporary Duty Travel FTR

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FTR - Point of Contact

• Government Travel
• [phone] (voice)
• [phone] (fax)
• e-mail travel.policy_at_gsa.gov
• Rick Miller, OGP, MTT
• [phone] (voice)
• [phone] (fax)
• e-mail rodney.miller_at_gsa.gov
• Twitter GSAtravelpolicy

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