Funding of Conferences

Two requests were received for reconsideration or modification of a decision which held that payment by the agency of transportation and lodging expenses for state officials attending a convention violated federal statutes. The prior decision was affirmed since the provision of the Administrative Expenses Act permitting payment of such expenses for persons serving the government without compensation did not provide the necessary exception to 31 U.S.C. 551 and since the attendees at the conference were not providing a direct service to the government. The proposed lump-sum grant by the agency to the American Law Institute to provide scholarships to defray transportation, food, and lodging expenses at an environmental law seminar did not violate 31 U.S.C. 551 which prohibits use of appropriated funds to pay the expenses of conventions without specific statutory authority since the expenditures of properly authorized grant funds are not subject to restrictions on the direct expenditures of appropriations.