Reimbursement for Registration Fee and Luncheon

The Community Services Administration (CSA) requested an advance decision as to the allowability of payment and charge to the agency's appropriation of expenses incurred by three employees at a Board meeting for the Combined Federal Campaign. The meeting was held at the employees' headquarters. The cost incurred was a registration fee which included the cost of a luncheon meal. Conference officials said that the major portion of the fee was for the luncheon meal. GAO has held that payment of a registration fee incident to attendance at a conference held at an employee's headquarters was proper even though meals were furnished at no additional charge. In the present case, however, the fee consisted primarily of the cost of the meal. Since only a minimal portion of the fee was earmarked for administrative expenses, it was held that the fee could not be considered a registration fee insofar as reimbursement by the government was concerned. It has been consistently held that to be charged with the cost of providing meals, appropriations must be made specifically available for that purpose. Accordingly, GAO held that it was improper for the government to reimburse the three employees. Payment of the fee could not be authorized.