Claim for Travel Expenses

An authorized certifying officer for the General Services Administration (GSA) requested a decision concerning a GSA employee's entitlement to renewal agreement travel expenses. The certifying officer also requested answers concerning other GSA employees similarly situated. The questions concerned whether: (1) GSA is obligated to reimburse a commercial airline for an employee and his family's renewal agreement travel and if an additional amount is owed for the employee's per diem; (2) the employee must begin renewal agreement travel immediately after entering into a new agreement to serve another tour of duty outside the continental United States, or whether the employee should wait after signing before taking leave as the employee in question did; (3) the employee in question and other GSA employees similarly situated met the service completion requirement for entitlement to renewal agreement travel by carrying out their initial agreement to serve 12 months in the Government service following their transfer outside the continental United States; and (4) an employee transferred from the continental United States to Alaska on a permanent change-of-station basis is entitled to renewal agreement travel expenses. GAO stated that: (1) the employee in question and his family met the essential requirements for entitlement to renewal agreement travel by serving the 2-year tour of duty prescribed by GSA for those employees required to execute overseas employment agreements incident to their assignments to Alaska and by signing a renewal agreement contemplating another 2-year tour in Alaska. His renewal agreement travel was approved and authorized by the Assistant Regional Director and the Regional Director respectively, in accordance with a specific travel authorization. Consequently, the specific items of travel expense may be reimbursed, if otherwise payable; (2) costs of renewal travel may be reimbursed even though the travel is delayed for reasons related to the employee's official duties; (3) fulfilling the 12-month Government service agreement does not satisfy the initial service agreement completion requirement for renewal agreement travel since it merely entitles an employee to retain relocation expenses paid in connection with his first transfer overseas; and (4) an employee who meets all of the eligibility requirements under Federal regulations is entitled to renewal agreement travel.