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B-103315, APR 13, 1967

B-103315 Apr 13, 1967
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MORRIS LIEBERMAN: REFERENCE IS MADE TO THE LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 13. SUCH LETTER INDICATES THAT RESERVATIONS FOR THE FLIGHT WILL BE HANDLED BY A TRAVEL AGENCY. IS OVER $15. ARE CONSIDERED NECESSARY TO INSURE PROPER ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OVER THE EXPENDITURE AND AUDIT OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS AND APPLY GENERALLY THROUGHOUT THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. THROUGH THE USE OF CHARTER AND GROUP FLIGHTS THE TOTAL TRANSPORTATION COSTS REPORTEDLY WILL NOT EXCEED $580 PER ELIGIBLE TRAVELER. FROM WHICH THESE FIGURES WERE DERIVED ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE PUBLISHED REGULAR AND CHARTER RATES. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SINCE SUCH PROCUREMENT WILL APPARENTLY SERVE TO PROMOTE THE MORE ECONOMICAL USAGE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS (SEE SECTION 1.2 OF THE SGTR).

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B-103315, APR 13, 1967

PRECIS-UNAVAILABLE

DR. MORRIS LIEBERMAN:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO THE LETTER DATED FEBRUARY 13, 1967, WITH ENCLOSURES, FROM THE HONORABLE JOSEPH M. ROBERTSON, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION OF YOUR DEPARTMENT, IN WHICH HE ASKS FOR A DECISION AS TO THE PROPRIETY OF REIMBURSING DR. MORRIS LIEBERMAN, RESEARCH PLANT PHYSIOLOGIST OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE, BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND, FOR TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES PROPOSED TO BE INCURRED IN CONNECTION WITH AIR CHARTER FLIGHT TO ATTEND THE 7TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF BIOCHEMISTRY TO BE HELD IN TOKYO, JAPAN, AUGUST 17 TO 25, 1967. SUCH LETTER INDICATES THAT RESERVATIONS FOR THE FLIGHT WILL BE HANDLED BY A TRAVEL AGENCY.

SECTION 2013 OF TITLE 5 OF THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE MANUAL, COVERING THE PROCUREMENT OF OFFICIAL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, GENERALLY PLACES RESTRICTIONS ON THE ISSUANCE OF GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS TO TRAVEL AGENCIES, AND SECTION 2020.10, IN EFFECT, PRECLUDES THE USE OF CASH TO PROCURE OFFICIAL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WHEN THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION, WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION TAX, IS OVER $15. COMPARE SECTION 4.2 OF BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-7 REVISED, ENTITLED STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS (SGTR).

THE RESTRICTIONS IN OUR REGULATIONS ON THE USE OF TRAVEL AGENCIES AND THE REQUIREMENT THAT GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS (5 GAO 2010.20) BE USED TO PROCURE OFFICIAL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, WHENEVER THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION EXCEEDS $15, ARE CONSIDERED NECESSARY TO INSURE PROPER ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OVER THE EXPENDITURE AND AUDIT OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS AND APPLY GENERALLY THROUGHOUT THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. SECTION 2085.10 OF TITLE 5 OF THE GAO MANUAL PROVIDES THAT EXCEPTIONS MAY BE MADE "ONLY AFTER OBTAINING THE WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES."

MR. ROBERTSON'S LETTER REPORTS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS AUTHORIZED TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR DR. MORRIS LIEBERMAN TO ATTEND THE 7TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF BIOCHEMISTRY ON OFFICIAL TIME. THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTS, INC., HAS MADE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS WITH CHEVY CHASE TRAVEL, INC., BETHESDA, MARYLAND, AND THROUGH THE USE OF CHARTER AND GROUP FLIGHTS THE TOTAL TRANSPORTATION COSTS REPORTEDLY WILL NOT EXCEED $580 PER ELIGIBLE TRAVELER. DR. LIEBERMAN HAS MADE RESERVATIONS ON THE TRIP TO DEPART FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK, ON AUGUST 13, 1967, AND RETURN ON AUGUST 30, 1967. THE $580 COST (WHICH INCLUDES A POSSIBLE 25 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE CHARTER FARE FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO TOKYO, JAPAN, AND RETURN) AS AGAINST THE REGULAR ROUND-TRIP JET ECONOMY FARE OF $998 BETWEEN THE SAME POINTS REPRESENTS AN ESTIMATED SAVING OF $418. THE FARES SHOWN IN THE LETTER OF FEBRUARY 13, 1967, AND FROM WHICH THESE FIGURES WERE DERIVED ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE PUBLISHED REGULAR AND CHARTER RATES.

THE FACTS OF THIS CASE, BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BEFORE THE TIME OF THE CONTEMPLATED TRAVEL, SHOW THE AVAILABILITY OF THE ECONOMICAL GROUP TRAVEL FARE THROUGH THE TRAVEL AGENCY. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SINCE SUCH PROCUREMENT WILL APPARENTLY SERVE TO PROMOTE THE MORE ECONOMICAL USAGE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS (SEE SECTION 1.2 OF THE SGTR), AN EXCEPTION TO THE REGULATIONS APPEARS WARRANTED IN THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.

ACCORDINGLY, WE APPROVE DR. LIEBERMAN'S USE OF THE CHARTER FLIGHT FOR THE SUBJECT TRIP. TO AVOID ISSUANCE OF A GOVERNMENT TRANSPORTATION REQUEST TO A TRAVEL AGENCY, WE SUGGEST THE CHARTER FARE BE PAID IN CASH BY THE TRAVELER WITH REIMBURSEMENT ON HIS TRAVEL VOUCHER. ALSO, WE WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR DEPARTMENT MAKING WHATEVER TRAVEL ADVANCE IT MAY DEEM APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY TO COVER SUCH PROCUREMENT OF THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE.

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