B-149475, AUG. 3, 1962
Highlights
ON THOSE DATES THE TRAVELER WHOSE OFFICIAL DUTY STATION WAS WASHINGTON. IN ALL INSTANCES ROUND TRIP TRAVEL WAS PERFORMED BY AUTOMOBILE WITHIN THE SAME CALENDAR DAY EXCEPT THAT ON MAY 15 BOTH AUTOMOBILE AND BOAT TRAVEL WAS INVOLVED. WHICH IS THE PRESCRIBED RATE FOR THE HAGUE. FOR OTHER LOCALITIES IN THE NETHERLANDS THE PRESCRIBED PER DIEM RATE IS $14. YOUR DOUBT IN THE MATTER ARISES BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE OF SECTION 6.2C OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS WHICH EXPRESSLY IS LIMITED TO TRAVEL BY AIRPLANE. WHEELER IS ENTITLED TO $16 PER DIEM WHILE PERFORMING TEMPORARY DUTY AT THE HAGUE AND $14 PER DIEM WHILE PERFORMING TEMPORARY DUTY AT PLACES IN THE NETHERLANDS OTHER THAN THE HAGUE COMPUTED AS SUGGESTED BY THE NEXT TO LAST PARAGRAPH OF YOUR LETTER.
B-149475, AUG. 3, 1962
TO MR. VERNE H. EASTMAN, AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE:
YOUR LETTER OF JULY 18, 1962, REQUESTS OUR DECISION WHETHER YOU MAY CERTIFY FOR PAYMENT THE VOUCHER FOR $449.66 THEREWITH TRANSMITTED IN FAVOR OF MR. W. H. WHEELER, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
YOU SAY THE CLAIM APPEARS TO BE PROPER BUT A QUESTION ARISES AS TO THE PER DIEM RATE CLAIMED FOR MAY 9, 10, 11, 14, AND 15, 1962. ON THOSE DATES THE TRAVELER WHOSE OFFICIAL DUTY STATION WAS WASHINGTON, D.C., DEPARTED FROM THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS, AS EARLY AS 7:30 A.M., FOR TRAVEL TO OTHER LOCALITIES WITHIN THE NETHERLANDS, AND RETURNED THERETO AS LATE AS 8:15 P.M. IN ALL INSTANCES ROUND TRIP TRAVEL WAS PERFORMED BY AUTOMOBILE WITHIN THE SAME CALENDAR DAY EXCEPT THAT ON MAY 15 BOTH AUTOMOBILE AND BOAT TRAVEL WAS INVOLVED. FOR EACH OF THE DAYS IN QUESTION, THE TRAVELER CLAIMED PER DIEM AT THE RATE OF $16, WHICH IS THE PRESCRIBED RATE FOR THE HAGUE. FOR OTHER LOCALITIES IN THE NETHERLANDS THE PRESCRIBED PER DIEM RATE IS $14. YOUR DOUBT IN THE MATTER ARISES BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE OF SECTION 6.2C OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS WHICH EXPRESSLY IS LIMITED TO TRAVEL BY AIRPLANE, TRAIN, OR BOAT WHEN TRAVELING IN LOCALITIES BEYOND THE UNITED STATES.
THE TRAVEL ORDER ISSUED TO MR. WHEELER PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 9 "PER DIEM ALLOWANCE," THAT HE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO THE "MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE AS PRESCRIBED IN SECT. 6, SGTR.' SECTION 6.2B OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROVIDES IN PART AS FOLLOWS:
"B. * * * FOR TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS WITHIN A LOCALITY BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES A PER DIEM ALLOWANCE MAY BE AUTHORIZED OR APPROVED AT A RATE NOT IN EXCESS OF THE APPLICABLE LOCALITY RATE PRESCRIBED IN APPENDIX I (REVISED). * * *.'
UNDER THE ABOVE-QUOTED SECTION OF THE TRAVEL REGULATIONS AN EMPLOYEE TRAVELING BY AUTOMOBILE IN A LOCALITY BEYOND THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES WOULD BE ENTITLED TO A PER DIEM NOT TO EXCEED THE APPLICABLE LOCALITY RATE. THE FACT THAT THE TRAVEL PERFORMED ON MAY 15, 1962, REQUIRED A SHORT JOURNEY BY BOAT DOES NOT PLACE SUCH TRAVEL WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF SECTION 6.2C AND WOULD NOT AFFECT THE LOCALITY RATE OTHERWISE APPLICABLE. SINCE THE TRAVEL ORDER AUTHORIZED THE MAXIMUM RATE OF PER DIEM MR. WHEELER IS ENTITLED TO $16 PER DIEM WHILE PERFORMING TEMPORARY DUTY AT THE HAGUE AND $14 PER DIEM WHILE PERFORMING TEMPORARY DUTY AT PLACES IN THE NETHERLANDS OTHER THAN THE HAGUE COMPUTED AS SUGGESTED BY THE NEXT TO LAST PARAGRAPH OF YOUR LETTER.
THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED, MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING.