[Request for Decision Regarding Reimbursement for Cost of Transporting Floathouse]

An authorized certifying officer of the Department of Agriculture requested a decision as to whether an employee of the Forest Service could be reimbursed for the costs of transporting his floathouse pursuant to a permanent change of station. The Forest Service had denied the employee's claim on the basis of Federal regulations and a GAO decision which concluded that reimbursement for the costs of transporting a boat to an employee's new duty station for use as a residence was not authorized. GAO stated that its decision denying reimbursement of costs for transporting houseboats had been overruled. It has since concluded that the definition of mobile home need not be so restrictively interpreted. No useful purpose would be served by an interpretation of the regulations which would deny reimbursement to employees who transport houseboats or floathouses to their new permanent duty stations to be used as residences. Accordingly, GAO concluded that the employee could be reimbursed for the cost of transporting his floathouse, excluding the costs of any insurance he may have purchased in connection with that move.