B-97813, OCTOBER 9, 1950, 30 COMP. GEN. 147
Highlights
APPROPRIATIONS - FISCAL YEAR - AVAILABILITY BEYOND - TRAVEL BEGINNING IN ONE FISCAL YEAR AND ENDING IN FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR WHERE OFFICIAL TRAVEL PERFORMED UNDER ORDERS AUTHORIZING THE USE OF A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE AT NOT TO EXCEED THE COST OF SIMILAR TRAVEL BY RAIL WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IF RAIL TRAVEL HAD BEEN USED. THE CONSTRUCTIVE COST OF THE TRAVEL BY RAIL IS LESS THAN THE EXPENSES INCURRED PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IN TRAVELING BY AUTOMOBILE. EVEN THOUGH THE TRAVEL WAS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL AFTER THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. 1950: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 30. IT IS REPORTED ON THE COMPARATIVE COST STATEMENT TRANSMITTED WITH YOUR LETTER THAT THE EXPENSE INCURRED FOR TRAVEL BY AUTOMOBILE FROM DALLAS TO WASHINGTON.
B-97813, OCTOBER 9, 1950, 30 COMP. GEN. 147
APPROPRIATIONS - FISCAL YEAR - AVAILABILITY BEYOND - TRAVEL BEGINNING IN ONE FISCAL YEAR AND ENDING IN FOLLOWING FISCAL YEAR WHERE OFFICIAL TRAVEL PERFORMED UNDER ORDERS AUTHORIZING THE USE OF A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE AT NOT TO EXCEED THE COST OF SIMILAR TRAVEL BY RAIL WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IF RAIL TRAVEL HAD BEEN USED, AND THE CONSTRUCTIVE COST OF THE TRAVEL BY RAIL IS LESS THAN THE EXPENSES INCURRED PRIOR TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IN TRAVELING BY AUTOMOBILE, THE ALLOWABLE COST OF SUCH TRAVEL MAY BE CHARGED TO THE FISCAL YEAR APPROPRIATION CURRENT AT THE TIME THE TRAVEL BEGAN, EVEN THOUGH THE TRAVEL WAS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL AFTER THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
COMPTROLLER GENERAL WARREN TO C. S. TENLEY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, OCTOBER 9, 1950:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 30, 1950, TRANSMITTING TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT VOUCHERS IN FAVOR OF ALFRED M. PENDLETON, COVERING THE PERIODS JUNE 4, 1950, TO JUNE 30, 1950, AND JULY 1, 1950, RESPECTIVELY, AND REQUESTING A DECISION WHETHER, UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES HEREINAFTER RELATED, THE TOTAL AMOUNT ALLOWABLE SHOULD BE CHARGED TO THE APPROPRIATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1950 OR PRORATED BETWEEN THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1950 AND 1951.
IT APPEARS THAT THE EMPLOYEE UNDER COMPETENT ORDERS AUTHORIZING THE USE OF A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE, NOT TO EXCEED THE COST OF SIMILAR TRAVEL BY RAIL, DEPARTED FROM DALLAS, TEXAS, FOR WASHINGTON, D.C., ON JUNE 15, 1950, BY AUTOMOBILE FOR TEMPORARY DUTY. HE RETURNED TO DALLAS ON JULY 1, 1950, ARRIVING AT 7:45 P.M. IT IS REPORTED ON THE COMPARATIVE COST STATEMENT TRANSMITTED WITH YOUR LETTER THAT THE EXPENSE INCURRED FOR TRAVEL BY AUTOMOBILE FROM DALLAS TO WASHINGTON, AND RETURN, WAS $269.30, OF WHICH IS APPEARS THAT $31.45 WAS INCURRED ON JULY 1, 1950, OR IN THE FISCAL YEAR 1951. IT IS REPORTED THAT THE COST OF THE SAME TRAVEL BY RAIL WOULD HAVE BEEN $194.90 AND THAT THE JOURNEY WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR TO JUNE 30, 1950, HAD RAIL TRANSPORTATION BEEN USED.
SINCE IT APPEARS THAT THE TRAVEL EXPENSE ALLOWABLE FOR THE JOURNEY, EXCLUSIVE OF MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS, IS LIMITED TO$194.90--- THE CONSTRUCTIVE COST OF TRAVEL BY RAIL--- AND SINCE THE AMOUNT IS LESS THAN THE EXPENSE INCURRED FOR THE SAME TRAVEL BY AUTOMOBILE, DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE 1950, AND SINCE ALL MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES CLAIMED WERE INCURRED IN JUNE 1950, THE TOTAL ALLOWABLE REIMBURSEMENT INCIDENT TO SUCH TRAVEL MAY BE CHARGED TO THE APPROPRIATION AVAILABLE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1950.
THE VOUCHERS, TRANSMITTED WITH YOUR LETTER, ARE RETURNED HEREWITH AND, IF OTHERWISE CORRECT, PROPERLY MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING.