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Proposals for Improving the Management of Federal Travel

FPCD-81-13 Published: Dec 24, 1980. Publicly Released: Dec 24, 1980.
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Highlights

GAO discussed the elements of a good travel management system; current policies and procedures to budget, monitor, and authorize travel in the Federal Government; the equity of different military and civilian travel reimbursement practices; recent travel management initiatives; and the applicability of private sector travel policies and practices to Federal travel management. Travel in the Departments of Agriculture and the Army and the findings of congressional investigative staffs in the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services and the Environmental Protection Agency were reviewed.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should (1) restrict the use of general travel authorizations to those employees whose work requires frequent temporary duty travel; and (2) require written authorization for all other travel.
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Office of Management and Budget The Director of the Office of Management and Budget should bring to the attention of top agency officials the agency managers' lack of compliance with Federal travel policies and direct the top officials to make sure these managers follow these policies.
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
General Services Administration The Administrator of General Services and the Per Diem, Travel, and Transportation Allowance Committee should take actions to eliminate the differences in boundaries and maximum rates for high rate geographical areas.
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Office of Management and Budget The Director of the Office of Management and Budget should revise budget guidelines to (1) focus more specifically on the purpose of each kind of travel and require heads of departments and agencies to revise their reporting and budgeting systems accordingly; and (2) require that agency Inspectors General and internal auditors periodically test the accuracy of travel costs reporting.
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should propose a legislative package to (1) provide authority for a househunting trip for uniformed personnel under orders for a station transfer in the conterminous United States; (2) provide a temporary lodgings and subsistence allowance in lieu of basic quarters and subsistence allowances when uniformed personnel occupy temporary quarters incident to a move within the United States, its possessions and territories, and Puerto Rico; (3) replace the (a) mileage allowance in lieu of transportation and (b) station transfer mileage allowance with a mileage reimbursement plus per diem for uniformed members and their dependents on temporary duty and station transfer travel; and (4) set maximum per diem rates in title 37 by reference to title 5, United States Code.
Closed
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.

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Topics

BudgetingMonitoringPer diem allowancesProgram managementRecords managementTemporary lodging allowancesTransportation expense claimsCivilian employeesTravel costsEntitlements