Certification of Invoices for Payment

The General Services Administration requested an advance decision concerning the propriety of certifying payment for an agency's installation of a kitchen-lunchroom facility for its employees. The employees of the agency did not have a government cafeteria in which to eat lunch, and the amount of time allowed for lunch precluded their using private establishments in the area. They had been eating lunch at their desks in violation of Federal Job Safety and Health Regulations. Although the governing Appropriations Act did not provide specific authority for these expenditures, GAO did not object to them in view of the small amounts involved and the administrative determination and justification for them. The invoices were certified for payment.