Retroactive Correction of Authorized Mileage Rate for Forest Service Employees

An advance decision was requested as to whether the agency could retroactively modify a general travel authorization for 11 employees to correct a mileage rate that was erroneously fixed at a lower rate than that authorized under the agency's travel manual. The employees were originally authorized the lower rate on the erroneous basis that they were committed to use a government vehicle. However, under the agency's travel manual they were entitled to the higher rate since they were in a travel status on temporary duty for over 15 consecutive days and, therefore, were not committed to use a government vehicle. There was no basis for objection to the retroactive amendment of the travel authorization to reflect the higher rate.