Reimbursement of an Employee's Expenses Incident to Attending a Conference

An advance decision was requested regarding an employee's claim for transportation and other expenses incident to attending a conference sponsored by non-Government societies. Reimbursement for use of an rental car may be made only for official Government business but not for conference business. The cost of a lunch cannot be reimbursed since the employee did not show sufficient justification for not eating lunch on a plane. Long-distance telephone calls can be reimbursed if it is determined that they were in the interest of the Government. The employee can be reimbursed for official luncheons but not for optional social events.