Request for Decision Concerning Temporary Duty Travel Expenses

An advance decision was requested concerning a claim which was based on an agency's denial of an employee's expenses in renting a camping vehicle for temporary travel duty. An employee stayed in a rented camping vehicle while he was temporarily assigned to various locations by the National Park Service. He was authorized per diem which provided lodging cost plus $16 per day for meals, not to exceed $35 daily. After an agency denial of the costs for renting the vehicle, the employee appealed the claim to the GAO Claims Division which found that rent for the use of a motor home was a proper element of the employee's lodging costs. Payment of this claim was withheld by the agency because of its strong objection to the circumstances involved. The agency felt that the camping vehicle and per diem rate were in excess of the employee's needs since his family accompanied him and the extra expense should be borne by the traveler. However, there was no information on file that the rental was more than if the employee had been traveling alone. Since the amount expended did not exceed the amount agreed to by the agency before the travel commenced, the Claims Division's settlement which allowed the rental cost of the camping vehicle as a proper lodging expense was sustained.