[Request for Decision on Federal Judge's Entitlement to Extension of Time Period for Relocation Travel]

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) requested a decision regarding a judge's entitlement to an extension of the authorized period to begin relocation incident to his appointment. The claimant contended that: (1) he could not sell his residence and move closer to his duty station before the 2-year travel authorization period expired; and (2) if he could not obtain the extension, he should be entitled to reimbursement for the round-trip commute between his residence and his duty station. GAO held that AOUSC properly denied the claim, since the applicable regulations: (1) limited the travel authorization period for new appointees to 2 years; and (2) did not authorize reimbursement for daily commuting expenses. Accordingly, the claim was denied.