B-186943, FEB 28, 1977

B-186943, FEB 28, 1977

1. EXPENSES INCURRED BY YOUNGSTERS ON RECREATION TRIP AND PAID FOR BY RECREATION AID ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE ON TRAVEL VOUCHER (SF 1012) SINCE EACH TRAVELER IS REQUIRED TO SIGN VOUCHER TO CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT FOR AUTHORIZED TRAVEL EXPENSES WHICH HE PERSONALLY INCURRED. HOWEVER, THE EXPENSES MAY BE CLAIMED AND, IF OTHERWISE PROPER, PAID ON SF 1164 ("CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENDITURES ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS") OR SF 1034 ("PUBLIC VOUCHER FOR PURCHASES AND SERVICES OTHER THAN PERSONAL"). 2. IF MULTIPLE-PERSON TRAVEL VOUCHER WOULD SERVE THE PURPOSE OF PAYING FOR EXPENSES INCURRED FOR CHILDREN UNDER RECREATION PROGRAM SPONSORED BY BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR SHOULD SEEK APPROVAL BY ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARA. 1-11.3A OF THE FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS.

SUZANNE DRAPEAUX - MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES:

ROBERT CASWELL, AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, BY LETTER OF JULY 8, 1976, HAS REQUESTED A DECISION AS TO WHETHER HE MAY CERTIFY FOR PAYMENT CERTAIN MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES UNDER A MULTIPLE-PERSON TRAVEL VOUCHER UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES STATED BELOW.

THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, YANKTON AGENCY, WAGNER, SOUTH DAKOTA, CONDUCTS A RECREATION PROGRAM FOR YOUNGSTERS. MISS SUZANNE DRAPEAUX, A COLLEGE STUDENT EMPLOYED AS A SUMMER RECREATION AID WITH THE YANKTON AGENCY, WAS AUTHORIZED TO ACCOMPANY A GROUP OF 33 CHILDREN WITH THE AID OF TWO VOLUNTEER ADULTS ON A SIGHT-SEEING TRIP TO THE BLACK HILLS AREA, FROM LAKE ANDES, SOUTH DAKOTA, TO THE RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA AREA AND RETURN AS PART OF THE AGENCY'S RECREATION PROGRAM. THE TRIP WAS CONDUCTED FROM AUGUST 11 TO AUGUST 14, 1975, PURSUANT TO BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION NO. 6A08-01T0011, DATED AUGUST 10, 1975. THE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION ESTIMATED THE COST AT $49 FOR PER DIEM AND $800 FOR OTHER EXPENSES. MISS DRAPEAUX FILED A TRAVEL VOUCHER (STANDARD FORM 1012) CLAIMING $49 PER DIEM, FOR WHICH SHE HAS BEEN PAID, AND $796.72 FOR EXPENSES INCURRED FOR LODGING, FOOD AND TOURIST ATTRACTIONS FOR THE CHILDREN FOR WHOM SHE HAD RESPONSIBILITY. ALTHOUGH MISS DRAPEAUX HAS PROVIDED AN ITEMIZED LIST OF THE EXPENSES INCURRED, SHE FURNISHED RECEIPTS TOTALLING ONLY $172.79, FOR WHICH SHE WAS REIMBURSED, LEAVING AN OUTSTANDING BALANCE OF $623.93. IN EXPLAINING HER FAILURE TO OBTAIN RECEIPTS AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATION 1-11.3C, MISS DRAPEAUX REPORTED: "MOST OF THE TOURIST PLACES GAVE TICKETS INSTEAD OF RECEIPTS. BY LOOKING OVER THE LIST - THE MAJORITY WERE TOURIST SPOTS." FURTHER, THE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YANKTON AGENCY, IN CERTIFYING THAT THE SERVICES HAD BEEN RECEIVED, STATED: "MOST OF THESE EXPENSES WERE INCURRED AT TOURIST ATTRACTIONS WHERE RECEIPTS WERE NOT OBTAINED, HOWEVER WE CERTIFY THAT THE SERVICES WERE RECEIVED AND SHOULD BE PAID." IN A MEMORANDUM DATED NOVEMBER 10, 1975, THE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT FURTHER STATED:

"MISS DRAPEAUX WAS A SUMMER EMPLOYEE HERE IN EDUCATION AND TOOK A GROUP OF YOUNGSTERS ON A FIELD TRIP TO THE BLACK HILLS AREA. WE TOLD HER TO OBTAIN RECEIPTS FOR ALL EXPENDITURES BUT SHE DIDN'T AS YOU CAN SEE. EXPECT SHE WAS SO BUSY TAKING CARE OF THE YOUNGSTERS, SHE JUST FORGOT. HOWEVER, I FEEL SURE THAT HER LISTING IS AN ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF EXPENDITURES.

"WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO GET A TRAVEL ADVANCE SO SUZANNE BORROWED THE MONEY TO TAKE ON THE TRIP AND NOW THE BANK WANTS ITS MONEY. SHE IS GOING TO COLLEGE ON GRANT AID, SO I DON'T SEE HOW SHE CAN PAY THIS LOAN. I HOPE THERE IS SOME WAY SHE CAN BE REIMBURSED."

THE VOUCHER MAY BE PAID ONLY INSOFAR AS MISS DRAPEAUX'S OFFICIAL TRAVEL EXPENSES ARE CONCERNED. THE EXPENSES INCURRED AND PAID FOR BY MISS DRAPEAUX FOR THE CHILDREN ARE NOT PROPERLY PAYABLE ON THE SF 1012 (TRAVEL VOUCHER). THE VOUCHER FORM SF 1012 MAY NOT BE UTILIZED AS A MULTIPLE- PAYMENT VOUCHER SINCE EACH TRAVELER IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THE VOUCHER TO CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT FOR AUTHORIZED TRAVEL EXPENSES PERSONALLY INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF OFFICIAL TRAVEL. 55 COMP.GEN. 437 (1975).

HOWEVER, REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE EXPENSES PAID BY MISS DRAPEAUX FOR THE CHILDREN MAY BE CLAIMED AND PAID ON SF 1164 ("CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR EXPENDITURES ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS") OR SF 1034 ("PUBLIC VOUCHER FOR PURCHASES AND SERVICES OTHER THAN PERSONAL") TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE PROPER AND ALLOWABLE EXPENSES UNDER THE RECREATION PROGRAM CONDUCTED BY THE AGENCY.

IF A MULTIPLE-PERSON VOUCHER FORM WOULD SERVE THE PURPOSE OF PAYING FUTURE TRAVEL EXPENSES OF THE RECREATION PROGRAM, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS SEEK APPROVAL FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES TO USE SUCH A FORM FOR TRAVEL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 1- 11.3A OF THE FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS (FPMR 101-7, MAY 1973).

THE EXPENSES INCURRED BY MISS DRAPEAUX AND CERTIFIED BY THE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT MAY BE REIMBURSED, IF OTHERWISE PROPER, UPON SUBMISSION TO THE CERTIFYING OFFICER OF A PROPERLY EXECUTED VOUCHER ON STANDARD FORM 1164 OR STANDARD FORM 1034.