B-152692, NOV. 13, 1963
Highlights
HE WAS ALLOWED ONLY 5 1/4 DAYS PER DIEM AT $14 PER DAY OR A TOTAL OF $73.50. STANDARD TIME WILL BE USED EVEN THOUGH DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME IS IN EFFECT AT THE PLACE WHERE OFFICIAL TRAVEL BEGINS AND ENDS. THE LOCAL TIME IN EFFECT AT THE PLACE WHERE OFFICIAL TRAVEL BEGINS AND ENDS WILL BE USED. STANDARD TIME WILL BE USED FOR THE ITEMS INVOLVING TRAVEL OF MORE THAN 24 HOURS. THE CONVERSION FROM DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME TO STANDARD TIME SHALL NEITHER INCREASE NOR DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF PER DIEM TO WHICH THE TRAVELER IS OTHERWISE ENTITLED.'. THE LANGUAGE OF THE SECTION IS CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS CORRECT THAT THE LAST SENTENCE REFERS TO INSTANCES WHEN TRAVEL FOR PERIODS OF 24 HOURS OR LESS AND FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS BOTH OCCUR DURING THE SAME VOUCHER PERIOD.
B-152692, NOV. 13, 1963
TO MISS EVELYN B. DAVIS, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE:
ON OCTOBER 14, 1963, YOU REQUESTED OUR DECISION WHETHER A RECLAIM VOUCHER FOR $3.50, PAYABLE TO MR. HARRY O. DOTY, JR., MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.
YOU INFORM US THAT MR. DOTY LEFT HIS OFFICIAL DUTY STATION, WASHINGTON, D.C., AT 4:00 P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ON JUNE 2, 1963. AFTER PERFORMING OFFICIAL BUSINESS AT VARIOUS POINTS IN CALIFORNIA, HE ARRIVED BACK IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AT 5:45 P.M., EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ON JUNE 7, 1963. HE CLAIMED PER DIEM FOR 5 1/2 DAYS AT $14 PER DAY OR A TOTAL OF $77.00. HE WAS ALLOWED ONLY 5 1/4 DAYS PER DIEM AT $14 PER DAY OR A TOTAL OF $73.50, A DIFFERENCE OF $3.50. BECAUSE MR. DOTY'S TRIP COVERED AN ABSENCE OF MORE THAN 24 HOURS, YOU COMPUTED THE PER DIEM ALLOWABLE ON THE BASIS OF EASTERN STANDARD TIME IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 6.9A OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS. MR. DOTY BASES HIS RECLAIM ON THE LAST SENTENCE OF THAT SECTION.
SECTION 6.9A READS AS FOLLOWS:
" * * * FOR AN ABSENCE FROM THE OFFICIAL STATION OF MORE THAN 24 HOURS, STANDARD TIME WILL BE USED EVEN THOUGH DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME IS IN EFFECT AT THE PLACE WHERE OFFICIAL TRAVEL BEGINS AND ENDS. FOR AN ABSENCE OF 24 HOURS OR LESS, THE LOCAL TIME IN EFFECT AT THE PLACE WHERE OFFICIAL TRAVEL BEGINS AND ENDS WILL BE USED. IF BOTH TYPES OF ABSENCE OCCUR DURING THE SAME VOUCHER PERIOD, STANDARD TIME WILL BE USED FOR THE ITEMS INVOLVING TRAVEL OF MORE THAN 24 HOURS; STANDARD TIME MAY ALSO BE USED FOR THE ITEMS APPEARING ON THE SAME VOUCHER INVOLVING TRAVEL FOR 24 HOURS OR LESS. HOWEVER, THE CONVERSION FROM DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME TO STANDARD TIME SHALL NEITHER INCREASE NOR DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF PER DIEM TO WHICH THE TRAVELER IS OTHERWISE ENTITLED.'
THE LANGUAGE OF THE SECTION IS CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS CORRECT THAT THE LAST SENTENCE REFERS TO INSTANCES WHEN TRAVEL FOR PERIODS OF 24 HOURS OR LESS AND FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS BOTH OCCUR DURING THE SAME VOUCHER PERIOD. SINCE MR. DOTY'S VOUCHER COVERS TRAVEL ONLY FOR A PERIOD OF MORE THAN 24 HOURS, THE SENTENCE IS NOT FOR APPLICATION IN HIS CASE.
THEREFORE, THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH, MAY NOT BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.