B-139972, JUL. 10, 1959

B-139972, JUL. 10, 1959

TO MR. RICHARD V. WOOLRIDGE, AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE:

YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 16, 1959, REQUESTS OUR DECISION WHETHER YOU MAY CERTIFY FOR PAYMENT THE VOUCHER FOR $94.50, THEREWITH TRANSMITTED IN FAVOR OF MISS LOVINA A. WOODROW, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE.

THE RECORD SHOWS THAT MISS WOODROW TRAVELED ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS BY CHARTERED AIRPLANE DURING APRIL AND MAY 1959, RESPECTIVELY, FROM BETHEL, ALASKA, TO QUINHAGAK, ALASKA, AND RETURN, AND FROM BETHEL TO AKIAK, ALASKA, AND RETURN. IN PREPARING THE VOUCHER YOUR OFFICE HAS APPLIED A $6 PER DIEM RATE FOR TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN THE SAID POINTS. YOU SAY THAT IN TALKING WITH OTHER LOCAL AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICERS, REGARDING THE SUBMITTED VOUCHER, THEY ARE OF THE OPINION THE $6 RATE IS NOT APPLICABLE BECAUSE ALL TRAVEL HAS BEEN PERFORMED WITHIN ONE LOCALITY.

ATTACHMENT A (APPENDIX I, REVISED), TRANSMITTAL MEMORANDUM NO. 9, TO BUREAU OF BUDGET CIRCULAR A-7, REVISED, DATED FEBRUARY 17, 1959, SETTING FORTH THE MAXIMUM PER DIEM RATES FOR TRAVEL BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES PROVIDES IN PART AS FOLLOWS:

"* * * THESE PER DIEM RATES ARE NOT APPLICABLE WHILE TRAVELERS ARE EN ROUTE BY AIRPLANE, TRAIN, OR BOAT TO OR FROM, OR BETWEEN, LOCALITIES BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES AND IN ALASKA, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 6.2C OF STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS, EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 1956. THEY ARE APPLICABLE TO TRAVEL WITHIN A LOCALITY AS SPECIFIED BELOW.

"THE CHANGES, IDENTIFIED BY ASTERISK, ARE EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 1959.

MAXIMUM PER "LOCALITY DIEM RATES * * *

*ALASKA *ANCHORAGE21.00

*FAIRBANKS 21.00 *JUNEAU

21.00 *OTHER

15.00 * * *

SECTION 6.2C OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROVIDES IN PART AS FOLLOWS:

"A PER DIEM RATE OF $6 IS PRESCRIBED FOR * * * TRAVEL BY AIRPLANE, TRAIN, OR BOAT * * * EN ROUTE TO OR FROM A LOCALITY BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, OR BETWEEN SUCH LOCALITIES, INCLUDING STOPOVERS OF LESS THAN 6 HOURS: * * *.'

THE WORD "OTHER," AS USED IN TRANSMITTAL MEMORANDUM NO. 9, TO BUREAU OF BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-7, REVISED, CONCERNING MAXIMUM PER DIEM RATES IN ALASKA, MEANS LOCALITIES IN ALASKA OTHER THAN THOSE ENUMERATED THEREIN, NAMELY, ANCHORAGE, FAIRBANKS, AND JUNEAU. THEREFORE, IF THE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AUTHORIZED THE MAXIMUM RATE OF PER DIEM FOR THE TRAVEL IN QUESTION, THE EMPLOYEE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO $15 WHILE TRAVELING BY AIRPLANE BETWEEN THE POINTS IN QUESTION AS THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE WITHIN ONE LOCALITY.

ACTION ON THE VOUCHER, WHICH, TOGETHER WITH RELATED PAPERS IS RETURNED, MAY BE TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING HOLDING.