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B-143396, JUL. 21, 1960

B-143396 Jul 21, 1960
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FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF HIS TRAVEL EXPENSES IN RETURNING FROM TEMPORARY DUTY PRIOR TO HIS COMPLETION OF THE WORK HE WAS TO PERFORM. WHICH WAS FURNISHED HIM ON A TRANSPORTATION REQUEST. HE WAS ORDERED TO RETURN TO WASHINGTON AFTER COMPLETING HIS DUTIES ONLY IN LOS ANGELES AND PHOENIX BECAUSE OF OF THE ILLNESS OF MRS. BECAUSE IT WAS ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED THAT THE DUTIES WHICH MR. CULLEN HAD NOT PERFORMED BEFORE SUCH RETURN COULD BE PERFORMED BY HIM WITHOUT ADDITIONAL COST AND DETRIMENT TO THE INTERESTS OF THE GOVERNMENT IN CONNECTION WITH A FUTURE TRIP HE WAS TO TAKE TO DENVER. THE COST OF RETURNING SUCH AN EMPLOYEE FROM THE PLACE HE ABANDONS HIS TRAVEL TO HIS HEADQUARTERS WILL NOT BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT UNLESS HE HAS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED THE PURPOSE OF THE TRAVEL OR THE DUTIES HE WAS TO PERFORM ARE COMPLETED AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE GOVERNMENT.

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B-143396, JUL. 21, 1960

TO MISS MATILDA UDOFF, AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS:

ON JULY 1, 1960, YOUR FILE REFERENCE 40.04, YOU REQUESTED OUR DECISION WHETHER YOU MAY CERTIFY A VOUCHER IN FAVOR OF MR. WILLIAM C. CULLEN, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF HIS TRAVEL EXPENSES IN RETURNING FROM TEMPORARY DUTY PRIOR TO HIS COMPLETION OF THE WORK HE WAS TO PERFORM. THE PROCEEDS OF THE VOUCHER WOULD BE APPLIED IN LIQUIDATION OF MR. CULLEN'S INDEBTEDNESS ARISING OUT OF A TRAVEL ADVANCE. ALSO, YOU ASK WHETHER MR. CULLEN SHOULD BE CHARGED THE COST OF FIRST CLASS AIR TRANSPORTATION FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA, TO WASHINGTON, D.C., WHICH WAS FURNISHED HIM ON A TRANSPORTATION REQUEST.

YOU SAY THAT MR. CULLEN DEPARTED FROM WASHINGTON, HIS HEADQUARTERS, ON APRIL 3, 1960, FOR TEMPORARY DUTY IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, PHOENIX, ARIZONA, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, PORTLAND, OREGON, AND SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. HOWEVER, HE WAS ORDERED TO RETURN TO WASHINGTON AFTER COMPLETING HIS DUTIES ONLY IN LOS ANGELES AND PHOENIX BECAUSE OF OF THE ILLNESS OF MRS. CULLEN, HIS WIFE, AND BECAUSE IT WAS ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED THAT THE DUTIES WHICH MR. CULLEN HAD NOT PERFORMED BEFORE SUCH RETURN COULD BE PERFORMED BY HIM WITHOUT ADDITIONAL COST AND DETRIMENT TO THE INTERESTS OF THE GOVERNMENT IN CONNECTION WITH A FUTURE TRIP HE WAS TO TAKE TO DENVER, COLORADO, AND SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

AN EMPLOYEE, WHO, WHILE ON OFFICIAL TRAVEL, ABANDONS SUCH TRAVEL BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OR ILLNESS OF A MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY MAY BE REIMBURSED THE COST OF HIS TRAVEL TO THE POINT OF ABANDONMENT. 8 COMP. GEN. 570; 23 ID. 237. THE COST OF RETURNING SUCH AN EMPLOYEE FROM THE PLACE HE ABANDONS HIS TRAVEL TO HIS HEADQUARTERS WILL NOT BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT UNLESS HE HAS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED THE PURPOSE OF THE TRAVEL OR THE DUTIES HE WAS TO PERFORM ARE COMPLETED AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE GOVERNMENT. COMP. GEN. 540; B-76983, JULY 2, 1948.

IF IT BE FOUND THAT RETURNING MR. CULLEN TO HIS HEADQUARTERS PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF HIS DUTIES DOES NOT IN FACT RESULT IN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO THE GOVERNMENT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE INCREASED COST OF THE FUTURE TRAVEL THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH, MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IF OTHERWISE CORRECT. IN THAT EVENT, NO CHARGE NEED BE MADE AGAINST MR. CULLEN FOR THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION FURNISHED HIM ON A TRANSPORTATION REQUEST FOR HIS TRAVEL FROM PHOENIX TO WASHINGTON. IF UPON COMPUTATION IT BE FOUND OTHERWISE, THE VOUCHER PAYMENT SHOULD BE REDUCED BY ANY ADDITIONAL EXPENSE OF TRAVEL TO THE GOVERNMENT.

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