B-157760, JAN. 16, 1970

B-157760, JAN. 16, 1970

CIVIL PAY--MILEAGE--BETWEEN HOME AND DUTY STATION DECISION TO CERTIFYING OFFICER OF FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZING CERTIFICATION OF VOUCHER FOR MILEAGE BETWEEN HOME AND AIRPORT INCIDENT TO TEMPORARY DUTY PERFORMED BY TWO EMPLOYEES AWAY FROM THEIR PERMANENT STATION. FAA EMPLOYEES WHO ARE IN CONSTANT TRAVEL STATUS AND WHO TRAVEL FROM THEIR RESIDENCES SOME 50 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT DESIGNATED DUTY STATION, THEN PROCEED TO AN INTERMEDIATE POINT TO PICK UP TOOLS AND SUPPLIES BEFORE GOING TO A TEMPORARY DUTY POINT WHERE THEY REMAIN FOR A WEEK OR MORE BEFORE RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT STATION ARE ENTITLED TO ROUND-TRIP MILEAGE FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN RESIDENCE AND AIRPORT AND THE RULE THAT WHEN UNREASONABLE DISTANCES ARE INVOLVED COST OF TRANSPORTATION IS REIMBURSABLE.

TO MR. R. J. SCHULLERY:

WE REFER TO YOUR LETTER OF DECEMBER 11, 1969, REQUESTING OUR DECISION CONCERNING THE PROPRIETY OF CERTIFYING FOR PAYMENT THE AMOUNTS CLAIMED ON TWO TRAVEL VOUCHERS BY MESSRS. GEORGE L. SCROGGIN AND DALMUS E. MCNEELY, EACH OF WHOM IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), ASSIGNED TO A FIELD MAINTENANCE PARTY AT THE FULTON COUNTY GEORGIA AIRPORT (ATLANTA AREA).

THE AMOUNT CLAIMED ON EACH VOUCHER REPRESENTS MILEAGE BETWEEN HOME AND AIRPORT INCIDENT TO THE PERFORMANCE OF TEMPORARY DUTY AWAY FROM THE OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED STATION. YOU POINT OUT THAT WHILE THE FULTON COUNTY GEORGIA AIRPORT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS THE OFFICIAL STATION OF EACH OF THE EMPLOYEES VERY LITTLE, IF ANY, DUTIES ARE PERFORMED AT THAT POINT. YOU SAY THAT THE WORK PERFORMED BY THEM REQUIRES THAT THEY BE IN AN ALMOST CONSTANT TRAVEL STATUS. THEY USUALLY TRAVEL IN CREWS BY GOVERNMENT VEHICLE. THE NORMAL PRACTICE IS FOR THE EMPLOYEES TO DEPART FROM THEIR RESIDENCES AND REPORT TO THE FMP OFFICE IN ATLANTA ON MONDAY MORNING WHERE THEY PICK UP NECESSARY TOOLS AND SUPPLIES AND PROCEED TO A TEMPORARY DUTY POINT. THEY USUALLY REMAIN AT SUCH POINT FOR A WEEK OR MORE AFTER WHICH TIME THEY RETURN TO THE FULTON COUNTY GEORGIA AIRPORT, WHICH USUALLY OCCURS ON A FRIDAY. THE EMPLOYEES THEN PROCEED FROM THE AIRPORT TO THEIR RESIDENCES, WHICH FREQUENTLY ARE LOCATED 50 MILES OR MORE AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT.

YOU EXPRESS DOUBT AS TO THE PROPER MILEAGE THAT MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT SINCE IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD FULLY REIMBURSE AN EMPLOYEE THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN HIS OFFICIAL DUTY STATION AND HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE, INCIDENT TO THE PERFORMANCE OF TEMPORARY DUTY WHEN UNREASONABLE DISTANCES ARE INVOLVED.

AS YOU POINT OUT IN YOUR LETTER, OUR DECISION OF NOVEMBER 16, 1965, B- 157760, RECOGNIZED THAT MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT BETWEEN RESIDENCE AND DUTY STATION, WHICH ALSO WAS A TERMINAL, PROPERLY COULD BE REIMBURSED AN EMPLOYEE WHO TRAVELED TO HIS DUTY STATION FROM HIS HOME EN ROUTE TO A TEMPORARY DUTY ASSIGNMENT. IT IS OUR OPINION THAT THE PRINCIPLE RECOGNIZED IN THAT DECISION HAS EQUAL APPLICATION HERE AND THAT THE EMPLOYEES HERE INVOLVED ARE ENTITLED TO ROUND-TRIP MILEAGE BETWEEN THEIR HOMES AND THE FULTON COUNTY GEORGIA AIRPORT SUBJECT ONLY TO SUCH LIMITATIONS AND AMOUNTS AS PROVIDED IN THE APPLICABLE REGULATIONS. CF. DECISION OF NOVEMBER 29, 1967, B-162838. IN SUCH CONNECTION, WE NOTE THAT THE LIMITATION IN SECTION 3.5 (C) (1) OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS, REFERRED TO IN YOUR LETTER, APPLIES ONLY WHEN A ROUND TRIP BY A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE IS MADE TO PROVIDE ONE-WAY TRANSPORTATION FOR AN EMPLOYEE BETWEEN HIS HOME OR PLACE OF BUSINESS AND A TERMINAL OR BETWEEN A TERMINAL AND HIS HOME OR PLACE OF BUSINESS. UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE PRESENT CASE ONLY ONE WAY MILEAGE IS CLAIMED BETWEEN THE HOME AND TERMINAL ON THE OUTGOING TRIP AND BETWEEN THE TERMINAL AND THE EMPLOYEE'S HOME ON THE RETURN TRIP. ALSO, YOU POINT OUT THAT FAA TRAVEL REGULATIONS RESTRICT THE PAYMENT OF TAXI FARE TO THE COST BY COMMON CARRIER INCLUDING AIRPORT LIMOUSINE SERVICE WHEN AVAILABLE. WHILE YOUR LETTER DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY SO STATE, WE ASSUME THAT NEITHER OF THESE LIMITATIONS WOULD OPERATE TO RESTRICT THE MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE EMPLOYEES INVOLVED. IF SUCH BE THE CASE AND IN THE ABSENCE OF SOME OTHER RESTRICTION OF WHICH WE ARE UNAWARE THE VOUCHERS WHICH ARE RETURNED HEREWITH PROPERLY MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT, IF OTHERWISE CORRECT.