B-166490, APR. 23, 1969
Highlights
BEUTLER WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE BY AIR FROM GRAND JUNCTION. THE FLIGHT DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS WAS CANCELLED AT 9:00 P.M. WAS ON DUTY AT HEADQUARTERS THE FOLLOWING MORNING. YOU HAVE DISALLOWED $8 CLAIMED BY MR. IN THE EVENT THE $8 PER DIEM IS NOT ALLOWED. YOU ASK IF THERE IS ANY PROVISION FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF MR. WHILE PER DIEM ORDINARILY IS NOT ALLOWABLE AT AN EMPLOYEE'S OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS. WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT IN CERTAIN TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL SITUATIONS WHERE EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN DELAYED AT COMMON CARRIER TERMINALS THE SCHEDULED TIME FOR DEPARTURE COULD BE USED FOR PER DIEM PURPOSES RATHER THAN A LATER ACTUAL DEPARTURE TIME. 39 COMP. IN THIS CASE THE EMPLOYEE RETURNED TO HIS HOME AFTER HIS FLIGHT WAS CANCELED AND WAS ON DUTY UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE NEXT DAY.
B-166490, APR. 23, 1969
TO MR. O. D. KOTTMANN, AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER:
YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 3, 1969, REQUESTS A DECISION ON WHETHER REIMBURSEMENT MAY BE MADE TO JERRI J. BEUTLER FOR THE CLAIMED TRAVEL EXPENSE DETAILED BELOW.
MR. BEUTLER WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE BY AIR FROM GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO (OFFICIAL DUTY STATION) AT 5:05 P.M. ON JANUARY 26, 1969, FOR TEMPORARY DUTY AT OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. AFTER BEING HELD ON ONE HALF HOUR DELAY ROUTINE FROM 5:00 P.M., THE FLIGHT DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS WAS CANCELLED AT 9:00 P.M. MR. BEUTLER HAD DINNER AT THE AIRPORT DURING THE DELAY. THEREAFTER HE RETURNED OME; WAS ON DUTY AT HEADQUARTERS THE FOLLOWING MORNING; AND LEFT GRAND JUNCTION ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE FLIGHT AT 12:12 P.M. JANUARY 27, 1969.
YOU HAVE DISALLOWED $8 CLAIMED BY MR. BEUTLER REPRESENTING ONE-HALF DAY PER DIEM FOR THE 4 HOURS SPENT BY HIM WHILE WAITING FROM 5:00 P.M. TO 9:00 P.M. AT THE AIRPORT ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 26. ADDITIONALLY, YOU NOW QUESTION THE ALLOWANCE OF MILEAGE IN LIEU OF TAXICAB FARES ON JANUARY 26 FOR THE TWO ROUND TRIPS BETWEEN MR. BEUTLER'S HOME AND THE AIRPORT -- A TOTAL OF 18 MILES AT 10 CENTS A MILE. IN THE EVENT THE $8 PER DIEM IS NOT ALLOWED, YOU ASK IF THERE IS ANY PROVISION FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF MR. BEUTLER'S MEAL ON SUNDAY EVENING AT THE AIRPORT.
WHILE PER DIEM ORDINARILY IS NOT ALLOWABLE AT AN EMPLOYEE'S OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS, WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT IN CERTAIN TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL SITUATIONS WHERE EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN DELAYED AT COMMON CARRIER TERMINALS THE SCHEDULED TIME FOR DEPARTURE COULD BE USED FOR PER DIEM PURPOSES RATHER THAN A LATER ACTUAL DEPARTURE TIME. 39 COMP. GEN. 875. HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE THE EMPLOYEE RETURNED TO HIS HOME AFTER HIS FLIGHT WAS CANCELED AND WAS ON DUTY UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE NEXT DAY. UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE IS NO BASIS FOR ALLOWING PER DIEM FOR TIME SPENT AT THE TERMINAL. MOREOVER, THERE IS NO AUTHORITY TO REIMBURSE MR. BEUTLER FOR THE MEAL ON SUNDAY EVENING IN LIEU OF THE PER DIEM CLAIMED. ON THE RECORD THE PRIOR PAYMENT OF MILEAGE FOR THE TWO ROUND TRIPS BETWEEN MR. BEUTLER'S HOME AND THE AIRPORT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN WITHIN THE SCOPE OF SECTION 3.5 OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS.
THE VOUCHER IS RETURNED HEREWITH AND MAY NOT BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.