[DOE Employees' Claims for Cost of Meals]

The Chicago Field Office of the Department of Energy (DOE) requested a decision on whether certain DOE employees were entitled to reimbursement of meals expenses while attending meetings at their official duty stations. GAO held that: (1) the two employees who attended an interagency meeting near their duty station were not entitled to reimbursement for their meal expenses, since regulations did not provide for such reimbursement; and (2) the two employees who attended nongovernmental association meetings near their duty station were entitled to reimbursement of meal expenses, since the meetings concerned the functions or activities for which DOE funds were appropriated or contributed to improved conduct, supervision, or management of DOE functions or activities. Accordingly, two claims were denied and two claims were approved.