B-50653, JULY 4, 1945, 25 COMP. GEN. 11

B-50653, JULY 4, 1945, 25 COMP. GEN. 11

MILEAGE - TRAVEL BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE - DESIGNATION OF HOME HEADQUARTERS WHERE, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THEIR DUTIES, EMPLOYEES ARE AUTHORIZED TO USE THEIR HOMES LOCATED IN RURAL AREAS AS THEIR OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS, SUCH EMPLOYEES MAY BE PAID MILEAGE FOR THE USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILES FOR OFFICIAL TRAVEL, PROPERLY AUTHORIZED IN ADVANCE, TO AND FROM THEIR HOMES; HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPHS 3 AND 12 (A) OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS, NO MILEAGE MAY BE ALLOWED FOR TRAVEL WITHIN A RADIUS OF TWO MILES OF THE EMPLOYEE'S HOME.

COMPTROLLER GENERAL WARREN TO GLENN W. SITZ, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, JULY 4, 1945:

I HAVE YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 19, 1945, AS FOLLOWS:

THERE IS ATTACHED THE REIMBURSEMENT VOUCHER OF MR. PHILLIP G. EILAND, CROP INSURANCE ADJUSTER, ROUTE 2, CLANTON, ALABAMA, SUBMITTED TO ME FOR CERTIFICATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $111.24, UNDER TRAVEL ORDER NO. 100- 64-4, COPY OF WHICH IS ATTACHED. THE QUESTION TO WHICH AN ANSWER IS DESIRED WILL BE STATED HEREINAFTER.

IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF ITS CROP INSURANCE PROGRAMS THE FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION HAS APPOINTED IN THE SEVERAL STATES A LARGE NUMBER OF CROP INSURANCE ADJUSTERS ON A PER DIEM BASIS. IN MANY CASES TRAVEL ORDERS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO THESE ADJUSTERS SHOWING THEIR RURAL RESIDENCES AS THEIR OFFICIAL STATION, AND AUTHORIZING TRAVEL BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILES AT THE RATE OF FOUR CENTS PER MILE, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED TO BE MORE ECONOMICAL AND ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE UNITED STATES.

THE SPEEDOMETER READINGS SUBMITTED TO MR. EILAND CLEARLY INDICATE THAT CLAIM FOR MILEAGE IS MADE FROM AND TO HIS RESIDENCE.

PARAGRAPH 3 OF GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS STATES IN PART:

"* * * BUT IF NOT STATIONED IN AN INCORPORATED CITY OR TOWN, THE OFFICIAL STATION IS THE RESERVATION, STATION, OR ESTABLISHED AREA, OR, IN THE CASE OF LARGE RESERVATIONS THE ESTABLISHED SUBDIVISION THEREOF HAVING DEFINITE BOUNDARIES WITHIN WHICH THE DESIGNATED POST OF DUTY IS LOCATED, BUT IN NO CASE SHALL A PLACE WITHIN 2 MILES OF A TRAVELER'S OFFICE OR LIVING QUARTERS BE CONSIDERED AS AWAY FROM HIS POST OF DUTY.'

PARAGRAPH 12 (A) OF SAME REGULATIONS STATES IN PART:

"* * * MILEAGE FOR USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED MOTORCYCLE OR AUTOMOBILE MUST BE COMPUTED BEGINNING AND ENDING AT LIMITS OF THE AREAS PRESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH 3, AS MILEAGE FOR USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED MOTORCYCLE OR AUTOMOBILE WILL NOT BE ALLOWED FOR TRAVEL WITHIN POST OF DUTY AS DEFINED IN SAID PARAGRAPH.'

PLEASE ADVISE ME WHETHER OR NOT MILEAGE FROM AND TO HIS RURAL RESIDENCE MAY BE ALLOWED TO MR. EILAND. IF YOUR ANSWER IS IN THE NEGATIVE PLEASE ADVISE UPON WHAT BASIS SUSPENSION FOR EXCESS MILEAGE SHOULD BE MADE.

I AM UNABLE TO FIND A PREVIOUS DECISION OF YOUR OFFICE SPECIFICALLY ANSWERING THIS QUESTION.

THE TRAVEL ORDER ISSUED MAY 1, 1945, TO MR. EILAND DESIGNATES HIS OFFICIAL STATION AS "SEVEN MILES SOUTH OF CLANTON, ALA.' WHICH DESIGNATION PRESUMABLY REFERS TO THE LOCATION OF HIS HOME. SAID ORDER AUTHORIZES THE USE OF A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE AT 4 CENTS PER MILE FOR TRAVEL FROM HIS OFFICIAL STATION.

WHERE DUE TO THE NATURE OF THEIR DUTIES EMPLOYEES OF THE UNITED STATES PROPERLY ARE AUTHORIZED TO USE THEIR HOMES AS THEIR HEADQUARTERS SUCH EMPLOYEES MAY BE PAID FOR THE USE OF PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILES WHEN PROPERLY AUTHORIZED IN ADVANCE. CF. B-37023, MAY 16, 1945. HOWEVER, IN SUCH CASES NO MILEAGE MAY BE ALLOWED FOR TRAVEL WITHIN A RADIUS OF TWO MILES OF THE EMPLOYEE'S HOME, SUCH PAYMENT BEING BARRED BY PARAGRAPHS 3 AND 12A OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS, QUOTED IN YOUR SUBMISSION.

AS MR. EILAND APPARENTLY HAS COMPUTED HIS MILEAGE ON THE SUBMITTED VOUCHER UPON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MILES SHOWN BY HIS SPEEDOMETER READINGS FROM THE TIME HE LEAVES HIS HOME UNTIL HIS RETURN THERETO, THERE WOULD BE FOR DEDUCTING FROM THE MILEAGE CLAIMED FOUR MILES FOR EACH ROUND TRIP ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS BASED UPON HIS HOME AS HEADQUARTERS.

THE VOUCHER IS HEREWITH RETURNED AND, IN THE ABSENCE OF OTHER OBJECTION, SAME MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT AFTER APPROPRIATE DEDUCTION OF MILEAGE HAS BEEN MADE AS ABOVE INDICATED.