B-165364, NOVEMBER 1, 1968, 48 COMP. GEN. 276
Highlights
OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES - TRANSFERS - RELOCATION EXPENSES - TRANSPORTATION FOR HOUSE HUNTING - MILEAGE AN EMPLOYEE AND HIS WIFE WHO TRAVELED BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF AN AUTHORIZED ROUND TRIP BETWEEN HIS OLD AND NEW OFFICIAL STATION TO SEEK PERMANENT RESIDENCE QUARTERS IS ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THE AUTHORITY PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 2.3A OF THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. AN EMPLOYEE WHO INCIDENT TO A PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION IS AUTHORIZED TRAVEL WITH HIS WIFE BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE TO HIS NEW STATION AND RETURN TO SEEK PERMANENT RESIDENCE QUARTERS IS ENTITLED TO MILEAGE UNDER SECTION 3.5C (1) OF THE SGTR FOR THE DISTANCE TRAVELED AS SHOWN IN STANDARD HIGHWAY MILEAGE GUIDES OR BY SPEEDOMETER READING.
B-165364, NOVEMBER 1, 1968, 48 COMP. GEN. 276
OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES - TRANSFERS - RELOCATION EXPENSES - TRANSPORTATION FOR HOUSE HUNTING - MILEAGE AN EMPLOYEE AND HIS WIFE WHO TRAVELED BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF AN AUTHORIZED ROUND TRIP BETWEEN HIS OLD AND NEW OFFICIAL STATION TO SEEK PERMANENT RESIDENCE QUARTERS IS ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THE AUTHORITY PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 2.3A OF THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56 AT THE RATE OF 8 CENTS PER MILE, THE RATE SPECIFIED IN SECTION 2.3A (1) FOR AN EMPLOYEE TRAVELING WITH ONE MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY IN A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE. OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES - TRANSFERS - RELOCATION EXPENSES - TRANSPORTATION FOR HOUSE HUNTING - MILEAGE SECTIONS 2.1 AND 2.2 OF THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56, AUTHORIZING REIMBURSEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COSTS AND OTHER TRAVEL EXPENSES INCURRED BY AN EMPLOYEE AND HIS FAMILY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRAVEL EXPENSE ACT OF 1949, AS AMENDED, AND THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS (SGTR), AN EMPLOYEE WHO INCIDENT TO A PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION IS AUTHORIZED TRAVEL WITH HIS WIFE BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE TO HIS NEW STATION AND RETURN TO SEEK PERMANENT RESIDENCE QUARTERS IS ENTITLED TO MILEAGE UNDER SECTION 3.5C (1) OF THE SGTR FOR THE DISTANCE TRAVELED AS SHOWN IN STANDARD HIGHWAY MILEAGE GUIDES OR BY SPEEDOMETER READING, AND IF THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL DEVIATION BETWEEN THE TWO, THE MILEAGE CLAIMED BY THE EMPLOYEE MAY BE ALLOWED WITHOUT EXPLANATION. TRANSPORTATION - HOUSEHOLD GOODS - COMMUTATION - DISTANCE DETERMINATION THE COST OF TRANSPORTING HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES IS FOR REIMBURSEMENT UNDER SECTION 6.4 OF THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56 IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHEDULES OF COMMUTED RATES COMPILED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, SCHEDULES WHICH PROVIDE THAT DISTANCE IS FOR DETERMINATION PURSUANT TO HOUSEHOLD GOODS MILEAGE GUIDES FILED WITH INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. THEREFORE, THE MILEAGE A TRANSFERRED EMPLOYEE IS ENTITLED TO FOR THE MOVEMENT OF HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS INCIDENT TO HIS PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION IS FOR COMPUTATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS CARRIERS' BUREAU MILEAGE GUIDE NO. 9 AND MOVERS' AND WAREHOUSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC., MILEAGE GUIDE NO. 7, BOTH EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 1968.
TO ROSE M. SPERLING, FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE, NOVEMBER 1, 1968:
WE REFER TO YOUR LETTER OF OCTOBER 1, 1968, TRANSMITTING THE VOUCHER OF MR. LEON E. GROVES, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE, COVERING CERTAIN EXPENSES INCIDENT TO HIS PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION FROM CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, TO INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. THE AMOUNT CLAIMED IS $635.76, AND YOU REQUEST A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THE VOUCHER MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.
YOU SUBMIT THREE QUESTIONS FOR OUR CONSIDERATION CONCERNING ITEMS CLAIMED ON THE VOUCHER. THE QUESTIONS WILL BE RESTATED AND ANSWERED IN THE ORDER PRESENTED.
1. MAY A 10-CENT RATE BE ADMINISTRATIVELY AUTHORIZED FOR MILEAGE FOR ADVANCE TRIP TO SEEK PERMANENT QUARTERS; OR IS ALLOWABLE MILEAGE RATE LIMITED TO 6 CENTS FOR ONE AND 8 CENTS FOR TWO PERSONS UNDER SECTION 2.3A OF BUREAU OF BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56?
SECTION 2 OF CIRCULAR NO. A-56 AUTHORIZING A ROUND TRIP BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW OFFICIAL STATION TO SEEK PERMANENT RESIDENCE QUARTERS INDICATES THAT WHEN A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE IS USED FOR SUCH PURPOSE THE MILEAGE ALLOWANCE WILL BE AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION 2.3A. THE INFORMATION FURNISHED SHOWS THAT MR. GROVES TRAVELED BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE BETWEEN MORRIS, ILLINOIS, AND INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, WITH HIS WIFE BETWEEN JULY 29 AND AUGUST 2, 1968, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SEEKING NEW PERMANENT RESIDENCE QUARTERS. THEREFORE UNDER SUBSECTION 2.3A (1), THE EMPLOYEE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT AT THE RATE OF 8 CENTS PER MILE (THE RATE SPECIFIED WHEN THE EMPLOYEE AND ONE MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY TRAVEL IN A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE).
2. MAY DISTANCES AS CLAIMED FOR ADVANCE TRIP AND TRANSFER OF STATION BE ALLOWED AS CLAIMED OR IS DISTANCE LIMITED TO MILEAGE AS SHOWN IN THE RAND MCNALLY GUIDE?
SUBSECTIONS 2.1 AND 2.2 OF CIRCULAR NO. A-56, AUTHORIZING REIMBURSEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COSTS AND OTHER TRAVEL EXPENSES OF THE EMPLOYEE AND THE EMPLOYEE'S FAMILY, RESPECTIVELY, PROVIDE THAT SUCH EXPENSES ARE GOVERNED BY THE TRAVEL EXPENSE ACT OF 1949, AS AMENDED, 5 U.S.C. 835 NOTE, AND THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS.
SECTION 3.5B (1) OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROVIDES IN PERTINENT PART:
* * * WHEN TRANSPORTATION IS AUTHORIZED OR APPROVED BY PRIVATELY OWNED MOTORCYCLES OR AUTOMOBILES, DISTANCES BETWEEN POINTS TRAVELED WILL BE AS SHOWN IN THE STANDARD HIGHWAY MILEAGE GUIDES OR BY SPEEDOMETER READINGS. ANY SUBSTANTIAL DEVIATIONS FROM DISTANCES SHOWN IN THE STANDARD HIGHWAY MILEAGE GUIDES WILL BE EXPLAINED.
ORDINARILY, IF THE MILEAGE CLAIMED AS SHOWN BY SPEEDOMETER READINGS IS IN REASONABLE APPROXIMATION TO THAT SHOWN IN STANDARD HIGHWAY MILEAGE GUIDES, THE MILEAGE CLAIMED MAY BE ALLOWED WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION.
3. IS THE EMPLOYEE TO BE ALLOWED A COMMUTED RATE BASED ON MILEAGE SHOWN BY THE CARRIER FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS OR IS THE COMMUTED RATE TO BE BASED ON THE SHORT LINE ROUTE?
UNDER SECTION 6.4 OF CIRCULAR NO. A-56, AN EMPLOYEE IS ENTITLED TO BE PAID FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF HIS HOUSEHOLD GOODS WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHEDULES OF COMMUTED RATES WHICH ARE COMPILED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. THE REGULATIONS OF THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION PROVIDE THAT THE DISTANCE SHALL BE DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOUSEHOLD GOODS MILEAGE GUIDES FILED WITH THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. THESE MILEAGE GUIDES ARE THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS CARRIERS' BUREAU MILEAGE GUIDE NO. 9 AND MOVERS' AND WAREHOUSEMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC., MILEAGE GUIDE NO. 7, BOTH EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 1968. IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH GUIDES, WE COMPUTE THE MILEAGE HERE INVOLVED AS BEING 197 MILES. THEREFORE, THAT MILEAGE SHOULD BE USED TO COMPUTE THE AMOUNT DUE THE EMPLOYEE FOR TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS.
ACTION ON THE VOUCHER WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH SHOULD BE TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING.