[Comments on Tour Renewal Agreement Travel]

GAO reviewed whether federal employees assigned to overseas duty posts should be permitted to waive their entitlement to tour renewal agreement travel while allowing their dependents to travel at the government's expense. GAO found that: (1) the statutory authority for tour renewal travel provides that agencies shall pay for the expenses of an employee's travel and the transportation of his immediate family from his overseas duty post; (2) the intent of the statute was to bring employees to the United States periodically for re-Americanization between overseas tours of duty; (3) an employee and his family must travel at the same time in order for the expenses to be reimbursed; and (4) a change in legislation would be necessary to allow an employee to waive travel while his dependents perform round-trip travel at the government's expense.