Employee Travel: Authority and Rationale for Limitations on Travel Advances

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the federal travel regulations that limit the travel advances federal employees receive in connection with official travel, specifically the authority for: (1) General Services Administration (GSA) regulations which limit travel advances to 80 percent of the estimated expenses; and (2) Treasury policy guidelines which encourage federal agencies to limit travel advances to no more than $25 per day if the employee has a GSA-approved charge card.