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1 1 (July 26, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govemig0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the legislative debate since 1914 0 July 26, 2023 Federal Employee Travel: Per Diem Reimbursement Rates Background In the course of their duties, federal employees may engage in official travel within the continental United States (CONUS), outside of the continental United States (OCONUS), and to foreign locations. When engaging in approved official travel, federal employees may make use of per diem reimbursements. Per diem is one method federal agencies use to reimburse the subsistence expenses employees incur during official travel. The maximum daily reimbursable amount available to federal employees varies by location. Federal per diem reimbursements include a maximum lodging allowance component and a meals and incidental (M&IE) component. Continental United States Per D m Rates The General Services Administration (GSA) sets per diem rates for CONUS locations, which include the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia (5 U.S.C. §5702). Lodging Allowance GSA sets a standard rate for the daily lodging allowance that applies to about 85% of counties in the CONUS. The standard rate applies to areas that are less frequently traveled by federal employees and are referred to as standard CONUS locations. The standard CONUS lodging rate for FY2023 is $98. GSA reviews the standard rate on an annual basis. GSA uses a travel industry metric, the average daily rate (ADR), to determine lodging per diem rates. Lodging per diem rates have been based on the ADR, less 5%, since FY2005. The ADR is based on a property's room rental revenue divided by the number of rooms rented as reported by the hotel property. Lodging taxes are not included in the CONUS lodging allowance rate and are to be reimbursed as a miscellaneous travel expense. For any official travel, federal employees must provide a receipt to substantiate claimed travel expenses for lodging. If a federal agency determines that a standard rate is not sufficient in a specific locality to properly reimburse its employees, then the agency may request that GSA conduct a study on that locality to determine whether it should become a non-standard area (NSA). Per diem rates for NSAs are higher than the standard per diem rate. If GSA's study determines that a change should be made, then a change will be implemented as GSA deems appropriate. GSA reviews and updates NSAs annually using ADR data. There are 316 NSAs as of FY2023. NSAs are generally comprised of one county. In some cases, an NSA rate may apply to an area larger than one county, such as in a metropolitan area. Occasionally, an NSA rate may apply to just a specific city and not the entire county that the city is within. In some rural areas, an NSA rate may apply to multiple counties. GSA's website includes a Per Diem Lookup feature that allows users to view per diem rates by location. GSA only considers the ADR from properties that meet certain criteria. GSA's criteria include geography (i.e., ZIP codes to which federal employees travel), fire-safe certification, and various property demographics. GSA also accounts for seasonal rate fluctuations when determining lodging allowances. GSA sometimes conducts a special review of an NSA outside of the established annual review process. To request a special review, a Federal Agency Travel Manager, or an equivalent in grade or title, must submit a signed letter on agency stationary stating that the current rate is insufficient along with relevant information on the geographical area to be reviewed. If there is no lodging available at the per diem rate provided, federal employees may request that their agency approve an actual expense reimbursement, which may increase the amount that the employee may be reimbursed up to 300% (rounded to the next higher dollar) of the applicable maximum per diem rate (41 C.F.R. §301- 11.303). Meals and Incidental Expenses The M&IE component of the per diem reimbursement system is intended to cover the cost of meals and incidental travel expenses incurred by federal employees during approved official travel. GSA has reviewed M&IE rates every three years since FY2016. M&IE rates include taxes and tips, so travelers will not be reimbursed separately for those expenses. M&IE reimbursement rates vary by the location of travel. For the first and last day of official travel, employees receive 75% of the daily total M&IE rate for the temporary duty travel location. GSA's Per Diem Lookup webpage allows travelers to look up a specific location to see the amount listed for M&IE total, breakfast, lunch, dinner, incidentals, and first and last day of travel. Ousd f h otietlUn ited States The Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO), a subcomponent of the Department of Defense (DOD), sets the rates for federal employees engaging in approved official travel to non-foreign locations overseas, which includes Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico. These locations are also referred to as OCONUIS locations.

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