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B-195036 1 (1979-07-11)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadhkc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL ON OdF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON, O.C. 20548 FILE: B-195036 CATE: July 11, 1979 MATTER OF: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Business Cards DIGEST: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cannot use appropriated funds to purchase business cards, since such cards are personal in nature and no specific statutory authority allows NHTSA to purchase them. In a letter dated May 2, 1979, Mr. Lloyd of Region VIII of the NationalHiwayTraffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requested our opinion as to the ppr.i.t-yo.f-p.ur-chas-i-g-bu-s-iness-cards with appro- priated unds. He informed us that one of the agency's employees -tensive contact with public, Government, and business officials sked h4 to eave business cards with his name, ofTie address, and telep hone number. The employee purcased cardsta-hs own expense and seeks reimbursement for the costs. NHTSA has so far disallowed reimbursement. The long standing rule has been that the cost of official call- ing cards constitutesap.ersona-1-r-a-t-her-tha-n-ano-fficial expense of the employee or officer for whose use they are procured and that such costs are not chargeable under appropriate money -thedabsence of specific statutory authority thereof. 12 Comp. Gen. 565 (1933). The expense is considered personal in nature,-even though it is incur- red in connection with an employee's duties. 41 Comp. Gen. 529 (1962). Further, under 44 U.S.C. § 1102(a) (1976), printing may not be done unless it is authorized by law and necessary to the public busi- ness. The Government Printing and Binding Regulations, issued in April 1977, paragraph 20, state that: Printing or engraving of calling or greeting cards is considered to be personal rather than official and shall not be done at Government expense. Therefore, in the absence of specific statutory authority, NETSA may not uselt-sauppropria.tionstoproc.urg, or to reimburse employees for their personaljpurchases of business cards.. We find no specific statutory authorization for the printing of business cards for NHTSA. Neither do NHTSA's appropriations for 1979 contain 6?r,)pyi - 0/}&'So C-sS C6 4 QSj DECISI' L07F Z, b , 1) 0

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