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B-164366 1 (1981-03-31)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadjgs0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FILE: B-164366 THE COPRLE EEA *OF THE UNITED STATES ,' WASHINGTON, D. C. 20548 DATE: March 31, 1981 MATTER OF: Reimbursement for alcoholic beverages consumed during travel The general prohibition against the use of alcoholic beverages in Government buildings and other state and Federal laws specifically dealing with alcoholic beverages justify excluding alcoholic beverages from the general class of beverages that are included within the definition of subsistence found in 5 U.S.C. 5701(3) (1976) and dictate that expenses for the purchase of alcoholic beverages incident to travel not be reimbursed. This action is in response to a letter dated September 29, 1980, reference AC-4 HLJ, from the Direc- tor of the Department of Agriculture's National Finance Center (NFC), the designee for settling departmental claims of $25 or less. He is requesting, in connection with a travel voucher of one of the Department's employees, a reevaluation of the basis for disallowing reimbursment for alcoholic beverages as set forth in our decision B-164366, August 16, 1968. That decision involved travel expenses on an actual expense basis where meals were taken in a hotel room and a charge for accompanying alcoholic beverages was separately itemized. The Center has disallowed reimbursement for alcoholic beverages in similar circumstances. The Director, NFC, indicates that the claimant is contesting the denial of his claim and advances two arguments why alcoholic beverages should be included in the statutory definition of subsistence and be eligible for reimbursement. They are: (1) Alcoholic beverages are necessary to the traveler's comfort in the consumption of a meal, and (2) alcoholic beverages are equivalent to beverages such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks that are considered to be a part of a meal since all of these beverages purportedly contain some harmful as well as nutritive elements. The Director indicates that the claimant suggests that * * * the decision to disallow the reimbursement of alcoholic beverages consumed with meals is unjustifiably founded on moral values rather than on the facts involved. DIGEST:

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