Office of Governmentwide Policy U.S. General Services Administration Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) policy changes & updates Rick Miller Program Analyst Travel and Transportation Management Policy (MTT) Office of Travel, Transportation and Asset Management

2 Federal Travel Regulation (FTR)  FTR Amendments  FTR Bulletins  FTR Proposed updates

3 FTR - Amendments  TDY POV mileage rate  Fly America / “Open Skies”  Furnished meals at conferences and other events  Per Diem M&IE for TDY of more than 12 but less than 24 hours  Travel Purpose Identifiers

4 FTR - Amendments  TDY POV mileage rate  Effective 1 January 2009  Not to exceed rates established by IRS  Privately owned vehicle - $0.55  Motorcycles - $0.52  Airplanes - $1.24

5 FTR - Amendments  Fly America / “Open Skies”  Effective 15 January Applies to specific countries  Allows the use of foreign flag carrier if no city-pair contract is available from “origin to destination”  Grantees and Contractors must use U.S. Flag carrier if available  Non-applicable for DOD funded travel  Travel to non “Open Skies” countries must continue to follow the policy (exceptions) for traveling on foreign flag carrier

6 FTR - Amendments  Furnished meals at conferences and other events  Reduce M&IE for government provided meals  Definition for “Furnished meal”  Specific requirements for agency/employee to claim full M&IE due to medical or religious beliefs  Update FTR M&IE chart for “Continental Breakfast/Breakfast”

7 FTR - Amendments  Per Diem M&IE for TDY of more than 12 but less than 24 hours  Update FTR M&IE chart  Per diem allowed at 75% of the applicable M&IE rate for each calendar day while in a travel status

8 FTR - Amendments  Travel Purpose Identifiers  Updates the list of travel purpose identifiers  Employee Emergency, Mission (Operational), Special Agency Mission, Conference – Other Than Training, Training, and Relocation  Incorporates new descriptive language for each identifier

9 FTR - Bulletins  FY09 CONUS per diem rates  Baggage & seat choice reimbursement  Relocation standard mileage rate  Relocation Income Tax (RIT) Allowance  Revised CONUS per diem rates  Expense waivers for flooding in ND

10 FTR - Bulletins  FY09 CONUS per diem rates  Effective 1 October 2008  Annual review of per diem rates  400 Non-Standard areas  Conus Rate - $70 for lodging / $39 for meals and incidentals

11 FTR - Bulletins  Baggage & seat choice reimbursement  Bulletin clarifies baggage expenses, seat choice options, and other miscellaneous fees  Agencies (Government interest) may approve for excess baggage  Agencies (Government interest) may authorize reimbursement for additional seat choice fee - seating could still be in the coach cabin  Special needs policy still in effect: authorized upgraded seat choice, then attendant accompanying employee may also be authorized the upgrade

12 FTR - Bulletins  Relocation standard mileage rate  Effective 1 January 2009  Current rate - $0.24 per mile per POV  Not to exceed IRS standard mileage rate  No reimbursement for family/passengers

13 FTR - Bulletins  Relocation Income Tax (RIT) Allowance  Provides the 2008 Federal, State, Puerto Rico tax tables needed for calculating RIT  RIT tables are no longer published in the Federal Register – available on the GSA web site

14 FTR - Bulletins  Revised CONUS per diem rates  Effective 1 April 2009  Mid-year review determined 1 October 2009 per diem rates for certain locations did not adequately reflect the cost of lodging and/or M&IE  Locations – Idaho, Maryland, South Carolina

15 FTR - Bulletins  Expense waivers for flooding in ND  Presidential Emergency Declaration affecting certain counties in the state of North Dakota due to severe storms and flooding  Effective 24 March 2008  Informs agencies that certain provisions of the FTR governing the authorization of actual subsistence expenses for official travel (both TDY and relocation) are temporarily waived

16 FTR - Proposed Updates  Premium Class / Other than Coach Class  Local Travel at the TDY location  TDY travel from/to a telework site  Relocation Tables

17 THANK YOU It has been my pleasure speaking to you today! Rick Miller, OGP, MTT (202) (voice) (202) (fax) –