Changing the Rules
ast December, the Joint Financial Management Improvement Program, an interagency group, released "Improving Travel Management Governmentwide," a report "intended to stimulate independent efforts by departments and agencies to reengineer and streamline their travel processes." The report proposed regulatory and legislative changes that would remove obstacles to reinvention. The following chart reflects the status of JFMIP's proposals at the beginning of November 1996, and will be updated here on Government Executive's Web site throughout the year as changes occur.
TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL
Proposal: Require use of government charge card and automated teller machine programs.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome (Updated April 1997): The House passed a bill (H.R. 930) that requires use of the government charge card. Exceptions would be made, for law enforcement officers working undercover, for example. Why all the fuss over a piece of plastic? Every time an employee charges a travel-related expense on the card (excluding ATM withdrawals or travelers checks), the employee's agency receives a 0.65 percent refund on the value of the purchase, due to an agreement between the federal government and American Express, the current travel card vendor.
Proposal: Consolidate and automate travel data.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: A change in the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) is coming from GSA.
Proposal: Simplify recording of travel times for meals and incidental expenses reimbursement and eliminate M&IE reporting for same day travel.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: This item is expected to be published shortly.
Proposal: Increase the requirement for keeping receipts from $25 to $75 and allow agencies to set their own requirements for keeping receipts.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: GSA has amended the FTR to increase the receipt threshold to $75.
Proposal: Use Travel Management Centers (TMC).
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: FTR change coming from GSA.
Proposal: Implement predetermined travel costs.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: FTR change coming from GSA.
Proposal: Shift expense review to the approving official.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: Regulatory change announced in the Oct. 28 Federal Register.
Proposal: Eliminate telephone call certification requirement and increase use of telephone calling cards.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: Long-distance telephone call certification requirement repealed in Title XVII, Section 1721 of the 1997 Defense Authorization bill.
Proposal: Require audit by statistical sampling.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: FTR bulletin coming from GSA.
RELOCATION
Proposal: Notify employee early of transfer.
Nature of Change: Neither legislative nor regulatory.
Outcome: Agencies may adopt this recommendation now to foster better relocation planning.
Proposal: Pay limited relocation allowances for temporary change of station.
Nature of Change: Legislative. (Formerly regulatory.)
Outcome: After publishing their report, JFMIP determined this proposal could be more effectively addressed through legislative change and drafted legislation. Authority to pay limited relocation allowances for a temporary change of station was granted in Title XVII, Section 1716 of the 1997 Defense Authorization bill.
Proposal: Use cost reimbursable pricing for relocation service contracts.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: Authority to use cost reimbursable pricing for relocation service contracts granted in Title XVII, Section 1713 of the 1997 Defense Authorization bill.
Proposal: Pay predetermined travel cost for temporary quarters.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: Authority to pay predetermined travel cost for temporary quarters granted in Title XVII, Section 1712 of the 1997 Defense Authorization bill.
Proposal: Pay predetermined travel cost for house-hunting trips.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: Authority to pay predetermined travel cost for house-hunting trips granted in Title XVII, Section 1711 of the 1997 Defense Authorization bill.
Proposal: Pay locality per diem for house-hunting trips (for employees not using predetermined travel cost).
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: Item is under Office of Management and Budget review.
Proposal: Cap the value of homes paid for in guaranteed home sale programs.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: FTR change coming from GSA.
Proposal: Pay home marketing incentive.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: Authority to pay home marketing incentive granted in Title XVII, Section 1717 of the 1997 Defense Authorization bill.
Proposal: Allow agencies to separately contract for residence-related relocation services including property management.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: FTR change coming from GSA.
Proposal: Directly reimburse property inspection and environmental testing fees.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: FTR change coming from GSA.
Proposal: Directly reimburse property management expenses.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: Authority to pay for property management services granted in Title XVII, Section 1714 of the 1997 Defense Authorization bill.
Proposal: Ship a privately owned vehicle in connection with a permanent change of official station within the continental United States.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: Authority to transport a privately owned vehicle within the continental United States granted by Title XVII, Section 1715 of the 1997 Defense Authorization bill.
Proposal: Ship a privately owned vehicle from a post of duty outside the United States back to the United States, even if the vehicle was not originally shipped to the overseas post of duty.
Nature of Change: Regulation.
Outcome: FTR change coming from GSA.
Proposal: Assist accompanying spouse in finding employment.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: The 104th Congress denied passage of this proposal.
Proposal: Modify the taxability of moving expenses and eliminate the relocation income tax allowance.
Nature of Change: Legislation.
Outcome: JFMIP has been working with tax policy experts over the past several months and will submit draft legislation for this item to the 105th Congress.
Post a Comment
To post a comment, you must provide a name and a valid e-mail address. Messages must be limited to 400 words. By using this Service you agree not to post material that is obscene, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable. Although Government Executive does not monitor comments posted to this site (and has no obligation to), it reserves the right to delete, edit, or move any material that it deems to be in violation of this rule.