# Presentation: 549556

## ARC BriefingDecember 2005

- Presented by the
- DCP / DCCPS ARC

**National Institutes of Health**

**DHHS**

## AGENDA

_**Welcome**_
_**Travel**_
- Official Duty –vs- Outside Activity
- Tax Exempt Form
- New Travel Information
- Recording In Kind Per Diem
- Phone Calls
- Travel Portal Page Useful Tools
- 2nd CR Approved
_**Information for Employees**_
- Emergency Closure/Dismissal Procedures
- Verifying Home Address
- OHR Employee Benefits/Calendar of Events

## ARC Briefings are held the 2nd Thursday of every month.
From 2:30 to 3:30pm
We encourage agenda submissions and active participation.  If you have a topic for next month’s meeting, email Eric Graves in the DCP ARC.
Previous meeting presentations may be downloaded at http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/arc/presentations.html

- From 2:30 to 3:30pm
- We encourage agenda submissions and active participation.  If you have a topic for next month’s meeting, email Eric Graves in the DCP ARC.
- Previous meeting presentations may be downloaded at *http://www3.cancer.gov/prevention/arc/presentations.html*

- Welcome!

## Travel

## Official Duty Activity w/Outside Organization VS Outside Activity

**Official Duty Activity** is based on official position, official responsibilities, or work done at NIH or other government position.
**Outside Activity (Paid or Unpaid)** is based on general expertise, work from another employer, or government work which was finished and released to the public more than 12 months ago.
- NIH only has an interest in activities that require the employee to use his/her professional qualifications readily identified with his/her employment at NIH.  An employee may decide to moonlight using skills that are not professional in nature and are not related to his/her NIH duties, such as working in a performing arts company, teaching aerobics or working in a retail outlet as a side occupation.  An employee may engage in these types of activities without requesting approval.

## Request for Approval of Official Duty Activity

- The *Official Duty Activity* Request Form is used to request approval of certain activities which are outside your regular official duties, but will be performed as part of your official duty.  A few examples are:
- May talk about any of your work, whether published or non-public information, or done yesterday.
- You are representing NIH, on official duty time.
- You may use your NIH title and affiliation.
- Sponsored travel may be acceptable in certain circumstances (e.g., HHS-348).
- On travel orders as usual for official duty, if applicable.

## Outside Activity

- Submit completed HHS-520 Application and appropriate supplemental forms through your Administrative Officer for review and forwarding to the IC Ethics Coordinator for approval.
- Information/activity must not be related to your current government job, or else it must be 12 months old and previously released to the public in some official manner (e.g., an official abstract, article, or speech).
- Activity does not conflict with your current job.
- You are representing your own personal views.
- You cannot use your NIH title or affiliation.
- No Government travel forms to process!
- You are on your own!

## New HHS Requirements: Tax Exempt Form (Lodging)

- You should be aware that there are some states that grant tax exemption for lodging to travelers on official government business.
- The new rules require that travelers be more aggressive in seeking/obtaining tax exemptions for lodging:  must be informed about the tax exemption status of the location of the official travel, complete exempt form, inquire at the check-in desk on the status of exemption for Federal official travel, present a copy of travel order or show the government travel card.  Precludes reimbursement for taxes if travelers fail to make that inquiry.
- In an effort to ensure that travelers are adhering to this new requirement.  We ask that in addition to the travel folder you normally prepare for your files, that you create an additional folder to provide the traveler with and include the tax exempt form when applicable.
- This will save the traveler’s out-of-pocket expenses, in addition to the possibility of taxes being paid, even when they choose to pay for lodging exceeding the maximum government per diem allowance.  Remember that travelers are only entitled to reimbursement of taxes on the maximum per diem rate.  It also saves the government money, because that’s an expense we won’t have to pay or reimburse the traveler for.

## New HHS Requirements: Tax Exempt Form (cont.)

- Only states that provide some form of tax exemption for federal employees on official business are listed on the NIH Portal Page.
- Those states have tax exempt forms available in PDF and Word format.
- Some state forms are more complex than others, but are generally easy to complete.
- Those states not listed either indicated no tax exemption, or did not respond to NIH’s survey letter. ** **
- For additional state tax source information, you may want to search the web for individual state revenue websites.

## New Travel Information

- If you went to the DCTD HHS-348 Training, DCP & DCCPS are handling 2 situations differently.
- These 2 things are:
- In Kind Meals while on Sponsored Travel
- Phone Calls while on Foreign Travel

## Recording In-Kind Per Diem Information

- In-Kind travel MUST always retain a dollar value for reporting
-   Lodging - Retain dollar values and select “In-Kind” payment method option:

- Select the Override button to change payment method for M&IE

**Notes:**
If all meals are in kind, this is what you’re going to do.  Do not put a check mark on the meals screen.  Instead select the Over-ride tab

## Recording In-Kind Per Diem Information

**M&IE Cost Option Screens:**

**Select Options button to change M&IE payment method**

**Notes:**
Select Options and sponsor in kind here

## Recording In-Kind Per Diem Information

- In Kind meals will show up here

## New Travel Information Continued

- During the DCTD HHS-348 Training, they mentioned that a traveler must submit a memo to request approval for number of calls and the amount of calls to be authorized on a foreign travel order.
- Neither DCP nor DCCPS requires this memo.
- However, under comments for phone calls under expenses the breakdown needs to be stated.
- For example, 2 personal calls at 15$/each, not to exceed $30.
_**Additional Phone Call information:**_
_**IN THE PAST:**_  Travelers were required to lodge at least two nights before reimbursement for personal telephone calls while on travel.
_**PRESENTLY:**_  Allows reasonable reimbursement starting first lodging night (receipts required) for limited telephone calls (not to exceed $5/day) to traveler’s residence or dependent caretaker, provided Government telephone facilities and calling cards can not be used.  No cell phone reimbursement.

## US County Lookup:  tells you the county a meeting location is in – to match to the State per diem rates
Open Travel Documents: quick lookup for status of documents you’ve worked on
Policy & Regulations
Hotel Tax Percentage Rates: links to tax rates for US States, also gives links to printable tax exempt forms for lodging
Trip Details:  need an itinerary?  W/record locator # and travelers name, you can look it up here
International Travel
Forms 

- Open Travel Documents: quick lookup for status of documents you’ve worked on
- Policy & Regulations
- Hotel Tax Percentage Rates: links to tax rates for US States, also gives links to printable tax exempt forms for lodging
- Trip Details:  need an itinerary?  W/record locator # and travelers name, you can look it up here
- International Travel
- Forms

- Travel Portal Page Useful Tools

## Continuing Resolution (CR)

- OFM is authorizing our Travel Management Center, OMEGA, to release contract carrier, fully refundable tickets to travelers departing through Monday, _December 19, 2005._  The President has signed a Continuing Resolution (CR) which will cover travel through _Saturday, December 17, 2005_.
- To clarify, procurement of non-contract carrier airfare tickets may be authorized when properly justified during this CR period, however, as we approach the end of the period, discretion should be used in doing so.  Therefore, travelers may pick up their tickets but must be advised that, absent an appropriations bill or CR extension beyond December 17, these tickets may not be used.
- Each Travel Authorization should continue to be annotated to read, "Pending Availability of FY 06 Funds".

## Information for Employees

## Emergency closure/dismissal procedures

- If a weather-related or other emergency arises before the workday begins, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will provide an announcement regarding the operating status of the Federal Government to the media as early as possible.
- As soon as the status is determined,
- it will also be posted on OPM’s web site at **http://www.opm.gov/** and
- a recorded message will be provided by OPM’s Office of Communications on **202-606-1900.**

## Updating Your Home Address in MyPay

- The end of the year is around the corner!  This year, two W2s (one for pre-DFAS and one for post-DFAS) will be mailed to your home address of record.
- You can also print your post-DFAS W2 using *MyPay* *(**https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx**)*.
- Please verify the accuracy of your home address by going to *MyPay* and selecting Correspondence Address.
- If it is incorrect, please make the change and select Save.

## Benefits Calendar of Events

| Date | Event | Time | Location | Comments |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 11/14/2005 | Federal Employees' Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Season |   |   | Must use myPay to enroll, change enrollment, or cancel enrollment. |
| thru |  |  |  |  |
| 12/12/2005 |  |  |  |  |
| 11/14/2005 | Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Open Season |   |   | Must use the FSAFEDS website to enroll |
| thru |  |  |  |  |
| 12/12/2005 |  |  |  |  |
| 12/13/2005 | Retirement Seminar* | 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Bldg 31/C Wing/ 6th Floor – Rm 6 | No registration required |
|  | (Note: Includes a TSP presentation by a representative from the Thrift Investment Board beginning at approximately 10:45 a.m.) |  |  |  |

## OPEN DISCUSSION

- Problems?  Issues? Concerns?
- Anything you’d like to see on next month’s agenda?
- Do you have something you’d like to present?
- Just let us know!