U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

69–010 

" ! SENATE 115TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REPORT

2017

115–31 

Calendar No. 40 

MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ACT 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

TO ACCOMPANY

H.R. 274 

TO PROVIDE FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE USE OF MODERN 

TRAVEL SERVICES BY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TRAVELING ON OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 

APRIL 24, 2017.—Ordered to be printed 


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman 

JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona 

ROB PORTMAN, Ohio 

RAND PAUL, Kentucky 

JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota 

STEVE DAINES, Montana 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

JON TESTER, Montana 

HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota 

GARY C. PETERS, Michigan 

MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire 

KAMALA D. HARRIS, California 

CHRISTOPHER R. HIXON, Staff Director 

GABRIELLE D’ADAMO SINGER, Chief Counsel 

JOSHUA P. MCLEOD, Professional Staff Member 

MARGARET E. DAUM, Minority Staff Director 

STACIA M. CARDILLE, Minority Chief Counsel 

KATHERINE C. SYBENGA, Minority Counsel 

LAURA W. KILBRIDE, Chief Clerk 

Calendar No. 40 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 115–31 

MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ACT 

APRIL 24, 2017.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 274] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 

to which was referred the bill (H.R. 274) to provide for reimbursement for the use of modern travel services by Federal employees 

traveling on official Government business, and for other purposes, 

having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without 

amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose and Summary .................................................................................. 1 

II. Background and Need for the Legislation ................................................... 2 

III. Legislative History ......................................................................................... 2 

IV. Section-by-Section Analysis .......................................................................... 2 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 3 

VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ................................................ 3 

VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ........................... 4 

I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

H.R. 274, the Modernizing Government Travel Act, requires the 

General Services Administration (GSA) to allow Federal employees 

traveling on official business to be reimbursed for the use of a 

transportation network company or an innovative mobility technology company the same as the employee would be reimbursed for 

a traditional mode of transportation like a train or taxi cab. 

2 

1General Services Administration, Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) (Jan 10, 2017), available at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104790 (last visited March 28, 2017). 

2General Services Administration, Federal Travel Regulation GSA Bulletin FTR 16-05 (July 

27, 2016), available at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/mediaId/141218/fileName/FTR_ Bulletin_16- 

05_Reimbursement_for_Use_of_Transportation_Network_Companies_While_on_Official_ Travel.action (last visited March 28, 2017). 

II. BACKGROUND AND THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION

A Federal employee traveling on official business is reimbursed 

for certain travel expenses through the Federal Travel Regulation 

(FTR) by the General Services Administration (GSA). The FTR interprets statutory and other policy requirements to ensure official 

travel is efficient and minimizes administrative costs, and that the 

policies are communicated in a clear manner to Federal agencies 

and employees.1 GSA has historically reimbursed Federal employees for official travel on traditional modes of transportation like a 

train or taxi cab. 

Recent innovation in the transportation sector has made available additional transportation options, like innovative mobility 

technology companies. These private ridesharing services are examples of the innovative transportation services that allow customers 

the option of sharing rides, and can reduce the cost of travel. Until 

recently, Federal employees have lacked certainty about whether 

they can access these platforms for official travel. 

Recognizing the need to expand the choices of transportation for 

Federal employees, GSA issued a bulletin on July 27, 2016, that 

provided guidance to Federal agencies subject to the FTR that 

clarified that Federal employees can be reimbursed for official business travel using transportation network companies.2 This bill codifies and reinforces GSA’s existing policy to give certainty to agency 

officials regarding what types of travel can be reimbursed. 

III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Representative Seth Moulton introduced H.R. 274 on January 4, 

2017. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives by voice 

vote on January 10, 2017, and was referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 

The Committee considered H.R. 274 at a business meeting on 

March 15, 2017. The Committee ordered the bill reported favorably 

en bloc by voice vote. Members present for the vote were Senators 

Johnson, Portman, Lankford, Daines, McCaskill, Carper, Tester, 

Heitkamp, Peters, Hassan, and Harris. 

IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE BILL, AS REPORTED

Section 1. Short title 

This section provides the bill’s short title, the ‘‘Modernizing Government Travel Act.’’ 

Section 2. Federal employee reimbursement for use of modern travel 

services 

Subsection (a) states that GSA will prescribe regulations to provide reimbursement for the use of a transportation network company or innovative technology company by any Federal employee 

traveling on official business. 

3 

Subsection (b) defines the terms ‘‘innovative mobility technology 

company and transportation network company’’. 

Section 3. Report on transportation costs 

This section requires the GSA Administrator to report on transportation costs for total agency payments for travel and transportation of people, employee relocation, and analysis on the total 

costs of transportation service by type. The report shall be provided 

to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of 

the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has considered 

the regulatory impact of this bill and determined that the bill will 

have no regulatory impact within the meaning of the rules. The 

Committee agrees with the Congressional Budget Office’s statement that the bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 

mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

(UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

VI. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

MARCH 27, 2017. 

Hon. RON JOHNSON, 

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 274, the Modernizing 

Government Travel Act. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 274—Modernizing Government Travel Act 

H.R. 274 would amend federal laws to allow federal employees 

who use transportation network companies when travelling on official business to be reimbursed for official travel expenses obtained 

through such companies. Examples of those companies would include Uber, Lyft, and bike-share providers. Under the act the General Services Administration (GSA) and agencies would provide annual reports on the cost of government transportation. 

GSA recently issued a bulletin that provides guidance for agencies on using transportation network companies. In addition, GSA 

has an online tool for travel reporting that agencies can use to 

track their travel expenses. Because most of the act’s requirements 

are being implemented under current law, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 274 would cost less than $500,000. 

Enacting H.R. 274 also could affect direct spending by agencies 

not funded through annual appropriations; therefore, pay-as-you-go 

4 

procedures apply. CBO estimates, however, that any net increase 

in spending by those agencies would be negligible. Enacting H.R. 

274 would not affect revenues. 

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 274 would not increase direct 

spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10- 

year periods beginning in 2028. 

H.R. 274 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. The 

estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by H.R. 274 as 

reported are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted 

is enclosed in brackets, new matter is printed in italic, and existing 

law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): 

UNITED STATES CODE 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE 5—GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION 

AND EMPLOYEES 

* * * * * * * 

Subtitle III—Employees 

* * * * * * * 

Subpart D—Pay and Allowances 

* * * * * * * 

CHAPTER 57—TRAVEL, TRANSPORTATION, AND 

SUBSISTENCE 

* * * * * * * 

Subchapter 1—Travel and Subsistence Expenses; Mileage 

Allowances 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 5707. REGULATIONS AND REPORTS. 

(a) * * * 

(b) * * * 

(c) 

(1) Not later than November 30 of each year, the head of 

each agency shall submit to the Administrator of General ServVerDate Sep 11 2014 07:13 Apr 25, 2017 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR031.XXX SR031
5 

ices, in a format prescribed by the Administrator and approved 

by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget— 

(A) data on total agency payments for such items as 

travel and transportation of people, average costs and durations of trips, and purposes of official travel; 

(B) data on estimated total agency payments for employee relocation; and 

(C) an analysis of the total costs of transportation service by type, and the total number of trips utilizing each 

transportation type for purposes of official travel. 

(2) The Administrator of General Services shall make the 

data submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) publicly available 

upon receipt. 

(3) Not later than January 31 of each year, the Administrator of General Services shall submit to the Director of the 

Office of Management and Budget, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, 

and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs of the Senate— 

(A) an analysis of the data submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) for the agencies listed in section 901(b) of title 

31 and a survey of such data for each other agency; and 

(B) a description of any new regulations promulgated or 

changes to existing regulations authorized under this section. 

* * * * * * * 

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