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[Senate Report 115-31]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                       Calendar No. 40
                                                       

115th Congress    }                                          {    Report
                                 SENATE                          
1st Session       }                                          {    115-31
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     

                                                        

                   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
                             
                             
                             
                             

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                 April 24, 2017.--Ordered to be printed
                 
                 
                 
                 
                          _________ 
                                
            U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
                       WASHINGTON : 2017       
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
        COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

                    RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona                 CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio                    THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
RAND PAUL, Kentucky                  JON TESTER, Montana
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma             HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming             GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota            MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
STEVE DAINES, Montana                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.

              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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\General Services Administration, Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 
(Jan 10, 2017), available at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104790 
(last visited March 28, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\General 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_Of
ficial_ Travel.action (last visited March 28, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        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.
    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 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 Services, 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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