|CHAPTER��4�-�TRAVEL�OF�EMPLOYEES
    PART�L:��PER�DIEM�ALLOWANCES
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| | PART L:� PER DIEM ALLOWANCES | 
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| | C4550� PER DIEM RATES | 
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| | A.� General.� | 
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| | The per diem allowances prescribed in this Part are applicable for all TDY periods, except when an AEA, authorized under Part M, applies, and for all periods of PDT. | 
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| | B.� Responsibilities for Authorizing/Approving Rates.� | 
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| | It�s the responsibility of the head of each DoD component, or a designee, to ensure per diem allowances prescribed in this Part aren't in excess of the amounts required to meet the necessary subsistence expenses for an employee�s official travel.� However, the per diem allowances prescribed in this Part are the maximums allowable.� See subpar. C for information about requesting a reduced per diem rate.� To prevent authorization/approval of amounts in excess of the amounts required to meet the necessary subsistence expenses of official travel, consideration must be given to the factors listed in items 1 through 5 that reduce the necessary expenses of employees: | 
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| | 1.� actual arrangements or established cost experience at TDY locations showing that lodging and/or meals can be obtained without cost or at reduced cost to an employee; | 
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| | 2.� availability of special rates for accommodations for a particular meeting, conference, training or other TDY assignment; | 
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| | 3.� an employee's familiarity with establishments providing lodging and meals at a lower cost in certain localities, particularly where repetitive travel or extended stays are involved; | 
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| | 4.� availability of transportation modes that provide accommodations as part of the transportation cost; and | 
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| | 5.� availability of Government furnished lodging, such as Government quarters, or other lodging procured for the employee by means of a� purchase order (see par. C4552-H). | 
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| | C.� Authorizing a Different Rate of Per Diem.� | 
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| | When it can be determined factually that the per diem rates prescribed in this Part aren't appropriate for a particular duty assignment because of known reductions in lodging and/or meal costs resulting from pre-arrangement, special discounts, or other reasons (see also subpar. B), the official responsible for directing travel should seek authority to prescribe a fixed per diem at a rate different from the applicable rate prescribed in this Part.� Such authority must be requested and approved in advance of the travel.� (A fixed per diem may not exceed the locality per diem rates prescribed in Appendix D (CONUS) or Appendix B (OCONUS) for the locality concerned.)� The request, including established costs for lodgings and meals, the traveler's name, dates, and TDY assignment location should be submitted to the appropriate office indicated in subpar. D.� (Include the name and telephone number for an individual who may be contacted concerning the request.)� If the request is approved, a fixed per diem rate authorization is sent to the requesting official by the appropriate office in subpar. D.� The authorized fixed per diem rate must be stated on the travel authorization.� This rate shall be the per diem rate payable on the travel voucher without any receipts and/or itemization by the employee.� Except as indicated in pars. C4552-D and F, C4554-D and C4558-F, the appropriate office designated in subpar. D is the sole authority for substituting a fixed per diem rate for the otherwise applicable per diem allowance prescribed in this Part. | 
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| | D.� Offices Designated to Authorize Reduced and Increased Per Diem.� | 
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| | The offices listed in items 1 through 4: | 
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| | 1.� Army:� Commander, major command, major subordinate command, or departmental elements and/or agencies not subordinate to a MACOM to which employee's employing activity reports--this authority may be re-delegated at the commander�s discretion.� In addition, commands may submit requests for employees attending the Inspector General Course to HQDA, USAIGA, ATTN:� DAIG-TR, Humphreys Engineer Center, Casey Building, Room 112, Fort Belvoir, VA� 20060-5581; | 
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| | 2.� Navy and Marine Corps:� The head of the DON activity/command to which employee is permanently assigned for long-term training assignments and ODASN (CP/EEO) Code DP2 for long-term TDY; | 
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| | 3.� Air Force: The approving authority for TDY other than training assignments is the commander, major command or separate operating agency--authority may be re-delegated at the commander�s discretion.� For training assignments, the office is HQ USAF/DPCS, Washington, DC� 20330-5060; | 
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| | 4.� Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, and other DoD components:� Director, Travel Division, Washington Headquarters Services, Washington, DC� 20301-1155; | 
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| | are designated to authorize (in advance): | 
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| | 1.� a fixed reduced per diem rate in accordance with subpars. B and C; | 
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| | 2.� a fixed per diem rate in excess of the 55 percent limitation prescribed in par. C4561-D1, up to the applicable maximum rate prescribed in Appendix B or D for the locality involved; or | 
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| | 3.� a per diem under the lodgings-plus system prescribed in par. C4553 in lieu of the 55 percent limitation in par. C4561-D1 when justified for a long-term training or TDY assignment. | 
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| | NOTE: An increase to the 55 percent limitation prescribed in par. C4561-D1 for a period of travel that has been completed must be approved on an AEA basis only under par. C4600. | 
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| | C4551� REQUESTING REVIEW OF PER DIEM RATES | 
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| | Per diem localities listed in Appendix D are surveyed annually by GSA to determine whether the per diem rates are adequate. Localities listed in Appendix B are surveyed periodically by PDTATAC (OCONUS non-foreign) or the State Department (OCONUS foreign) to determine whether the per diem rates are adequate.� Employees and DoD components may submit requests for review of per diem rates in a particular location when experience indicates the prescribed rate is inadequate.� In addition, where more than normal expenses are encountered in a location not listed in Appendix D, employees and DoD components may submit requests for review and designation of the location as a specific per diem locality area.� Requests should include as much of the following information and cost data as are available: | 
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| | 1.� lodging costs for a wide range of hotel/motel facilities within proximity of the TDY point location(s) (hotel/motel brochures shall suffice); | 
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| | 2.� meal costs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for several eating facilities in the area (restaurant menus are preferred, if available); | 
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| | 3.� the number of travelers and the frequency of travel to the area; | 
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| | 4.� the travel type/purpose (inspections, investigations or audits, visit to contractor facilities, training, administrative travel, e.g., conferences or meetings.); | 
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| | 5.� name and location of the activity visited (Government and non-Government).� Also, name of other Federal activities located in or near the area for which a specific per diem rate� is being requested; and | 
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| | 6.� the recommended boundary line (county, etc.) and maximum rate. | 
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| | Requests should be addressed to: | 
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| | Director | 
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| | Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee | 
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| | Hoffman Bldg. #1, Room 836 | 
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| | 2461 Eisenhower Avenue | 
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| | Alexandria, VA� 22331-1300 | 
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| | and routed within each Service through the addresses listed in the Introduction to the JTR, under the heading Feedback Reporting. | 
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| | C4552� GENERAL RULES REGARDING PER DIEM | 
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| | A.� Beginning and Ending of Per Diem Entitlement.� | 
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| | For per diem allowances, official travel begins on the day an employee leaves the place of abode, office or other point of departure and ends on the day the employee returns to the place of abode, office, or other point at the conclusion of the TDY assignment. | 
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| | B.� Restriction In Establishing PDS.� | 
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| | Activities must not fix an employee�s PDS at a place for the purpose of paying per diem when most official duties are performed at another place (31 Comp. Gen. 289 (1952)). | 
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| | C.� No Per Diem at the PDS.� | 
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| | A per diem allowance shall not be allowed within the limits of the PDS (see definition, Appendix A), or at, or within the vicinity of, the place of abode (residence) from which the employee commutes daily to the official station except as provided in par. C1060. | 
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| | Except as indicated below no per diem is payable at the old or new PDS for TDY en route in connection with PCS travel.� This applies even if the traveler vacated the permanent quarters at the old PDS and lodged in temporary quarters during the TDY.� Exception:� An employee who departs PCS from the old PDS, performs TDY en route elsewhere, and returns TDY en route to the old PDS is entitled to per diem at the old PDS.� Example:� An employee departs the Pentagon PCS on 15 June, performs TDY en route at Ft. Leavenworth 1 -31 July, returns TDY en route to the Pentagon 5-15 August, and then arrives PCS to Ft. Polk on 31 August.� The employee is entitled to per diem at the Pentagon (old PDS) 5-15 August.� If the employee had departed on 15 June but performed TDY in Arlington, VA first, no per diem is payable for the TDY in Arlington immediately after detachment. | 
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| | D.� TDY at Nearby Places Outside the PDS.� | 
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| | Per diem allowance shall not be authorized when an employee does not incur additional subsistence expenses because of a TDY assignment in the vicinity of, but outside, the PDS.� Subject to the limitation in subpar. G, and to the extent that additional subsistence expenses are incurred, an appropriate per diem allowance may be authorized/approved by the order-issuing or authenticating official. | 
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| | E.� Dependents Accompanying an Employee on TDY.� | 
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| | The fact an employee's dependents may accompany the employee on TDY at personal expense shall not affect the employee�s prescribed per diem rate. | 
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| | F.� Travel of 12 or Less Hours (12-Hour Rule).� | 
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| | A per diem allowance shall not be allowed when the period of official travel is 12 or less hours.� This rule also applies to travel incident to a PCS.� For TDY travel, the prohibition applies if the total time en route and duty period from the time of departure until the time of return to the PDS is within the limitations. | 
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| | G.� Relationship of Per Diem to Overseas Post Differential.� | 
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| | Per diem is paid to defray necessary TDY expenses while traveling.� The foreign or nonforeign post differential provides additional compensation for employees assigned to OCONUS PDSs where environmental conditions require a recruitment and retention incentive.� When an employee is assigned away from the PDS on detail or TDY to an OCONUS PDS classified as a differential post and is eligible for payment of the differential under the provisions of pertinent regulations while on the detail or TDY, concurrent payment of the differential and per diem is authorized. | 
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| | H.� Lodging and/or Meals Obtained Under Contract.� | 
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| | When a contracting officer contracts for rooms and/or meals for employees traveling on TDY, the total daily amount paid by the Government for the employee's lodging, meals, and incidental expenses may not exceed the applicable per diem rate authorized in this Part.� This limitation does not apply if direct arrangements with a school or other institution that is sponsoring training courses include lodging and meals as part of the training cost.� In that case, an employee also is entitled to an appropriate amount authorized under this Part for incidental expenses even though the total actual cost for lodging and meals and the amount authorized for incidental expenses exceeds the applicable per diem rate.� If charges submitted by the sponsor for the training course do not include lodging and meal costs, per diem for an employee may not exceed the applicable amount authorized in this Part (60 Comp. Gen. 181 (1981)). | 
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| | I.� Extended TDY Assignments.� | 
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| | When travel assignments involve extended periods at TDY locations and an employee is able to secure lodging and/or meals at lower costs (e.g., weekly or monthly rentals), a reduced per diem rate should be directed in accordance with par. C4550-C.� See par. C4560 for applicable per diem when TDY assignment is for more than 180 calendar days.� Paragraph C4455 concerns authorization for long-term TDY assignments.� If the TDY assignment is for training, see pars. C4502 and C4561-C. | 
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| | J.� Meetings and Conventions.� | 
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