|CHAPTER��4�-�EMPLOYEE�TRAVEL
    PART�L:��PER�DIEM�ALLOWANCES
        C4552�GENERAL�RULES�REGARDING�PER�DIEM
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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 computing per diem allowances, official travel begins at the time the employee leaves the place of abode, office or other point of departure and ends when 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 Permanent Duty Station (PDS). | 
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| | Activities won't fix the PDS of an employee at a place for the purpose of paying per diem when most of the official duties are performed at another place (31 Comp. Gen. 289 (1952)). | 
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| | C.�No Per Diem At PDS Area. | 
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| | A per diem allowance shall not be allowed within the limits of the PDS (see definition, Appendix A) 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 subpar. F. | 
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| | D.�TDY At Nearby Places Outside the PDS Area. | 
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| | Per Diem allowance shall not be authorized when an employee doesn�t incur additional subsistence expenses because of a TDY assignment in the vicinity of, but outside, the PDS area regardless of whether or not travel begins or ends at the regular place of duty or residence.� 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 Employee on TDY. | 
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| | The fact an employee's dependents may accompany the employee at own expense on TDY shall not affect the per diem rate prescribed for the employee. | 
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| | F.�Per Diem for Trainees at PDS. | 
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| | When a training session to which an employee is assigned is held at the employee's PDS and it�s necessary for the employee to incur additional subsistence expenses, an appropriate per diem allowance may be authorized/approved by the order-issuing or authenticating official (39 Comp. Gen. 119 (1959)).� Such situations occur when a training session is held in a hotel located at the employee's PDS and the employee must obtain meals and/or lodging at the hotel because of training sessions being held at night as well as day or because of a "live-in" requirement. | 
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| | G.�Travel of 12 Hours or Less (12-Hour Rule). | 
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| | A per diem allowance shall not be allowed when the period of official travel is 12 hours or less.� (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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| | H.�Relationship of Per Diem to Overseas Post Differential. | 
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| | Per diem is for the purpose of defraying necessary per diem expenses.� The foreign or nonforeign post differential provides additional compensation for employees assigned to posts overseas where environmental conditions are such as to require recruitment and retention incentive.� When an employee is assigned away from the PDS on detail or TDY to an overseas post classified as a differential post and is eligible for payment of the differential under the provisions of pertinent regulations while on such detail or TDY, concurrent payment of differential and per diem is authorized. | 
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| | I.�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 authorized in this Part.� This limitation doesn't 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 such case the employee also is entitled to an appropriate amount authorized under this Part for incidental expense even though the total actual cost for lodgings and meals including the amount authorized for incidental expenses exceeds the applicable per diem.� If charges submitted by the sponsor for the training course don't include lodging and meal costs, per diem for the employee may not exceed the applicable amount authorized in this Part (Comp. Gen. B-195133, January 19, 1981). | 
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| | J.�Extended TDY Assignments. | 
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| | When travel assignments involve extended periods at TDY locations and the 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 requested in accordance with par.C4550-A3.� See par.C4560for applicable per diem when TDY assignment is for more than 180 calendar days.� ParagraphC4455concerns authorization for long-term TDY assignments.� If the TDY assignment is for the purpose of training, see par.C4561-C. | 
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| | K.�Meetings and Conventions. | 
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| | In the interest of uniform treatment of employees, whenever a meeting or conference is arranged which involves the travel of attendees from other agencies or components within DOD, and reduced cost lodging accommodations have been prearranged at the meeting or conference site, the component sponsoring the meeting or conference shall recommend to the other participating agencies or components a per diem allowance that� would be reasonable.� See pars.C4500andC4708regarding attendance at meetings and registration fees. | 
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| | L.�Employee Dies or Is In a Missing Status While in a Travel Status. | 
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| | When an employee in a travel status dies, authorized per diem allowance terminates at the end of the calendar day that the person is determined to be dead or is otherwise to be in a missing status under the Missing Persons Act. | 
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| | C4553 COMPUTATION OF PER DIEM FOR OFFICIAL TRAVEL UNDER THE LODGINGS PLUS SYSTEM | 
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| | A.� General. | 
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| | Per diem allowances for all official travel, including travel incident to a PCS, shall be computed under the lodgings-plus system except when: | 
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| | 1.�a fixed per diem rate has been authorized for the TDY or training assignment under the provisions in par.C4550-A; | 
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| | 2.�a per diem for a TDY assignment in the vicinity of, but outside the PDS area has been authorized/approved under par.C4552-D; | 
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| | 3.�a per diem for training at an employee's PDS has been authorized/approved under par.C4552-F; | 
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| | 4.�a per diem rate prescribed in par.C4560for long-term TDY assignments (more than 180 calendar days) applies; | 
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| | 5.a per diem rate prescribed in par.C4561-Bfor specific training courses, or par.C4561-Cfor training assignments of more than 30 calendar days, applies; | 
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| | 6.�a per diem rate prescribed in par.C4558for travel by vessel applies; | 
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| | 7.�the per diem prescribed in par.C4556applies because meals and lodgings are furnished without cost to the employee; | 
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| | 8.�a per diem has been authorized under par.C4554-Dfor TDY at an OCONUS location where there is an absence of commercial establishments which prepare and serve meals; | 
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| | 9.�no per diem is payable as indicated in par.C4554-Ewhen TDY is performed in support of military units while on field duty; | 
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| | 10.�a per diem prescribed in par.C4562for consultants, experts, and private individuals (including members of the ROTC) applies; or | 
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| | 11.�an AEA has been authorized for the TDY assignment under par.C4600. | 
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| | Under the lodgings-plus system, the per diem allowance for each travel day is established on the basis of the actual amount the traveler pays for lodgings plus an allowance for M&IE, the total not to exceed the applicable maximum per diem rate for the location concerned.� The rules provided in subpars. B through F shall be applied in the specific situations covered. | 
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| | B.�Maximum Per Diem Rates | 
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| | 1.� For Travel Within CONUS. | 
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| | Maximum per diem rates for travel within� CONUS are listed in Appendix D for certain specific localities.� For all CONUS locations not specifically listed or encompassed by the defined boundaries of a listed location, a standard maximum per diem rate (standard CONUS rate) is prescribed. | 
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| | 2.� For OCONUS Travel. | 
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| | Maximum per diem rates prescribed in Appendix B apply to OCONUS travel. | 
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| | 3.� Permanent Duty Travel. | 
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| | a.� Within CONUS� | 
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| | The standard CONUS rate is the applicable maximum per diem rate for travel within CONUS in connection with:� | 
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| | 1.travel to a first duty station for a newly recruited employee or appointee; | 
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| | 2.travel incident to a PCS; | 
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| | 3.renewal agreement travel;� | 
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| | 4.separation travel; and | 
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| | 5.while occupying temporary quarters (except when a fixed TQSE is authorized� under Chapter 13, Part C). | 
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| | The locality rates listed in Appendix D apply for the entire trip while performing travel to seek a permanent residence (househunting) within CONUS. | 
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| | b.OCONUS� | 
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| | The locality rates prescribed for OCONUS locations in Appendix B apply for OCONUS:� | 
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| | 1.travel to a first duty station for a newly recruited employee or appointee; | 
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| | 2.travel incident to a PCS; | 
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| | ---------------------------- | 
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| | 3.renewal agreement travel;� | 
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| | --------------------- | 
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| | 4.separation travel;� | 
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