|CHAPTER��4�-�EMPLOYEE�TRAVEL
    PART�L:��PER�DIEM�ALLOWANCES
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| | PART L:� PER DIEM ALLOWANCES | 
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| | C4550� APPLICABLE 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 periods of TDY, except when AEA authorized under Part M apply, and for all periods of permanent duty travel. | 
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| | B.� Responsibilities for Authorizing/Approving Rates. | 
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| | It is the responsibility of the head of the DOD component concerned, or a designee, to ensure per diem allowances prescribed herein aren't in excess of the amounts required to meet the necessary subsistence expenses of the official travel.� However, the per diem allowances prescribed herein are the maximum allowable.� To prevent authorization/approval of amounts in excess of the amounts required to meet the necessary subsistence expenses of official travel, consideration shall be given to the factors listed in items 1 through 5 that reduce the necessary expenses of employees;� (See subpar. C for requesting a reduced per diem rate.) | 
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| | 1.�known arrangements or established cost experience at TDY locations showing that lodging and/or meals can be obtained without cost or at reduced cost to the employee; | 
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| | 2.�situations in which special rates for accommodations have been made available for a particular meeting, conference, training or other TDY assignment; | 
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| | 3.�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.�modes of transportation where accommodations are provided as part of the transportation cost; and | 
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| | 5.�situations in which the Government furnishes lodging, such as Government quarters or other lodging procured for the employee by means of an agency purchase order (See par.C4552-I). | 
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| | C.� Authorizing a Different Rate of Per Diem. | 
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| | When it can be factually determined 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 prearrangement, special discounts, or other reasons (also see subpar. B), the official responsible for directing travel should seek approval to authorize a fixed per diem at a rate different from the applicable rate prescribed in this Part.� Such approval must be requested in advance of the period to be covered by the fixed per diem rate.� (A fixed per diem in the CONUS may not exceed the locality per diem rates prescribed in Appendix D.� For OCONUS areas, a fixed per diem may not exceed the rate prescribed in Appendix B for the locality concerned.)� The request, including known costs for lodgings and meals, traveler's name, dates, and location of TDY assignment should be submitted by mail or message to the appropriate office indicated in subpar. D.� (Include name and telephone number for 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 fixed per diem rate authorized on the travel authorization shall be the per diem rate payable on the travel voucher without receipts and/or itemization by the employee.� Except as indicated in pars.C4552-Dand F,C4554-DandC4558-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 redelegated at the discretion of the commander.� As an exception, employees attending the Inspector General Course may submit requests 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:� Head of 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 redelegated at the discretion of the commander.� 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 in accordance with subpars. B and C; | 
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| | 2.a fixed per diem in excess of the 55 percent limitation prescribed in par.C4561-D1, not to exceed the applicable maximum amount 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.C4553in lieu of the 55 percent limitation in par.C4561-D1when justified for a long-term training or TDY assignment. | 
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| | An increase to the 55 percent limitation prescribed in par.C4561-D1for a period of travel that has been completed may be approved on an actual expense basis only under par.C4600. | 
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| | C4551� FEEDBACK REPORTING | 
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| | Employees and DOD components may submit a request for review of the costs covered by per diem in a particular city or area where the standard CONUS rate applies when travel to that location is repetitive or on a continuing basis and employee's experience indicates the prescribed rate is inadequate.� Other per diem localities listed in Appendix D are surveyed by GSA on an annual basis to determine whether the rates are adequate.� In addition, where more than normal expenses are encountered in a particular area not included on the locality list in Appendix D, employees and DOD components may submit requests for review and designation of the location as a specific locality area.� Such a request 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.�number of travelers and frequency of the travel to the particular area; | 
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| | 4.�type or purpose of travel (inspections, conduct investigations or audits, visit to contractor facilities, training, administrative travel; e.g., conferences or meetings, etc.); | 
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| | 5.�name and location of activity visited (Government and non-Government).� Also, show other Federal activities located in or near the area that is being requested for designation as a specific locality area; and | 
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| | 6.�recommended boundary line (city, corporate limits, county, etc.) and maximum rate. | 
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| | Reports should be addressed to: | 
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| | Director
Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee
Hoffman Bldg. #1, Room 836
2461 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, VA� 22331-1300 | 
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| | and� routed within each Service through the addresses listed in the Introduction 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 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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