United States Department of Agriculture 

Marketing and Regulatory Programs 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

Directive MRP 4080.1 03/23/10 

MRP TRANSIT INCENTIVE PROGRAM 

1. PURPOSE 

This Directive establishes policy on transit incentive entitlements for Marketing and 

Regulatory Program (MRP) employees. 

2. AUTHORITIES 

This Directive supplements the following laws, rules, and regulations: 

a. Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefits, 26 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1 

and 602, effective January 11, 2001. 

b. Executive Order (E.O.) 13150, Federal Workforce Transportation, dated 

 April 21, 2000. 

c. Departmental Regulation, Commuter Transit Subsidy Benefit Programs, 

4080-811-04. 

d. Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Public Law (P.L.) 105-178, dated 

June 9, 1998. 

e. Internal Revenue Service Notice 94-3, Qualified Transportation Fringes Under 

Code, 26 U.S.C., Section 132 (f), dated 1994. 

f. Federal Employees Clean Air Incentives Act of 1993, P.L. 103-172, dated 

December 2, 1993. 

g. Treatment of Employer Provided Transportation Benefits, P.L. 102-486, Section 

1911, effective December 31, 1992. 

3. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS 

This Directive replaces GIPSA Directive 4060.2, Transit Incentive Program, dated 

6/1/00. 

Distribution: AMS, APHIS, GIPSA Originating Office: MRPBS-HRD-WRWB 
4. BACKGROUND 

The 1998 Transportation Equity Act allows employers to provide transit incentives to 

cover part of their employees’ transportation costs. Two incentives are offered: the 

tax set-aside and the direct subsidy (“transit voucher”). E.O. 13150 mandated that by 

October 1, 2000, agencies provide transit subsidies to employees who commute via mass 

transit or qualified vanpools. 

At a minimum, agencies must offer headquarters employees an agency-paid subsidy and 

field employees a pre-tax benefit. Agencies also may offer a pre-tax parking benefit to 

those employees who drive and then park their cars in order to take mass transit and/or a 

vanpool as part of their daily commute to/from work. The program is meant to improve 

air quality and reduce traffic congestion. 

5. POLICY 

a. MRP encourages employees to commute to work by other than single occupant 

vehicles. 

If you work in: Your Agency Offers: 

 Subsidy Pre-tax Parking 

AMS  

APHIS  

GIPSA  

b. MRP will pay for actual qualifying commuting costs, up to $125 per month. 

c. Only MRP employees who are not receiving a Federal parking benefit may 

participate in the transit incentive program. 

d. Participation is limited to employees who agree to use public transportation or a 

qualifying vanpool for their regular daily commute to and from work. 

e. Employees will not give or sell transit passes to others or purchase fare media 

from other Federal employees. 

f. Managers and employees in programs with recognized bargaining units are 

advised to refer to appropriate negotiated agreements to determine how this 

Directive is implemented for bargaining unit members. 

Issuance Change 1 

11/2/12

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6. FALSE RECORDS 

 

Employees who make false certifications or fail to re-certify their application for benefits 

quarterly or whenever necessary, may be subject to disciplinary action up to and 

including removal from Federal service. Further, 18 U.S.C. 1001 contains criminal 

penalties for individuals who make false statements. 

7. INQUIRIES 

Operating guidelines may be found in the Human Resources Desk Guide, Subchapter 

4080, Transit Incentive Program. 

a. General inquiries on procedural matters should be directed to the servicing transit 

coordinator or to the servicing personnel office through established administrative 

channels. Requests for policy interpretations for complex situations should be 

referred to the Human Resources Specialist, Workplace Resolutions and Wellness 

Branch, MRPHRD. 

b. This Directive and the HRDG subchapter are available on the MRPHR home page 

at www.aphis.usda.gov/mrpbs/hr/index.shtml, the Employee Library at 

www.aphis.usda.gov/library, and the AMS Issuances home page at 

www.ams.usda.gov/issuances. 

/s/ 

Joanne Munno 

Deputy Administrator 

MRP Business Services 

Issuance Change 1 

11/2/12 

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