89650 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 248 / Thursday, December 28, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370f), and 

have made a preliminary determination 

that this action is one of a category of 

actions that do not individually or 

cumulatively have a significant effect on 

the human environment. This proposed 

rule involves establishing an anchorage 

ground, Crims Island Anchorage, in an 

area traditionally used by commercial 

ships for anchoring in the Lower 

Columbia River system; and increasing 

the anchorage capacity of the river 

system. Normally such actions are 

categorically excluded from further 

review under paragraph L59(a) of 

Appendix A, Table 1 of DHS Instruction 

Manual 023–01–001–01, Rev. 1. A 

preliminary Record of Environmental 

Consideration supporting this 

determination is available in the docket. 

For instructions on locating the docket, 

see the ADDRESSES section of this 

preamble. We seek any comments or 

information that may lead to the 

discovery of a significant environmental 

impact from this proposed rule. 

V. Public Participation and Request for 

Comments 

We view public participation as 

essential to effective rulemaking and 

will consider all comments and material 

received during the comment period. 

Your comment can help shape the 

outcome of this rulemaking. If you 

submit a comment, please include the 

docket number for this rulemaking, 

indicate the specific section of this 

document to which each comment 

applies, and provide a reason for each 

suggestion or recommendation. 

Submitting comments. We encourage 

you to submit comments through the 

Federal Decision-Making Portal at 

https://www.regulations.gov. To do so, 

go to https://www.regulations.gov, type 

USCG–2023–0750 in the search box and 

click ‘‘Search.’’ Next, look for this 

document in the Search Results column, 

and click on it. Then click on the 

Comment option. If you cannot submit 

your material by using https://

www.regulations.gov, call or email the 

person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section of this proposed rule 

for alternate instructions. 

Viewing material in docket. To view 

documents mentioned in this proposed 

rule as being available in the docket, 

find the docket as described in the 

previous paragraph, and then select 

‘‘Supporting & Related Material’’ in the 

Document Type column. Public 

comments will also be placed in our 

online docket and can be viewed by 

following instructions on the https://

www.regulations.gov Frequently Asked 

Questions web page. Also, if you click 

on the Dockets tab and then the 

proposed rule, you should see a 

‘‘Subscribe’’ option for email alerts. The 

option will notify you when comments 

are posted, or a final rule is published. 

We review all comments received, but 

we will only post comments that 

address the topic of the proposed rule. 

We may choose not to post off-topic, 

inappropriate, or duplicate comments 

that we receive. 

Personal information. We accept 

anonymous comments. Comments we 

post to https://www.regulations.gov will 

include any personal information you 

have provided. For more about privacy 

and submissions to the docket in 

response to this document, see DHS’s 

eRulemaking System of Records notice 

(85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020). 

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 110 

Anchorage grounds. 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Coast Guard is proposing 

to amend 33 CFR part 110 as follows: 

PART 110—ANCHORAGE 

REGULATIONS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 110 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 33 U.S.C. 2071; 46 U.S.C. 

70006, 70034; 33 CFR 1.05–1; Department of 

Homeland Security Delegation No. 00170.1, 

Revision No. 01.3. 

■ 2. Add § 110.228(a)(13) to subpart B to 

read as follows: 

§ 110.228 Columbia River, Oregon and 

Washington. 

(a) * * * 

(13) Crims Island Anchorage. All 

waters in the vicinity of Crims Island, 

Oregon, bound by a line connecting the 

following points: 

Latitude Longitude 

46°10′48.00′′ ................. 123°06′41.40′′ 

46°09′37.20′′ ................. 123°04′31.20′′ 

46°09′24.60′′ ................. 123°03′43.20′′ 

46°09′19.20′′ ................. 123°03′46.20′′ 

46°09′31.80′′ ................. 123°04′35.40′′ 

46°10′32.40′′ ................. 123°06′59.40′′ 

Dated: December 21, 2023. 

Charles E. Fosse, 

Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, 

Thirteenth Coast Guard District. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28654 Filed 12–27–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

GENERAL SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION 

41 CFR Parts 300–3, 301–11, 301–50, 

301–52, 301–70, 301–71 and 301–73 

[FTR Case 2023–03; Docket No. GSA–FTR– 

2023–0023, Sequence No. 1] 

RIN 3090–AK66 

Federal Travel Regulation; Updating 

Glossary of Terms and E-Gov Travel 

Service Requirements 

AGENCY: Office of Government-wide 

Policy (OGP), General Services 

Administration (GSA). 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: GSA is proposing to amend 

the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 

Glossary of Terms to add the term 

‘‘Online booking tool (OBT)’’ and revise 

the definition of ‘‘E-Gov Travel Service 

(ETS)’’; remove outdated policies on 

implementing ETS; renumber ETS 

regulations in a sequential order as 

necessary; and make miscellaneous 

editorial corrections. 

DATES: Interested parties should submit 

written comments to the Regulatory 

Secretariat Division at the address 

shown below on or before February 26, 

2024 to be considered in the formation 

of the final rule. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in 

response to FTR case 2023–03 to 

Regulations.gov at https://

www.regulations.gov via the Federal 

eRulemaking portal by searching for 

‘‘FTR Case 2023–03’’. Select the link 

‘‘Comment Now’’ that corresponds with 

FTR Case 2023–03. Follow the 

instructions provided at the ‘‘Comment 

Now’’ screen. Please include your name, 

company name (if any), and ‘‘FTR Case 

2023–03’’ on your attached document. If 

your comment cannot be submitted 

using https://www.regulations.gov, call 

or email the points of contact in the FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 

this document for alternate instructions. 

Instructions: Please submit comments 

only and cite FTR Case 2023–03, in all 

correspondence related to this case. 

Comments received generally will be 

posted without change to https://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal and/or business confidential 

information provided. To confirm 

receipt of your comment(s), please 

check www.regulations.gov, 

approximately two to three days after 

submission to verify posting. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Cheryl D. McClain-Barnes, Program 

Analyst, Office of Government-wide 

Policy, at 202–208–4334 or 

travelpolicy@gsa.gov for clarification of 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 248 / Thursday, December 28, 2023 / Proposed Rules 89651 

content. For information pertaining to 

status or publication schedules, contact 

the Regulatory Secretariat Division at 

202–501–4755 or GSARegSec@gsa.gov. 

Please cite FTR Case 2023–03. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5707, the 

Administrator of General Services is 

authorized to prescribe regulations 

regarding reimbursement for Federal 

employees traveling on official business 

away from their official duty stations. 

The overall implementing authority is 

the FTR, codified in title 41 of the Code 

of Federal Regulations, chapters 300 

through 304. 

In November 2003, GSA’s Federal 

Acquisition Service awarded master 

contracts for the first iteration of ETS, a 

web-based end-to-end travel 

management service. GSA published 

FTR Amendment 2003–07 (68 FR 

71026) in December 2003, to amend the 

FTR on the required use of the new 

travel service. The original ETS 

implementation policies included 

timelines with specific dates for 

agencies to deploy ETS and migrate to 

the new platform. This information 

regarding ETS implementation is no 

longer needed because all mandatory 

users have deployed ETS (either 

initially, or upon expiration of an 

exception to its use) since it became 

available to civilian agencies in the first 

quarter of 2004. 

Contracts awarded under ETS2, the 

second iteration of ETS, are set to expire 

in June 2027. As GSA focuses on 

procuring and implementing the third 

iteration of ETS, known as ‘‘E-Gov 

Travel Service, Next Generation’’ or 

‘‘ETSNext’’ for short, GSA proposes to 

revise FTR Parts 301–11, 301–50, 301– 

52, 301–70, 301–71 and 301–73 to 

remove the original ETS 

implementation policies that are no 

longer applicable. 

Specifically, GSA proposes to relocate 

a definitional term at § 301–50.6, 

namely ‘‘online self-service booking 

tool,’’ to part 300–3 ‘‘Glossary of 

Terms,’’ update the definition, rename 

that term ‘‘online booking tool (OBT),’’ 

and renumber part 301–50 in logical 

order. GSA proposes to further update 

the ‘‘Glossary of Terms’’ to make an 

update and an editorial change to the 

definition of ‘‘E-Gov Travel Service 

(ETS)’’ by capitalizing the acronym 

‘‘ETS’’ in the body of the definition to 

be consistent with the definition 

heading. 

GSA also proposes to remove and 

reserve § 301–73.101 and relocate 

relevant language from ‘‘Note 1’’ of the 

section regarding agency funding 

responsibility for ETS to a note to § 301– 

73.2. GSA further proposes to revise the 

note to § 301–73.106 to remove 

duplicate language and text regarding 

travel agent services that align with 

present requirements for ETS2, but may 

not align with the terms of successor 

travel management service contract(s). 

Finally, GSA proposes to add a 

reference to the ‘‘extenuating 

circumstances’’ exception to the use of 

ETS and Travel Management Service 

(TMS) to existing exceptions at §§ 301– 

50.4 and 301–73.102. 

II. Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 

14094 

Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 

(Regulatory Planning and Review) 

directs agencies to assess all costs and 

benefits of available regulatory 

alternatives and, if regulation is 

necessary, to select regulatory 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 

environmental, public health and safety 

effects, distributive impacts, and 

equity). E.O. 13563 (Improving 

Regulation and Regulatory Review) 

emphasizes the importance of 

quantifying both costs and benefits, of 

reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, 

and of promoting flexibility. E.O. 14094 

(Modernizing Regulatory Review) 

supplements and reaffirms the 

principles, structures, and definitions 

governing contemporary regulatory 

review established in E.O. 12866 and 

E.O. 13563. The Office of Management 

and Budget, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has 

determined this rulemaking is not a 

significant regulatory action and, 

therefore, is not subject to review under 

section 6(b) of E.O. 12866. 

III. Regulatory Flexibility Act 

GSA does not expect this proposed 

rule to have a significant economic 

impact on a substantial number of small 

entities within the meaning of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, 

et seq. This proposed rule is also 

exempt from Administrative Procedure 

Act pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2) 

because it applies to agency 

management or personnel. Therefore, an 

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

has not been performed. 

IV. Paperwork Reduction Act 

The Paperwork Reduction Act does 

not apply because the changes to the 

FTR do not impose recordkeeping or 

information collection requirements, or 

the collection of information from 

offerors, contractors, or members of the 

public that require the approval of the 

Office of Management and Budget under 

44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq. 

List of Subjects in 41 CFR Parts 300–3, 

301–11, 301–50, 301–52, 301–70, 301–71 

and 301–73 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Government contracts, 

Government employees, Individuals 

with disabilities, Travel and 

transportation expenses. 

Krystal J. Brumfield, 

Associate Administrator, Office of 

Government-wide Policy. 

Therefore, GSA proposes to amend 41 

CFR parts 300–3, 301–11, 301–50, 301– 

52, 301–70, 301–71 and 301–73 as set 

forth below: 

PART 300–3—GLOSSARY OF TERMS 

■ 1. The authority citation for 41 CFR 

part 300–3 continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5707; 40 U.S.C. 121(c); 

49 U.S.C. 40118; 5 U.S.C. 5738; 5 U.S.C. 

5741–5742; 20 U.S.C. 905(a); 31 U.S.C. 1353; 

E.O 11609, as amended, 3 CFR, 1971–1975 

Comp., p. 586, Office of Management and 

Budget Circular No. A–126, Revised May 22, 

1992. 

■ 2. Amend § 300–3.1 by: 

■ a. Revising the definition of ‘‘E-Gov 

Travel Service (ETS)’’; and 

■ b. Adding in alphabetical order the 

definition, ’’Online booking tool 

(OBT)’’. 

The revision and addition read as 

follows: 

§ 300–3.1 What do the following terms 

mean? 

* * * * * 

E-Gov Travel Service (ETS)—The 

Government-contracted, end-to-end 

travel management service that 

automates and consolidates the Federal 

travel process in a self-service 

environment, covering all aspects of 

official travel, including travel planning, 

authorization, reservations, ticketing, 

expense reimbursement, and travel 

management reporting. The ETS 

provides the services of a Federal travel 

management program as specified in 

§ 301–73.1(a), (b), and (e) of this title. 

* * * * * 

Online booking tool (OBT)—An 

internet-based system that permits 

travelers to make reservations for 

transportation (e.g., air, rail, and car 

rental) and lodging. ETS and agency 

Travel Management Service providers 

incorporate an OBT. 

* * * * * 


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89652 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 248 / Thursday, December 28, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

PART 301–11—PER DIEM EXPENSES 

■ 3. The authority citation for 41 CFR 

part 301–11 continues to read as 

follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5707. 

■ 4. Amend § 301–11.25 by revising the 

Note to § 301–11.25 to read as follows: 

§ 301–11.25 Must I provide receipts to 

substantiate my claimed travel expenses? 

* * * * * 

Note 1 to § 301–11.25: Hard copy receipts 

should be electronically scanned and 

submitted with your electronic travel claim. 

PART 301–50—ARRANGING FOR 

TRAVEL SERVICES 

■ 5. The authority citation for part 301– 

50 continues to read as follows: 

Authority : 5 U.S.C. 5707; 40 U.S.C. 121(c). 

■ 6. Revise § 301–50.3 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–50.3 Must I use the ETS or TMS to 

arrange my travel? 

Yes, if you are an employee of an 

agency as defined in § 301–1.1 of this 

chapter, you must use the ETS, or your 

agency’s TMS (if an exception to ETS 

use is granted), to make your travel 

arrangements. If you are an employee of 

the Department of Defense, the 

legislative branch, or the Government of 

the District of Columbia, you must 

arrange your travel in accordance with 

your agency’s TMS. Your agency may 

grant, or be granted, an exception to 

required use of TMS or ETS under 

§§ 301–50.4, 301–73.102, or 301–73.104 

of this chapter. 

■ 7. Revise § 301–50.4 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–50.4 May I be granted an exception 

to the required use of TMS or ETS? 

Yes, your agency head or their 

designee may grant an individual case 

exception to required use of your 

agency’s TMS or to required use of ETS, 

but only when your travel meets one of 

the following conditions: 

(a) Such use would result in an 

unreasonable burden on mission 

accomplishment (e.g., emergency travel 

is involved and TMS or ETS is not 

accessible; you are performing 

invitational travel; or you have special 

needs or require disability 

accommodations under part 301–13 of 

this chapter). 

(b) Such use would compromise a 

national security interest. 

(c) Such use might endanger your life 

(e.g., you are traveling under the Federal 

witness protection program, or you are 

a threatened law enforcement or 

investigative officer traveling under part 

301–31 of this chapter). 

(d) Such use is prevented due to 

extenuating circumstances (see § 301– 

50.6). 

§ 301–50.5 [Amended] 

■ 8. Amend § 301–50.5 by: 

■ a. Removing from the section heading 

the words ‘‘TMS or the E-Gov Travel 

Service’’ and adding in their place 

‘‘TMS or ETS’’; 

■ b. Removing the citations ‘‘§ 301–50.4 

or § 301–73.104’’ and adding ‘‘§§ 301– 

50.4, 301–73.102, or 301–73.104’’ in 

their place; and 

■ c. Removing the words ‘‘E-Gov Travel 

Service’’ and adding in their place 

‘‘ETS’’. 

§ 301–50.6 [Removed] 

■ 9. Remove section § 301–50.6. 

§ 301–50.7 [Redesignated as § 301–50.6 

and Amended] 

■ 10. Amend § 301–50.7 by 

redesignating § 301–50.7 as § 301–50.6 

and revising newly redesignated § 301– 

50.6 to read as follows: 

§ 301–50.6 Am I required to use the OBT 

offered by ETS? 

Yes, you are required to use the OBT 

offered by ETS, or your agency’s TMS (if 

an exception to ETS use is granted), 

unless extenuating circumstances 

prevent such use. Some extenuating 

circumstances for which you may not be 

able to use an OBT are: 

(a) When you are attending a 

conference where the conference 

sponsor has negotiated with one or more 

lodging facilities to set aside a specific 

number of rooms for conference 

attendees and to ensure that a set aside 

room is available to you, you are 

required to book lodging directly with 

the lodging facility; 

(b) When your travel is to a remote 

location and it is not possible to book 

lodging accommodations through the 

TMS or ETS; or 

(c) When such travel arrangements are 

so complex and circumstances will not 

allow you to book your travel through 

an OBT. 

PART 301–52—CLAIMING 

REIMBURSEMENT 

■ 11. The authority citation for 41 CFR 

part 301–52 continues to read as 

follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5707; 40 U.S.C. 121(c); 

Sec. 2., Pub. L. 105–264, 112 Stat. 2350 (5 

U.S.C. 5701 note). 

■ 12. Revise § 301–52.3 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–52.3 Am I required to file a travel 

claim (voucher) in a specific format, and 

must the claim be signed? 

You must use the format prescribed 

by ETS to file all your travel claims 

unless your agency has been granted, or 

has granted you, an exception from 

required use of the ETS in accordance 

with §§ 301–50.4, 301–73.102, or 301– 

73.104 of this chapter. If the prescribed 

travel claim is hardcopy, the claim must 

be signed in ink. Any alterations or 

erasures to your hardcopy travel claim 

must be initialed. If your agency has 

electronic document processing, use 

your electronic signature where 

required. 

PART 301–70—INTERNAL POLICY 

AND PROCEDURE REQUIREMENTS 

■ 13. The authority citation for 41 CFR 

part 301–70 continues to read as 

follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5707; 40 U.S.C. 121(c); 

Sec. 2, Pub. L. 105–264, 112 Stat. 2350 (5 

U.S.C. 5701, note); OMB Circular No. A–126, 

revised May 22, 1992; OMB Circular A–123, 

Appendix B, revised August 27, 2019. 

■ 14. Amend § 301–70.1 by revising 

paragraph (d) to read as follows: 

§ 301–70.1 How must we administer the 

authorization and payment of travel 

expenses? 

* * * * * 

(d) Must require employees to use the 

ETS to process travel authorizations and 

claims for travel expenses, unless an 

exception has been granted under 

§§ 301–50.4, 301–73.102, or 301–73.104 

of this chapter. 

PART 301–71—AGENCY TRAVEL 

ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS 

■ 15. The authority citation for 41 CFR 

part 301–71 continues to read as 

follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5707; 40 U.S.C. 121(c); 

Sec. 2, Pub. L. 105–264, 112 Stat. 2350 (5 

U.S.C. 5701 note). 

■ 16. Amend § 301–71.201 by revising 

the second sentence of the introductory 

text and paragraph (e) to read as follows: 

§ 301–71.201 What are the reviewing 

official’s responsibilities? 

* * * The reviewing official must 

ensure: 

* * * * * 

(e) The required receipts, statements, 

justifications, etc., are attached to the 

travel claim and the electronic travel 

claim includes scanned electronic 

images of such documents. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 248 / Thursday, December 28, 2023 / Proposed Rules 89653 

PART 301–73—TRAVEL PROGRAMS 

■ 17. The authority citation for 41 CFR 

part 301–73 continues to read as 

follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5707; 40 U.S.C. 121(c). 

■ 18. Amend § 301–73.1 by revising 

paragraph (e) to read as follows: 

§ 301–73.1 What does the Federal travel 

management program include? 

* * * * * 

(e) A Travel Management Reporting 

System that covers financial and other 

travel characteristics required by the 

Agency Payments for Employee Travel, 

Transportation, and Relocation annual 

report (see §§ 300–70.1 through 300– 

70.4 of this title). 

* * * * * 

■ 19. Revise § 301–73.2 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–73.2 What are our responsibilities as 

participants in the Federal travel 

management program? 

As a participant in the Federal travel 

management program, you must— 

(a) Designate an authorized 

representative to administer the 

program; 

(b) Ensure that you have internal 

policies and procedures in place to 

govern use of the program; 

(c) Require employees in your agency 

to use ETS in lieu of TMS (unless an 

exception has been granted in 

accordance with §§ 301–50.4 of this 

chapter, 301–73.102, or 301–73.104); 

and 

(d) Ensure that any agency-contracted 

TMS complements and supports ETS 

and data exchange in an efficient and 

cost effective manner. 

Note 1 to § 301–73.2: Your agency is 

responsible for providing the funds and 

personnel resources required to support ETS 

transition and data exchange, and for 

establishing interfaces between the ETS 

standard data output and applicable business 

systems (e.g., financial, human resources, 

etc.). 

■ 20. Revise the heading of subpart B of 

part 301–73 to read as follows: 

Subpart B—E-Gov Travel Service and 

Travel Management Service 

■ 21. Revise § 301–73.100 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–73.100 Are agencies and their 

employees required to use the ETS? 

Yes, unless you have an exception to 

the use of the ETS (see §§ 301–50.4 of 

this chapter, 301–73.102, and 301– 

73.104), agencies and employees must 

use the ETS for all temporary duty 

travel. The Department of Defense, the 

legislative branch, and the Government 

of the District of Columbia are not 

subject to this requirement. 

§ 301–73.101 [Removed and Reserved] 

■ 22. Remove and Reserve § 301–73.101. 

■ 23. Revise § 301–73.102 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–73.102 May we grant a traveler an 

exception from required use of TMS or 

ETS? 

(a) Yes, your agency head or their 

designee may grant an individual case 

by case exception to required use of 

your agency’s TMS or to required use of 

ETS, but only when travel meets one of 

the following conditions: 

(1) Such use would result in an 

unreasonable burden on mission 

accomplishment (e.g., emergency travel 

is involved and TMS or ETS is not 

accessible; the traveler is performing 

invitational travel; or the traveler has 

special needs or requires disability 

accommodations in accordance with 

part 301–13 of this chapter). 

(2) Such use would compromise a 

national security interest. 

(3) Such use might endanger the 

traveler’s life (e.g., the individual is 

traveling under the Federal witness 

protection program, or is a threatened 

law enforcement or investigative officer 

traveling under part 301–31 of this 

chapter). 

(4) Such use is prevented due to 

extenuating circumstances (see § 301– 

50.6 of this chapter). 

(b) Any exception granted must be 

consistent with any contractual terms 

applicable to your TMS or ETS, and 

must not cause a breach of contract 

terms. 

■ 24. Revise § 301–73.103 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–73.103 What must we do when we 

approve an exception to the use of the 

ETS? 

The head of your agency or their 

designee must approve an exception to 

the use of the ETS under § 301–50.4 of 

this chapter or § 301–73.102 in writing 

or through electronic means. 

■ 25. Amend § 301–73.104 by: 

■ a. Removing from the section heading 

the words ‘‘E-Gov Travel Service’’ and 

adding in their place ‘‘ETS’’; and 

■ b. Revising paragraphs (a) 

introductory text, (a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(4), (b), 

and (c). 

The revisions read as follows: 

§ 301–73.104 May further exceptions to the 

required use of the ETS be approved? 

(a) The Administrator of General 

Services or their designee may grant an 

agency-wide exception (or exempt a 

component thereof) from the required 

use of ETS when requested by the head 

of a Department (cabinet-level agency) 

or head of an Independent agency 

when— 

(1) The agency has presented a 

business case analysis to the General 

Services Administration that proves that 

it has an alternative TMS to the ETS that 

is in the best interest of the Government 

and the taxpayer (i.e., the agency has 

evaluated the economic and service 

values offered by the ETS contractor(s) 

compared to those offered by the 

agency’s current or proposed TMS and 

has determined that the agency’s current 

or proposed TMS is a better value); 

(2) The agency has security, secrecy, 

or protection of information issues that 

cannot be mitigated through security 

provided by the ETS contractor(s); 

* * * * * 

(4) The agency has critical and unique 

technology or business requirements 

that cannot be accommodated by the 

ETS contractor(s) at all or at an 

acceptable and reasonable price (e.g., 

majority of travel is group-travel). 

(b) As a condition of receiving an 

exception, the agency must agree to 

conduct annual business case reviews of 

its TMS and must provide to the ETS 

Program Management Office (PMO) data 

elements required by the ETS PMO in 

a format prescribed by the ETS PMO. 

(c) Requests for exceptions should be 

addressed to the Administrator of 

General Services and sent to 

travelpolicy@gsa.gov with full 

justification and/or analysis addressing 

paragraphs (a)(1) through (4) of this 

section. 

■ 26. Revise § 301–73.105 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–73.105 What are the consequences 

of an employee not using the ETS or TMS? 

If an employee does not use the ETS 

(or your agency’s designated TMS where 

an exception to ETS applies), the 

employee is responsible for any 

additional costs (see § 301–50.5 of this 

chapter) resulting from the failure to use 

the ETS or your TMS. In addition, you 

may take appropriate disciplinary 

actions. 

■ 27. Amend § 301–73.106 by revising 

the Note to § 301–73.106 to read as 

follows: 

§ 301–73.106 What are the basic services 

that should be covered by a TMS? 

* * * * * 

Note 1 to § 301–73.106: The ETS fulfills the 

basic services of a TMS. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28551 Filed 12–27–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS