I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3637
To amend chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, and title 31, United
States Code, to provide employees who transfer in the interest of the
Government more effective and efficient delivery of relocation allowances
by reducing administrative costs and improving services, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 13, 1996
Mr. HORN (for himself and Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform and
Oversight
A BILL
To amend chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, and
title 31, United States Code, to provide employees who
transfer in the interest of the Government more effective
and efficient delivery of relocation allowances by reducing
administrative costs and improving services, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Travel Reform and
Savings Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I—RELOCATION BENEFITS
Sec. 101. Modification of allowance for seeking permanent residence quarters.
Sec. 102. Modification of temporary quarters subsistence expenses allowance.
Sec. 103. Modification of residence transaction expenses allowance.
Sec. 104. Authority to pay for property management services.
Sec. 105. Authority to provide employment assistance services to the spouse of
a transferring employee.
Sec. 106. Authority to transport a privately owned motor vehicle within the
continental United States.
Sec. 107. Authority to pay limited relocation allowances to an employee who is
performing an extended assignment.
Sec. 108. Authority to pay a home marketing incentive.
Sec. 109. Conforming amendments.
TITLE II—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec. 201. Repeal of the long-distance telephone call certification requirement.
Sec. 202. Transfer of authority to issue regulations.
TITLE I—RELOCATION BENEFITS
SEC. 101. MODIFICATION OF ALLOWANCE FOR SEEKING
PERMANENT RESIDENCE QUARTERS.
Section 5724a of title 5, United States Code, is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 5724a. Relocation expenses of employees trans-
ferred or reemployed
‘‘(a) An agency shall pay to or on behalf of an em-
ployee who transfers in the interest of the Government,
a per diem allowance or the actual subsistence expenses,
or a combination thereof, of the immediate family of the
employee for en route travel of the immediate family be-
tween the employee’s old and new official stations.
‘‘(b)(1) An agency may pay to or on behalf of an em-
ployee who transfers in the interest of the Government be-
tween official stations located within the United States—
‘‘(A) the expenses of transportation, and either
a per diem allowance or the actual subsistence ex-
penses, or a combination thereof, of the employee
and the employee’s spouse for travel to seek perma-
nent residence quarters at a new official station; or
‘‘(B) the expenses of transportation, and an
amount for subsistence expenses in lieu of a per
diem allowance or the actual subsistence expenses or
a combination thereof, authorized in subparagraph
(A) of this paragraph.
‘‘(2) Expenses authorized under this subsection may
be allowed only for one round trip in connection with each
change of station of the employee.’’.
SEC. 102. MODIFICATION OF TEMPORARY QUARTERS SUB-
SISTENCE EXPENSES ALLOWANCE.
Section 5724a of title 5, United States Code, is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(c)(1) An agency may pay to or on behalf of an em-
ployee who transfers in the interest of the Government—
‘‘(A) actual subsistence expenses of the em-
ployee and the employee’s immediate family for a pe-
riod of 60 days while occupying temporary quarters
when the new official station is located within the
United States as defined in subsection (d) of this
section; or
‘‘(B) an amount for subsistence expenses in-
stead of the actual subsistence expenses authorized
in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
‘‘(2) The period authorized in paragraph (1) of this
subsection for payment of expenses for residence in tem-
porary quarters may be extended up to an additional 60
days if the head of the agency concerned or his or her
designee determines that there are compelling reasons for
the continued occupancy of temporary quarters.
‘‘(3) The regulations implementing paragraph (1)(A)
shall prescribe daily rates and amounts for subsistence ex-
penses per individual.’’.
SEC. 103. MODIFICATION OF RESIDENCE TRANSACTION EX-
PENSES ALLOWANCE.
(a) EXPENSES OF SALE.—Section 5724a of title 5,
United States Code, is further amended by adding at the
end the following new subsection:
‘‘(d)(1) If an employee of an agency transfers in the
interest of the Government between official stations that
are both located within the United States, the agency shall
pay to or on behalf of the employee—
‘‘(A) expenses of the sale of the residence (or
the settlement of an unexpired lease) of the em-
ployee at the old official station; and
‘‘(B) expenses of purchase of a home at the new
official station that are required to be paid by the
employee.
‘‘(2) If an employee of an agency transfers in the in-
terest of the Government from a post of duty located out-
side the United States to an official station within the
United States (other than the official station within the
United States from which the employee was transferred
when assigned to the foreign tour of duty), the agency
shall pay to or on behalf of the employee—
‘‘(A) expenses required to be paid by the em-
ployee for the sale of the residence (or the settle-
ment of an unexpired lease) of the employee at the
old official station from which the employee was
transferred when he or she was assigned to the post
of duty located outside the United States; and
‘‘(B) expenses required to be paid by the em-
ployee for the purchase of a residence at the new of-
ficial station within the United States.
‘‘(d)(1) An agency shall pay to or on behalf of an
employee who transfers in the interest of the Government,
expenses of the sale of the residence (or the settlement
of an unexpired lease) of the employee at the old official
station and purchase of a home at the new official station
that are required to be paid by the employee, when the
old and new official stations are located within the United
States.
‘‘(2) An agency shall pay to or on behalf of an em-
ployee who transfers in the interest of the Government
from a post of duty located outside the United States to
an official station within the United States (other than
the official station within the United States from which
the employee was transferred when assigned to the foreign
tour of duty)—
‘‘(A) expenses required to be paid by the em-
ployee for the sale of the residence (or the settle-
ment of an unexpired lease) of the employee at the
old official station from which the employee was
transferred when he or she was assigned to the post
of duty located outside the United States; and
‘‘(B) expenses required to be paid by the em-
ployee for the purchase of a residence at the new of-
ficial station within the United States.
‘‘(3) Reimbursement of expenses under paragraph (2)
of this subsection shall not be allowed for any sale (or set-
tlement of an unexpired lease) or purchase transaction
that occurs prior to official notification that the employ-
ee’s return to the United States would be to an official
station other than the official station from which the em-
ployee was transferred when assigned to the post of duty
outside the United States.
‘‘(4) Reimbursement for brokerage fees on the sale
of the residence and other expenses under this subsection
may not exceed those customarily charged in the locality
where the residence is located.
‘‘(5) Reimbursement may not be made under this
subsection for losses incurred by the employee on the sale
of the residence.
‘‘(6) This subsection applies regardless of whether
title to the residence or the unexpired lease is in the name
of the employee alone, in the joint names of the employee
and a member of the employee’s immediate family, or in
the name of a member of the employee’s immediate family
alone.
‘‘(7)(A) In connection with the sale of the residence
at the old official station, reimbursement under this sub-
section shall not exceed 10 percent of the sale price.
‘‘(B) In connection with the purchase of a residence
at the new official station, reimbursement under this sub-
section shall not exceed 5 percent of the purchase price.
‘‘(8) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘Unit-
ed States’ means the several States of the United States,
the District of Columbia, the territories and possessions
of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and
the areas and installations in the Republic of Panama
made available to the United States pursuant to the Pan-
ama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements (as de-
scribed in section 3(a) of the Panama Canal Act of
1979).’’.
(b) RELOCATION SERVICES.—Section 5724c of title
5, United State Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 5724c. Relocation services
‘‘Under regulations prescribed under section 5737,
each agency may enter into contracts to provide relocation
services to agencies and employees for the purpose of car-
rying out this subchapter. An agency may pay a fee for
such services. Such services include, but need not be lim-
ited to, arranging for the purchase of a transferred em-
ployee’s residence.’’.
SEC. 104. AUTHORITY TO PAY FOR PROPERTY MANAGE-
MENT SERVICES.
Section 5724a of title 5, United States Code, is fur-
ther amended—
(1) in subsection (d) (as added by section 103),
by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (9),
and by inserting after paragraph (7) the following
new paragraph:
‘‘(8) An agency may pay to or on behalf of an em-
ployee who transfers in the interest of the Government,
expenses of property management services, instead of ex-
penses under paragraph (2) or (3) of this subsection, for
sale of the employee’s residence.’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(e) An agency may pay to or on behalf of an em-
ployee who transfers in the interest of the Government,
the expenses of property management services when the
employee transfers to a post of duty outside the United
States as defined in subsection (d) of this section. Such
payment shall terminate upon return of the employee to
an official station within the United States as defined in
subsection (d) of this section.’’.
SEC. 105. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT ASSIST-
ANCE SERVICES TO THE SPOUSE OF A TRANS-
FERRING EMPLOYEE.
Section 5724a of title 5, United States Code, as
amended by section 104, is further amended by adding
at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(f) An agency may pay, to or on behalf of an em-
ployee who transfers in the interest of the Government,
the expenses of employment assistance services for the em-
ployee’s spouse.’’.
SEC. 106. AUTHORITY TO TRANSPORT A PRIVATELY OWNED
MOTOR VEHICLE WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL
UNITED STATES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5727 of title 5, United
States Code, is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (c) through (e)
as subsections (d) through (f), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the follow-
ing new subsection:
‘‘(c) Under regulations prescribed under section
5737, the privately owned motor vehicle or vehicles of an
employee, including a new appointee or a student trainee
for whom travel and transportation expenses are author-
ized under section 5723, may be transported at Govern-
ment expense to a new official station of the employee
when the agency determines that it is advantageous and
cost effective to the Government.’’; and
(3) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated), by
striking ‘‘subsection (b) of this section’’ and by in-
serting ‘‘subsection (b) or (c) of this section’’.
(b) AVAILABILITY OF APPROPRIATIONS.—
(1) NEW APPOINTEES.—Section 5722(a) of title
5, United States Code, is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (1);
(B) by striking the period at the end of
paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(3) the expenses of transporting a privately
owned motor vehicle to the extent authorized under
section 5727.’’.
(2) NEW
APPOINTEES
AND
STUDENT
TRAIN-
EES.—Section 5723(a) of title 5, United States
Code, is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (1);
(B) by inserting ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon
at the end of paragraph (2); and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(3) the expenses of transporting a privately
owned motor vehicle to the extent authorized under
section 5727(c);’’.
SEC. 107. AUTHORITY TO PAY LIMITED RELOCATION AL-
LOWANCES TO AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS PER-
FORMING AN EXTENDED ASSIGNMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 57 of
title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following new section:
‘‘§ 5736. Relocation expenses of an employee who is
performing an extended assignment
‘‘(a) Under regulations prescribed under section
5737, an agency may pay to or on behalf of an employee
assigned from his or her official station to a duty station
for an extended period of time, the following expenses in
lieu of payment of expenses authorized under subchapter
I of this chapter:
‘‘(1) Travel expenses to and from the assign-
ment location in accordance with section 5724.
‘‘(2) Transportation expenses of the immediate
family and household goods and personal effects to
and from the assignment location in accordance with
section 5724.
‘‘(3) A per diem allowance for the employee’s
immediate family to and from the assignment loca-
tion in accordance with section 5724a(a).
‘‘(4) Travel and transportation expenses of the
employee and spouse to seek residence quarters at
the assignment location in accordance with section
5724a(b).
‘‘(5) Subsistence expenses of the employee and
the employee’s immediate family while occupying
temporary quarters upon commencement and termi-
nation of the assignment in accordance with section
5724a(c).
‘‘(c) When an employee is paid travel and transpor-
tation expenses under this section, the duty station shall
be considered the employee’s official station.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
for chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, is amended
by inserting after the item relating to section 5735 the
following new item:
‘‘5736. Relocation expenses of an employee who is performing an extended as-
signment.’’.
SEC. 108. AUTHORITY TO PAY A HOME MARKETING INCEN-
TIVE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter IV of chapter 57 of
title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following new section:
‘‘§ 5756. Home marketing incentive payment
‘‘(a) Under such regulations as the Administrator of
General Services may prescribe, an agency may pay to an
employee who transfers in the interest of the Government
an amount, not to exceed a maximum payment amount
established by the Administrator in consultation with the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to en-
courage the employee to aggressively market his or her
residence at the old official station when—
‘‘(1) the residence is entered into a program es-
tablished under a contract in accordance with sec-
tion 5724c of this chapter, to arrange for the pur-
chase of the residence;
‘‘(2) the employee finds a buyer who completes
the purchase of the residence through the program;
and
‘‘(3) the sale of the residence to the individual
results in a reduced cost to the Government.
‘‘(b) For fiscal years 1997 and 1998, the Adminis-
trator shall establish a maximum payment amount of 5
percent of the sales price of the home.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
for chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, is amended
by inserting at the end the following:
‘‘5756. Home marketing incentive payment.’’.
SEC. 109. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Section 5724a of title 5, United States Code, is
further amended by adding at the end the following new
subsections:
‘‘(g) An employee who is reimbursed under sub-
sections (a) through (f) of this section or section 5724(a)
of this title is entitled to an amount for miscellaneous ex-
penses—
‘‘(1) not to exceed 2 weeks’ basic pay, if he or
she has an immediate family; or
‘‘(2) not to exceed 1 week’s basic pay, if he or
she does not have an immediate family.
However, the amounts may not exceed amounts deter-
mined from the maximum rate for GS–13.
‘‘(h) A former employee separated by reason of reduc-
tion in force or transfer of function who within 1 year
after the separation is reemployed by a nontemporary ap-
pointment at a different geographical location from that
where the separation occurred may be allowed and paid
the expenses authorized by sections 5724, 5725, 5726(b),
and 5727 of this title, and may receive the benefits author-
ized by subsections (a) through (g) of this section, in the
same manner as though he or she had been transferred
in the interest of the Government without a break in serv-
ice to the location of reemployment from the location
where separated.
‘‘(i) Payments for subsistence expenses, including
amounts in lieu of per diem or actual subsistence expenses
or a combination thereof, authorized under this section
shall not exceed the maximum payment allowed under reg-
ulations which implement section 5702 of this title.
‘‘(j) Subsections (a), (b), and (c) shall be imple-
mented under regulations issued under section 5737.’’.
(b) Section 3375 of title 5, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘section
5724a(a)(1) of this title’’ and inserting ‘‘section
5724a(a) of this title’’;
(2) in subsection (a)(4), by striking ‘‘section
5724a(a)(3) of this title’’ and inserting ‘‘section
5724a(c) of this title’’; and
(3) in subsection (a)(5), by striking ‘‘section
5724a(b) of this title’’ and inserting ‘‘section
5724a(g) of this title’’.
(c) Section 5724(e) of title 5, United States Code,
is amended by striking ‘‘section 5724a(a), (b) of this title’’
and inserting ‘‘section 5724a(a) through (g) of this title’’.
(d) Section 707 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(6), by striking ‘‘Section
5724a(a)(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘Section 5724a(c)’’; and
(2) in subsection (a)(7), by striking ‘‘Section
5724a(a)(4)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 5724a(d)’’.
(e) Section 501 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 290aa) is amended—
(1) 
in 
subsection 
(g)(2)(A), 
by 
striking
‘‘5724a(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘5724a(a)’’; and
(2) 
in 
subsection 
(g)(2)(A), 
by 
striking
‘‘5724a(a)(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘5724a(c)’’.
(f) Section 925 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 299c–4) is amended—
(1) 
in 
subsection 
(f)(2)(A), 
by 
striking
‘‘5724a(a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘5724a(a)’’; and
(2) 
in 
subsection 
(f)(2)(A), 
by 
striking
‘‘5724a(a)(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘5724a(c)’’.
SEC. 110. GENERAL DEFINITION OF UNITED STATES.
Section 5721 of title 5, United States Code, is
amended by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end
of paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (5) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and by adding at the
end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(6) except for purposes of subsections (c), (d),
and (e) of section 5724a of this title, ‘United States’
means the several States and the District of Colum-
bia.’’.
TITLE II—MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS
SEC. 201. REPEAL OF THE LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE
CALL CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.
Section 1348 of title 31, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) by striking the last sentence of subsection
(a)(2);
(2) by striking subsection (b); and
(3) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as
subsections (b) and (c), respectively.
SEC. 202. AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE USE OF THE TRAVEL
CHARGE CARD.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of General
Services may require that Federal employees use the travel
charge card established pursuant to the United States
Travel and Transportation Payment and Expense Control
System or any Federal contractor-issued travel charge
card issued for all payments of expenses of official Govern-
ment travel. The Administrator may exempt payments
from any requirement established under the preceding
sentence in any case in which—
(1) it is in the best interest of the United
States to do so; or
(2) payment through a travel charge card is im-
practical or imposes unreasonable burdens or costs
on Federal employees or their agencies.
(b) LIMITATION
ON
RESTRICTION
ON
DISCLO-
SURE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1113 of the Right to
Financial Privacy Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3413) is
amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection: