Federal Travel Regulation (FTR); Relocation Allowances-Miscellaneous Expenses Allowance, 3706-3710 [2025-00497]
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Rules and Regulations
(4) Provide the names, titles, and
contact information of the Project
Officer and an administrative point of
contact.
(d) The Project Officer may amend a
charter in writing with the Director’s
approval of the amended charter.
(e) The Office of Environmental
Quality must provide the Office of
Administration in the Executive Office
of the President with a copy of each
charter and amendment that the
Director approves.
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§ 1518.5
Finances and accounting.
(a) The Project Officer for each
environmental project or study contract
receiving support from the Management
Fund must prepare a budget estimate as
part of the charter and update the
budget estimate annually following the
charter’s approval. The Office of
Environmental Quality must provide
copies of these budget estimates to the
Office of Administration.
(b) The Council on Environmental
Quality may make a payment into the
Management Fund by a letter of
transmittal that specifies the particular
environmental project or study contract
it is funding. The Office of
Environmental Quality will provide a
copy of each such transmittal letter to
the Office of Administration.
(c) Agencies other than the Council on
Environmental Quality may make
advance payments to the Management
Fund using the following procedure:
(1) The Director must provide the
agency with a letter that specifies the
particular environmental project or
study contract to which the Director
will apply the payment.
(2) The Director and the agency must
enter an interagency agreement for the
payment. The interagency agreement
should indicate any statutory authority
appropriate to the transaction, including
42 U.S.C. 4375(a).
(d) The Management Fund is a noyear appropriations account, which can
accept funds with any period of
availability or funds that remain
available until expended (i.e., ‘‘oneyear,’’ ‘‘multiple-year,’’ or ‘‘no-year’’
funds). Appropriated funds that an
agency pays into the Management Fund
expire under the terms of the
appropriation under which they
originated. The Office of Environmental
Quality must account separately for
each payment of funds into the
Management Fund and track when each
such payment will expire.
(e) In addition to or in lieu of an
advance payment into the Management
Fund, any agency, including the
Council on Environmental Quality, may
support an environmental project or
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study contract by providing technical
expertise, physical resources, facilities,
equipment, or other assets; performing
support or administrative services; or
assigning detailees or agency
representatives.
(f) The Office of Environmental
Quality must maintain a separate
subaccount within the Management
Fund for each environmental project or
study contract.
(g) The Director or the Project Officer
must approve all of the expenditures for
a particular environmental project or
study contract. The Management Fund
may only accept payments in advance of
expenditure; accordingly, the Director
or the Project Officer may only approve
expenditures for which the Management
Fund has received adequate payments
in advance.
(h) The Director may approve the
reallocation of funds from the
Management Fund to another Federal
account (or from one Management Fund
subaccount to another) provided that:
(1) The agency that originally made
the payment of the funds in question to
the Management Fund approves the
reallocation in writing;
(2) The reallocation would promote
the statutory mission of the Office of
Environmental Quality; and
(3) The Director determines the
reallocation is in the best interest of the
Federal Government.
(i) The Office of Environmental
Quality must classify each financial
transaction involving a Management
Fund subaccount in sufficient detail to
meet the Office of Environmental
Quality’s management planning, fiscal
control, and financial audit
requirements.
[FR Doc. 2025–00473 Filed 1–14–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3325–FA–P
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
41 CFR Part 302–16
[FTR Case 2022–04 Docket No. GSA–FTR–
2023–0017, Sequence No. 2]
RIN 3090–AK65
Federal Travel Regulation (FTR);
Relocation Allowances—
Miscellaneous Expenses Allowance
Office of Government-wide
Policy (OGP), General Services
Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The United States (U.S.)
General Services Administration (GSA)
is issuing a final rule amending the
SUMMARY:
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Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) to
remove the relocation miscellaneous
expenses allowance (MEA) lump sum
amounts from the FTR. These lump sum
amounts will be published in FTR
Bulletins on an intermittent basis, much
like what is done for per diem and
mileage rates. The relocation MEA
actual expense (as opposed to lump
sum) amounts are unchanged and will
remain in the FTR. This final rule also
updates the types of expenses that may
or may not be reimbursed by relocation
MEA when employees itemize under
actual expense. Additionally, this final
rule updates and clarifies other
relocation MEA regulatory sections and
rearranges them into a more sequential
order.
DATES: Effective January 15, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
clarification of content, contact Mr.
Rodney (Rick) Miller, Program Analyst,
Office of Government-wide Policy
(OGP), at 202–501–3822 or
travelpolicy@gsa.gov. 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 2022–04.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
GSA published a proposed rule at 89
FR 4268 on January 23, 2024, which
proposed FTR changes to relocation
MEA. This rule finalizes those proposed
changes as summarized above, and as
set forth in greater detail below.
Pursuant to 5 United States Code
(U.S.C.) 5738, the Administrator of
General Services is authorized to
prescribe regulations necessary to
implement laws regarding Federal
employees when assigned a temporary
change of station (TCS) or when
otherwise transferred in the interest of
the Government. The overall
implementing authority is the FTR,
codified in title 41 of the Code of
Federal Regulations, chapters 300
through 304.
GSA’s OGP continually reviews and
adjusts policies and regulations under
its purview to address Government
relocation needs and to incorporate best
practices, where appropriate, as a part of
its ongoing mission to provide policies
for travel by Federal civilian employees
and others authorized to travel at
Government expense.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5724a(f) and
5737(a)(6), an employee transferred in
the interest of the Government from one
official station to another, assigned to a
TCS location, or who has completed a
TCS assignment and returned to their
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Rules and Regulations
previous official station is authorized a
relocation MEA.
The purpose of the relocation MEA is
to defray some of the costs incurred due
to relocating. The allowance is related to
expenses that are common to living
quarters, such as fees for disconnecting
and connecting appliances; cutting and
fitting rugs, draperies, and curtains
moved from one residence to another;
utility fees or deposits that are not offset
by eventual refunds; forfeiture of
medical, dental, and other nontransferrable contracts; and the cost of
changing automobile registration(s) and
driver’s licenses.
The FTR provides that a relocation
MEA may be paid using one of two
methods: lump sum or actual expense.
Under the lump sum method, the
agency pays a lump sum amount
without requiring employee
documentation of expenses. Under the
current regulatory language, the lump
sum amounts are ‘‘either $650 or the
equivalent of one week’s basic gross
pay, whichever is the lesser amount’’ for
an employee without immediate family
members relocating with them, and
‘‘$1300 or the equivalent of two weeks’
basic gross pay, whichever is the lesser
amount’’ for an employee with
immediate family members relocating
with them.
Under the actual expense method, the
agency may authorize the employee to
claim actual costs depending on the
type of expenses incurred, in an amount
in excess of the prescribed lump sum
amount. The employee justifies any
actual expenses by itemizing with
supporting documentation.
Reimbursement is limited to one or two
weeks’ basic gross pay depending on
whether or not the employee has
immediate family relocating with them,
not to exceed the maximum rate payable
for a position at GS–13, Step 10, of the
General Schedule (base) (see 5 U.S.C.
5332).
This final rule amends the FTR by
removing the relocation MEA lump sum
amounts from the FTR and directing
readers to an FTR bulletin with the
relocation MEA lump sum amounts.
GSA will publish the initial FTR
bulletin with the relocation MEA lump
sum amounts concurrent with the final
rule’s effective date. Agencies are
advised that the relocation MEA lump
sum amounts are expected to increase
since they were last updated in 2011.
Moving forward, GSA will publish FTR
bulletins to update the relocation MEA
lump sum amounts, as needed, based on
changes to the Consumer Price Index
(CPI). The final rule also clarifies in the
regulatory text that ‘‘basic gross pay’’, as
referenced in FTR part 302–16, does not
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include ‘‘locality pay.’’ See 5 U.S.C.
5302 and 5304.
This final rule also updates and
clarifies the relocation MEA sections in
the FTR and rearranges them into a
more sequential order, to include
replacing the table at FTR § 302–16.2
with an updated list of examples for
which the relocation MEA may be
authorized, and updating the list of
examples for which the relocation MEA
may not be authorized. It also removes
the relocation MEA employee eligibility
table at FTR § 302–16.3 and reformats it
as an employee eligibility listing.
II. Discussion of the Final Rule
A. Summary of Significant Changes
GSA has not made any significant
changes to the regulatory language from
the proposed to final rule.
B. Analysis of Public Comments
GSA received one comment to the
proposed rule suggesting that the
relocation MEA lump sum match the
amounts listed in the Department of
State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)
and urged that the relocation MEA lump
sum amounts remain in the FTR instead
of being published in a bulletin due to
intra-agency distribution concerns. In
response, GSA notes that it will
determine the lump sum amounts based
on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
While GSA expects its relocation MEA
lump sum amounts to be similar to the
DSSR’s, the CPI fluctuates. Accordingly,
the amounts to be determined by GSA
in the present day may not exactly
match the DSSR amounts since those
were last updated in 2019. In response
to the commenter’s distribution
concerns, publication of the relocation
MEA lump sum in an FTR Bulletin
affords GSA the flexibility to update the
relocation MEA lump sum as needed to
more fairly compensate travelers in line
with the CPI. If GSA were to continue
publishing the amounts in the FTR,
such numbers can only be updated via
a regulatory amendment, by which time,
it may not accurately reflect the current
CPI. Also, a bulletin takes less time and
administrative effort to publish than a
rule. Finally, note 1 to § 302–16.6
includes a direct link to GSA’s FTR
Bulletins for ease of distribution, in
addition to the fact that notices of FTR
Bulletins are published in the Federal
Register and include a link to the
Bulletin. GSA’s OGP also emails all
Federal agencies’ travel and relocation
operations and policy program
managers to inform them of all FTR
rules and bulletins when they are
published, and recommends that such
information be shared with relevant
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offices within their agency. GSA’s OGP
also briefs FTR changes to agency
Senior Travel Official Council (STOC)
members at regular intervals. Therefore,
GSA will not change the final rule based
on this comment.
C. Expected Cost Impact to the Public
This rule does not result in cost
impacts to the public. However, the
changes may result in a slight increase
in cost to the Federal Government as the
relocation MEA lump sum amounts are
expected to increase. Specifically, GSA
will publish an FTR bulletin containing
the relocation MEA lump sum amounts
for an employee relocating without
immediate family members and for an
employee relocating with immediate
family members. As detailed in the
proposed rule, GSA expects the average
relocation MEA lump sum amount
across Federal agencies to increase to
$1,125, for an estimated total increase of
$312,973 per year agencywide (for those
agencies subject to the FTR).1
III. Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and
14904
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)
amends section 3(f) of E.O. 12866 and
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
1 GSA used data from the GSA’s Business Travel
and Relocation Dashboard for each agency to
determine what was the average cost per MEA from
FY18–FY22, and what the additional cost would be
given the MEA increase of $650 to $750 for single
employees and $1,300 to $1,500 for employees with
families. GSA calculated the difference between the
average MEA cost against $1,125 IF the average
MEA cost was less than $1,125. This is because if
the MEA cost is greater than the new MEA amount,
then the employee would be more likely to do
actual expense and there wouldn’t be an additional
cost to the MEA increase because the employee
would be more likely to do actual expense rather
than the old MEA amount as well. As a result, only
4 agencies had an average MEA cost lower than the
average of the new MEAs. GSA multiplied the
difference for those 4 agencies against the number
of MEAs for those 4 agencies and summed it up to
$312K.
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Rules and Regulations
and Budget’s Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) determined
that the proposed rule was a significant
regulatory action; however, after further
discussion between GSA and OIRA,
OIRA has determined that this final rule
is not a significant regulatory action,
and therefore, it is not subject to review
under section 6(b) of E.O. 12866.
IV. Congressional Review Act
OIRA has determined that this rule is
not a ‘‘major rule’’ under 5 U.S.C.
804(2). Title II, Subtitle E of the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act of 1996 (codified at 5
U.S.C. 801–808), also known as the
Congressional Review Act or CRA,
generally provides that before a rule
may take effect, unless excepted, the
agency promulgating the rule must
submit a rule report, which includes a
copy of the rule, to each House of the
Congress and to the Comptroller General
of the United States. This rule is
excepted from CRA reporting
requirements prescribed under 5 U.S.C.
801 as it relates to agency management
or personnel under 5 U.S.C. 804(3)(B).
V. Regulatory Flexibility Act
This final rule will not 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
final rule is also exempt from the
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 was not performed.
VI. 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
(OMB) under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.
List of Subjects in 41 CFR Part 302–16
Government employees, Relocation,
Travel and transportation expenses.
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Robin Carnahan,
Administrator of General Services.
For reasons set forth in the preamble,
GSA revises 41 CFR part 302–16 to read
as follows:
PART 302–16—ALLOWANCE FOR
MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES
Sec.
302–16.0
In general.
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Subpart A—General Rules
302–16.1 What is the purpose of the
miscellaneous expenses allowance
(MEA)?
302–16.2 Who is and who is not eligible for
a MEA?
302–16.3 Must my agency authorize
payment of a MEA?
302–16.4 How will I receive the MEA?
302–16.5 May I receive an advance of funds
for MEA?
302–16.6 What amount may my agency
reimburse me for miscellaneous
expenses?
302–16.7 May I claim an amount in excess
of that prescribed in this part?
302–16.8 What are examples of types of
costs covered by the MEA?
302–16.9 What are examples of types of
costs not covered by the MEA?
302–16.10 What standard of care must I use
in incurring miscellaneous expenses?
Subpart B—Agency Responsibilities
302–16.100 What governing policies must
we establish for MEA?
302–16.101 How should we administer the
authorization and payment of
miscellaneous expenses?
302–16.102 Are there any restrictions to the
types of costs we may cover?
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5738; 20 U.S.C. 905(a);
E.O. 11609, as amended, 3 CFR, 1971–1975
Comp., p. 586.
§ 302–16.0
In general.
(a) Use of pronouns ‘‘I’’, ‘‘you’’, and
their variants throughout subpart A of
this part refers to the employee, unless
otherwise noted.
(b) Use of pronouns ‘‘we’’, ‘‘you’’, and
their variants throughout subpart B of
this part refers to the agency.
Subpart A—General Rules
§ 302–16.1 What is the purpose of the
miscellaneous expenses allowance (MEA)?
The miscellaneous expenses
allowance (MEA) is intended to help
defray various costs incurred due to
relocation, assignment to a temporary
official station (TCS), and return to the
previous official station upon
completion of a TCS assignment.
§ 302–16.2 Who is and who is not eligible
for a MEA?
(a) You are eligible for a MEA if:
(1) Your agency authorized or
approved a transfer or a TCS;
(2) You discontinued and established
a residence in connection with your
transfer or TCS;
(3) You meet the applicable eligibility
conditions in part 302–1 of this chapter;
and
(4) You signed a required service
agreement in part 302–2 of this chapter,
if transferred.
(b) You are not eligible for a MEA if
you are:
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(1) A new appointee;
(2) A Senior Executive Service (SES)
employee authorized ‘‘last move home’’
benefits upon separation from
Government service;
(3) Assigned under the Government
Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C. 4109);
(4) Returning from an Outside the
Continental United States (OCONUS)
official station to place of actual
residence for separation from
Government service; or
(5) Returning from an OCONUS
official station to a new CONUS official
station if relocation expenses have not
been authorized to the new CONUS
official station.
§ 302–16.3 Must my agency authorize
payment of a MEA?
Yes, if you meet the applicable
eligibility conditions in § 302–16.2, your
agency must authorize payment of a
MEA.
§ 302–16.4
How will I receive the MEA?
You will be reimbursed your MEA in
accordance with your agency’s internal
relocation policy.
§ 302–16.5 May I receive an advance of
funds for MEA?
No, your agency may not authorize an
advance of funds for MEA. MEA may be
paid after you have transferred to the
new official station, upon assignment to
your TCS, or upon completion of your
TCS and return to your previous official
station, as applicable.
§ 302–16.6 What amount may my agency
reimburse me for miscellaneous expenses?
The following amounts will be paid
for miscellaneous expenses without
support or documentation of expenses:
(a) Either a lump sum amount set in
a Federal Travel Regulation (FTR)
bulletin or the equivalent of one week’s
basic gross pay, whichever is the lesser
amount, if you have no immediate
family relocating with you; or
(b) Either a lump sum amount set in
an FTR bulletin or the equivalent of two
weeks’ basic gross pay, whichever is the
lesser amount, if you have immediate
family relocating with you.
Note 1 to § 302–16.6: GSA publishes the
lump sum amounts in an FTR bulletin on an
intermittent basis at https://gsa.gov/
ftrbulletins.
§ 302–16.7 May I claim an amount in
excess of that prescribed in this part?
Yes, you may claim an amount in
excess of that prescribed in § 302–16.6
if authorized by your agency; and
(a) Supported by acceptable
statements of fact, paid bills or other
acceptable evidence (documentation)
justifying the amounts claimed; and
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(b) The aggregate amount does not
exceed your basic gross pay (at the time
you reported for duty, at your new
official station) for:
(1) One week if you are relocating
without immediate family; or
(2) Two weeks if you are relocating
with immediate family.
(c) The amount authorized cannot
exceed the maximum rate of grade GS–
13, Step 10 General Schedule (base)
salary (excluding locality pay) (see 5
U.S.C. 5332) at the time you reported for
duty at your new official station.
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§ 302–16.8 What are examples of types of
costs covered by the MEA?
Miscellaneous expenses are costs
associated with relocating that are not
covered by other relocation benefits
detailed in this chapter. Expenses
allowable include but are not limited to
the following, and similar, items:
(a) Fees for disconnecting and
connecting utilities (such as gas, water,
electricity), appliances, equipment
(such as a security system or electric
vehicle charging station), or conversion
of appliances for operation on available
utilities;
(b) Fees for cutting and fitting rugs,
draperies, and curtains when they are
moved from one residence to another;
(c) Deposits or fees for utilities not
offset by eventual refunds;
(d) Losses that cannot be recovered by
transfer or refund and are incurred due
to early termination of a contract (e.g.,
medical, dental, private institutional
care for immediate family members with
disabilities, nonrefundable education
enrollment fee, real estate expenses
connected with the cancellation of a
contract when a new transfer prevented
the employee from completing a
purchase of a residence);
(e) Automobile registration, driver’s
license, and use taxes imposed when
initially bringing privately-owned
vehicles (POVs) into certain
jurisdictions;
(f) Reinstalling or removing
automobile parts upon vehicle reentry
into the United States or entry into a
foreign country, when removal or
installation of those automobile parts
was required by host country law;
(g) Post office box rental fee when
rented to provide a constant mailing
address between the time an employee
departs the old residence and occupies
a residence at the new official station;
(h) Rental agent fees customarily
charged for securing housing in foreign
countries;
(i) Reassembly, set up, and tuning of
a piano moved for relocation;
(j) Pet care (for cats and dogs only),
child care, or adult care for dependent
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parents or other adult dependents
incapable of self-care at home while the
employee or spouse are away on a
househunting trip, or are packing or
unpacking;
(k) Rental car fees while awaiting a
delayed POV shipment to or from
OCONUS if the transportation service
provider (TSP) has not arranged for the
employee’s use of a rental car at TSP
expense. Reimbursement may be
authorized starting after the shipping
company designated delivery date, shall
not exceed 10 days, and does not
include the days after the POV is
delivered or a new POV is purchased at
location. The rental car for the employee
and immediate family members must be
the same or comparable size or model as
the POV the employee shipped;
(l) Transportation and quarantine of
pets (cats and dogs only). Costs
normally associated with the
transportation, quarantine fees, and
handling of dogs and cats. This includes
pet-related costs due to air carrier rules
or imposed by the law of the
jurisdiction of the employee’s new
residence as an integral part of the
process of admissions and licensing;
(m) Professional relicensing fees
required by the new official station that
are directly related to the employee’s
occupation, such as fees required to take
the bar exam or teaching certification;
and professional relicensing fees or
business costs (including exam,
continuing education courses, business
license, permit, and registration fees)
that are directly related to the
immediate family member’s occupation,
when the immediate family member
was licensed or certified in a profession,
or owned a business, at the employee’s
previous official station and is required
to secure or maintain a new professional
license or certification, or business
license or permit, to engage in that
profession in a new jurisdiction because
of unique licensing or certification
requirements and authorities; or
(n) Specialized shipment of hazardous
materials, such as lithium batteries,
when Federal, state, local, and foreign
country laws or carrier regulations
prohibit commercial shipment of certain
articles not included as part of
household goods, which cannot be
otherwise transported to the new official
station because of shipping and
transportation restrictions.
§ 302–16.9 What are examples of types of
costs not covered by the MEA?
Examples of costs that are not
reimbursable from the MEA are:
(a) Losses in selling or buying real and
personal property and costs related to
such transactions;
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(b) Cost of additional insurance on
household goods while in transit to the
new official station or cost of loss or
damage to such property;
(c) Additional costs of moving
household goods caused by exceeding
the maximum weight limitation;
(d) Costs of newly acquired items,
such as the purchase or installation cost
of new rugs or draperies;
(e) Higher income, real estate, sales, or
other taxes as the result of establishing
residence in the new locality;
(f) Fines imposed for traffic
infractions while en route to the new
official station locality;
(g) Accident insurance premiums or
liability costs incurred in connection
with travel to the new official station
locality, or any other liability imposed
upon the employee for uninsured
damages caused by accidents for which
the employee or their immediate family
is held responsible;
(h) Losses as the result of sale or
disposal of items of personal property
(such as lithium batteries, gasoline, and
natural gas) not considered convenient
or practicable to move;
(i) Damage or loss of clothing, luggage,
or other personal effects while traveling
to the new official station locality;
(j) Subsistence, transportation, or
mileage expenses in excess of the
amounts reimbursed as per diem or
other allowances under this subtitle;
(k) Medical expenses due to illness or
injuries while en route to the new
official station or while living in
temporary quarters at Government
expense under the provisions of this
chapter;
(l) Costs incurred in conjunction with
structural alterations (such as
remodeling or modernizing of living
quarters, garages or other buildings to
accommodate privately-owned
automobiles, appliances or equipment
[e.g., a security system or electric
vehicle charging station]); or replacing
or repairing worn-out or defective
appliances, or equipment shipped to the
new location;
(m) Costs incurred in connection with
preparing a residence for sale or
purchase (e.g., maintenance, repairs,
cleaning);
(n) Delivery charges or costs
associated with newly-acquired items
(such as appliances, security systems,
locksmith service, or new vehicle) at the
new official station for reasons of
personal taste or preference and not
required because of the relocation;
(o) Costs unrelated to the quarantine,
transportation, and handling of pets.
Additional costs for lodging for a second
room or boarding fees, micro-chipping,
veterinary expenses (e.g., inoculations,
E:\FR\FM\15JAR1.SGM
15JAR1
3710
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 9 / Wednesday, January 15, 2025 / Rules and Regulations
examinations, medical care and
certification fees), routine care and
grooming of pets, and purchases of
crates and tags for the pets. Expenses for
other animals (horses, fish, birds,
reptiles, rodents, etc.) are not authorized
because of their size, exotic nature,
restrictions on shipping, host country
restrictions, and special handling
difficulties; or
(p) Costs related to obtaining a visa,
passport, immigration green card, birth
certificate or other acceptable evidence
of birth when required for official travel
to foreign locations; charges for
immunization, inoculations, other
disease-preventative medical
prophylaxis, including disease testing,
that are required for official travel if not
obtained through the agency. The
expenses in this paragraph (p) may be
reimbursable as part of the employee’s
relocation en route travel miscellaneous
expenses as specified in 41 CFR 301–
12.1.
§ 302–16.10 What standard of care must I
use in incurring miscellaneous expenses?
You must exercise the same care in
incurring expenses that a prudent
person would exercise if relocating at
personal expense.
Subpart B—Agency Responsibilities
§ 302–16.100 What governing policies
must we establish for MEA?
For MEAs, you must establish policies
and procedures governing:
(a) Who will determine whether
payment for an amount in excess of the
lump sum MEA is appropriate; and
(b) How you will pay a MEA in
accordance with §§ 302–16.2 and 302–
16.3.
§ 302–16.101 How should we administer
the authorization and payment of
miscellaneous expenses?
You should limit payment of
miscellaneous expenses to only those
expenses that are necessary.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with RULES1
§ 302–16.102 Are there any restrictions to
the types of costs we may cover?
Yes, a MEA cannot be used to
reimburse:
(a) Costs or expenses incurred which
exceed maximums provided by statute
or in this subtitle;
(b) Costs or expenses incurred but
which are disallowed elsewhere in this
subtitle;
(c) Costs reimbursed under other
provisions of law or regulations;
(d) Costs or expenses incurred for
reasons of personal taste or preference
and not required because of the move;
(e) Losses covered by insurance;
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:48 Jan 14, 2025
Jkt 265001
(f) Fines or other penalties imposed
upon the employee or members of their
immediate family;
(g) Judgments, court costs, and similar
expenses growing out of civil actions; or
(h) Any other expenses brought about
by circumstances, factors, or actions in
which the move to a new official station
was not the proximate cause.
[FR Doc. 2025–00497 Filed 1–14–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–14–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 1
[DA 25–5; FR ID 272288]
Annual Adjustment of Civil Monetary
Penalties To Reflect Inflation
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The Federal Civil Penalties
Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements
Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act)
requires the Federal Communications
Commission to revise its forfeiture
penalty rules to reflect annual
adjustments for inflation in order to
improve their effectiveness and
maintain their deterrent effect. The
Inflation Adjustment Act provides that
the new penalty levels shall apply to
penalties assessed after the effective
date of the increase, including when the
penalties whose associated violation
predate the increase.
DATES:
Effective date: The rule is effective
January 15, 2025.
Applicability date: The civil monetary
penalties are applicable beginning
January 15, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Hunter Deeley, Acting Chief of Staff,
Enforcement Bureau, at Hunter.Deeley@
fcc.gov or 202–418–2765.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a
summary of the Commission’s Order,
DA 25–5, adopted and released on
January 3, 2025. The complete text of
this document is available for download
at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/
attachments/DA-25-5A1.pdf. To request
this document in accessible formats for
people with disabilities (e.g., Braille,
large print, electronic files, audio
format, etc.) or to request reasonable
accommodations (e.g., accessible format
documents, sign language interpreters,
CART, etc.), send an email to fcc504@
fcc.gov or call the FCC’s Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202)
418–0530 (voice).
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00110
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Synopsis
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015
included, as section 701 thereto, the
Inflation Adjustment Act, which
amended the Federal Civil Penalties
Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (Pub.
L. 101–410), to improve the
effectiveness of civil monetary penalties
and maintain their deterrent effect.
Under the Inflation Adjustment Act,
agencies are required to make annual
inflationary adjustments by January 15
each year, beginning in 2017. The
adjustments are calculated pursuant to
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) guidance. OMB issued guidance
on December 17, 2024, and this Order
follows that guidance. The Commission
therefore updates the civil monetary
penalties for 2024, to reflect an annual
inflation adjustment based on the
percent change between each published
October’s CPI–U; in this case, October
2024 CPI–U (315.664)/October 2023
CPI–U (307.671) = 1.02598. The
Commission multiplies 1.02598 by the
most recent penalty amount and then
rounds the result to the nearest dollar.
For 2025, the adjusted penalty or
penalty range for each applicable
penalty is calculated by multiplying the
most recent penalty amount by the 2025
annual adjustment (1.02598), then
rounding the result to the nearest dollar.
The adjustments in civil monetary
penalties that we adopt in this Order
apply only to such penalties assessed on
and after January 15, 2025.
The Order also re-codifies the text of
a footnote to Table 1 of § 1.80(b)(11) that
was inadvertently removed. The
footnote text specifies that the base
forfeiture amount for
‘‘misrepresentation/lack of candor’’ is
the statutory maximum. Because the
prior removal of this language was
inadvertent, we find good cause to make
this re-codification of the footnote text
effective immediately upon publication
in the Federal Register, pursuant to
section 553(d)(3) of the APA.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This document does not contain new
or modified information collection
requirements subject to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public
Law 104–13. It does not contain any
new or modified information collection
burden for small business concerns with
fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to
the Small Business Paperwork Relief
Act of 2002, Public Law 107–198, see 44
U.S.C. 3506(c)(4).
Congressional Review Act
The Commission has determined, and
the Administrator of the Office of
E:\FR\FM\15JAR1.SGM
15JAR1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3706-3710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00497]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
41 CFR Part 302-16
[FTR Case 2022-04 Docket No. GSA-FTR-2023-0017, Sequence No. 2]
RIN 3090-AK65
Federal Travel Regulation (FTR); Relocation Allowances--
Miscellaneous Expenses Allowance
AGENCY: Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP), General Services
Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States (U.S.) General Services Administration (GSA)
is issuing a final rule amending the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) to
remove the relocation miscellaneous expenses allowance (MEA) lump sum
amounts from the FTR. These lump sum amounts will be published in FTR
Bulletins on an intermittent basis, much like what is done for per diem
and mileage rates. The relocation MEA actual expense (as opposed to
lump sum) amounts are unchanged and will remain in the FTR. This final
rule also updates the types of expenses that may or may not be
reimbursed by relocation MEA when employees itemize under actual
expense. Additionally, this final rule updates and clarifies other
relocation MEA regulatory sections and rearranges them into a more
sequential order.
DATES: Effective January 15, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For clarification of content, contact
Mr. Rodney (Rick) Miller, Program Analyst, Office of Government-wide
Policy (OGP), at 202-501-3822 or [email protected]. For information
pertaining to status or publication schedules, contact the Regulatory
Secretariat Division at 202-501-4755 or [email protected]. Please cite
FTR Case 2022-04.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
GSA published a proposed rule at 89 FR 4268 on January 23, 2024,
which proposed FTR changes to relocation MEA. This rule finalizes those
proposed changes as summarized above, and as set forth in greater
detail below.
Pursuant to 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 5738, the Administrator
of General Services is authorized to prescribe regulations necessary to
implement laws regarding Federal employees when assigned a temporary
change of station (TCS) or when otherwise transferred in the interest
of the Government. The overall implementing authority is the FTR,
codified in title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations, chapters 300
through 304.
GSA's OGP continually reviews and adjusts policies and regulations
under its purview to address Government relocation needs and to
incorporate best practices, where appropriate, as a part of its ongoing
mission to provide policies for travel by Federal civilian employees
and others authorized to travel at Government expense.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5724a(f) and 5737(a)(6), an employee
transferred in the interest of the Government from one official station
to another, assigned to a TCS location, or who has completed a TCS
assignment and returned to their
[[Page 3707]]
previous official station is authorized a relocation MEA.
The purpose of the relocation MEA is to defray some of the costs
incurred due to relocating. The allowance is related to expenses that
are common to living quarters, such as fees for disconnecting and
connecting appliances; cutting and fitting rugs, draperies, and
curtains moved from one residence to another; utility fees or deposits
that are not offset by eventual refunds; forfeiture of medical, dental,
and other non-transferrable contracts; and the cost of changing
automobile registration(s) and driver's licenses.
The FTR provides that a relocation MEA may be paid using one of two
methods: lump sum or actual expense. Under the lump sum method, the
agency pays a lump sum amount without requiring employee documentation
of expenses. Under the current regulatory language, the lump sum
amounts are ``either $650 or the equivalent of one week's basic gross
pay, whichever is the lesser amount'' for an employee without immediate
family members relocating with them, and ``$1300 or the equivalent of
two weeks' basic gross pay, whichever is the lesser amount'' for an
employee with immediate family members relocating with them.
Under the actual expense method, the agency may authorize the
employee to claim actual costs depending on the type of expenses
incurred, in an amount in excess of the prescribed lump sum amount. The
employee justifies any actual expenses by itemizing with supporting
documentation. Reimbursement is limited to one or two weeks' basic
gross pay depending on whether or not the employee has immediate family
relocating with them, not to exceed the maximum rate payable for a
position at GS-13, Step 10, of the General Schedule (base) (see 5
U.S.C. 5332).
This final rule amends the FTR by removing the relocation MEA lump
sum amounts from the FTR and directing readers to an FTR bulletin with
the relocation MEA lump sum amounts. GSA will publish the initial FTR
bulletin with the relocation MEA lump sum amounts concurrent with the
final rule's effective date. Agencies are advised that the relocation
MEA lump sum amounts are expected to increase since they were last
updated in 2011. Moving forward, GSA will publish FTR bulletins to
update the relocation MEA lump sum amounts, as needed, based on changes
to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The final rule also clarifies in the
regulatory text that ``basic gross pay'', as referenced in FTR part
302-16, does not include ``locality pay.'' See 5 U.S.C. 5302 and 5304.
This final rule also updates and clarifies the relocation MEA
sections in the FTR and rearranges them into a more sequential order,
to include replacing the table at FTR Sec. 302-16.2 with an updated
list of examples for which the relocation MEA may be authorized, and
updating the list of examples for which the relocation MEA may not be
authorized. It also removes the relocation MEA employee eligibility
table at FTR Sec. 302-16.3 and reformats it as an employee eligibility
listing.
II. Discussion of the Final Rule
A. Summary of Significant Changes
GSA has not made any significant changes to the regulatory language
from the proposed to final rule.
B. Analysis of Public Comments
GSA received one comment to the proposed rule suggesting that the
relocation MEA lump sum match the amounts listed in the Department of
State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) and urged that the relocation MEA
lump sum amounts remain in the FTR instead of being published in a
bulletin due to intra-agency distribution concerns. In response, GSA
notes that it will determine the lump sum amounts based on the Consumer
Price Index (CPI). While GSA expects its relocation MEA lump sum
amounts to be similar to the DSSR's, the CPI fluctuates. Accordingly,
the amounts to be determined by GSA in the present day may not exactly
match the DSSR amounts since those were last updated in 2019. In
response to the commenter's distribution concerns, publication of the
relocation MEA lump sum in an FTR Bulletin affords GSA the flexibility
to update the relocation MEA lump sum as needed to more fairly
compensate travelers in line with the CPI. If GSA were to continue
publishing the amounts in the FTR, such numbers can only be updated via
a regulatory amendment, by which time, it may not accurately reflect
the current CPI. Also, a bulletin takes less time and administrative
effort to publish than a rule. Finally, note 1 to Sec. 302-16.6
includes a direct link to GSA's FTR Bulletins for ease of distribution,
in addition to the fact that notices of FTR Bulletins are published in
the Federal Register and include a link to the Bulletin. GSA's OGP also
emails all Federal agencies' travel and relocation operations and
policy program managers to inform them of all FTR rules and bulletins
when they are published, and recommends that such information be shared
with relevant offices within their agency. GSA's OGP also briefs FTR
changes to agency Senior Travel Official Council (STOC) members at
regular intervals. Therefore, GSA will not change the final rule based
on this comment.
C. Expected Cost Impact to the Public
This rule does not result in cost impacts to the public. However,
the changes may result in a slight increase in cost to the Federal
Government as the relocation MEA lump sum amounts are expected to
increase. Specifically, GSA will publish an FTR bulletin containing the
relocation MEA lump sum amounts for an employee relocating without
immediate family members and for an employee relocating with immediate
family members. As detailed in the proposed rule, GSA expects the
average relocation MEA lump sum amount across Federal agencies to
increase to $1,125, for an estimated total increase of $312,973 per
year agencywide (for those agencies subject to the FTR).\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ GSA used data from the GSA's Business Travel and Relocation
Dashboard for each agency to determine what was the average cost per
MEA from FY18-FY22, and what the additional cost would be given the
MEA increase of $650 to $750 for single employees and $1,300 to
$1,500 for employees with families. GSA calculated the difference
between the average MEA cost against $1,125 IF the average MEA cost
was less than $1,125. This is because if the MEA cost is greater
than the new MEA amount, then the employee would be more likely to
do actual expense and there wouldn't be an additional cost to the
MEA increase because the employee would be more likely to do actual
expense rather than the old MEA amount as well. As a result, only 4
agencies had an average MEA cost lower than the average of the new
MEAs. GSA multiplied the difference for those 4 agencies against the
number of MEAs for those 4 agencies and summed it up to $312K.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 14904
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) amends section
3(f) of E.O. 12866 and 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
[[Page 3708]]
and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)
determined that the proposed rule was a significant regulatory action;
however, after further discussion between GSA and OIRA, OIRA has
determined that this final rule is not a significant regulatory action,
and therefore, it is not subject to review under section 6(b) of E.O.
12866.
IV. Congressional Review Act
OIRA has determined that this rule is not a ``major rule'' under 5
U.S.C. 804(2). Title II, Subtitle E of the Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (codified at 5 U.S.C. 801-808), also
known as the Congressional Review Act or CRA, generally provides that
before a rule may take effect, unless excepted, the agency promulgating
the rule must submit a rule report, which includes a copy of the rule,
to each House of the Congress and to the Comptroller General of the
United States. This rule is excepted from CRA reporting requirements
prescribed under 5 U.S.C. 801 as it relates to agency management or
personnel under 5 U.S.C. 804(3)(B).
V. Regulatory Flexibility Act
This final rule will not 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 final rule is
also exempt from the 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 was not
performed.
VI. 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 (OMB) under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.
List of Subjects in 41 CFR Part 302-16
Government employees, Relocation, Travel and transportation
expenses.
Robin Carnahan,
Administrator of General Services.
For reasons set forth in the preamble, GSA revises 41 CFR part 302-
16 to read as follows:
PART 302-16--ALLOWANCE FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES
Sec.
302-16.0 In general.
Subpart A--General Rules
302-16.1 What is the purpose of the miscellaneous expenses allowance
(MEA)?
302-16.2 Who is and who is not eligible for a MEA?
302-16.3 Must my agency authorize payment of a MEA?
302-16.4 How will I receive the MEA?
302-16.5 May I receive an advance of funds for MEA?
302-16.6 What amount may my agency reimburse me for miscellaneous
expenses?
302-16.7 May I claim an amount in excess of that prescribed in this
part?
302-16.8 What are examples of types of costs covered by the MEA?
302-16.9 What are examples of types of costs not covered by the MEA?
302-16.10 What standard of care must I use in incurring
miscellaneous expenses?
Subpart B--Agency Responsibilities
302-16.100 What governing policies must we establish for MEA?
302-16.101 How should we administer the authorization and payment of
miscellaneous expenses?
302-16.102 Are there any restrictions to the types of costs we may
cover?
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5738; 20 U.S.C. 905(a); E.O. 11609, as
amended, 3 CFR, 1971-1975 Comp., p. 586.
Sec. 302-16.0 In general.
(a) Use of pronouns ``I'', ``you'', and their variants throughout
subpart A of this part refers to the employee, unless otherwise noted.
(b) Use of pronouns ``we'', ``you'', and their variants throughout
subpart B of this part refers to the agency.
Subpart A--General Rules
Sec. 302-16.1 What is the purpose of the miscellaneous expenses
allowance (MEA)?
The miscellaneous expenses allowance (MEA) is intended to help
defray various costs incurred due to relocation, assignment to a
temporary official station (TCS), and return to the previous official
station upon completion of a TCS assignment.
Sec. 302-16.2 Who is and who is not eligible for a MEA?
(a) You are eligible for a MEA if:
(1) Your agency authorized or approved a transfer or a TCS;
(2) You discontinued and established a residence in connection with
your transfer or TCS;
(3) You meet the applicable eligibility conditions in part 302-1 of
this chapter; and
(4) You signed a required service agreement in part 302-2 of this
chapter, if transferred.
(b) You are not eligible for a MEA if you are:
(1) A new appointee;
(2) A Senior Executive Service (SES) employee authorized ``last
move home'' benefits upon separation from Government service;
(3) Assigned under the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C.
4109);
(4) Returning from an Outside the Continental United States
(OCONUS) official station to place of actual residence for separation
from Government service; or
(5) Returning from an OCONUS official station to a new CONUS
official station if relocation expenses have not been authorized to the
new CONUS official station.
Sec. 302-16.3 Must my agency authorize payment of a MEA?
Yes, if you meet the applicable eligibility conditions in Sec.
302-16.2, your agency must authorize payment of a MEA.
Sec. 302-16.4 How will I receive the MEA?
You will be reimbursed your MEA in accordance with your agency's
internal relocation policy.
Sec. 302-16.5 May I receive an advance of funds for MEA?
No, your agency may not authorize an advance of funds for MEA. MEA
may be paid after you have transferred to the new official station,
upon assignment to your TCS, or upon completion of your TCS and return
to your previous official station, as applicable.
Sec. 302-16.6 What amount may my agency reimburse me for
miscellaneous expenses?
The following amounts will be paid for miscellaneous expenses
without support or documentation of expenses:
(a) Either a lump sum amount set in a Federal Travel Regulation
(FTR) bulletin or the equivalent of one week's basic gross pay,
whichever is the lesser amount, if you have no immediate family
relocating with you; or
(b) Either a lump sum amount set in an FTR bulletin or the
equivalent of two weeks' basic gross pay, whichever is the lesser
amount, if you have immediate family relocating with you.
Note 1 to Sec. 302-16.6: GSA publishes the lump sum amounts in
an FTR bulletin on an intermittent basis at https://gsa.gov/ftrbulletins.
Sec. 302-16.7 May I claim an amount in excess of that prescribed in
this part?
Yes, you may claim an amount in excess of that prescribed in Sec.
302-16.6 if authorized by your agency; and
(a) Supported by acceptable statements of fact, paid bills or other
acceptable evidence (documentation) justifying the amounts claimed; and
[[Page 3709]]
(b) The aggregate amount does not exceed your basic gross pay (at
the time you reported for duty, at your new official station) for:
(1) One week if you are relocating without immediate family; or
(2) Two weeks if you are relocating with immediate family.
(c) The amount authorized cannot exceed the maximum rate of grade
GS-13, Step 10 General Schedule (base) salary (excluding locality pay)
(see 5 U.S.C. 5332) at the time you reported for duty at your new
official station.
Sec. 302-16.8 What are examples of types of costs covered by the MEA?
Miscellaneous expenses are costs associated with relocating that
are not covered by other relocation benefits detailed in this chapter.
Expenses allowable include but are not limited to the following, and
similar, items:
(a) Fees for disconnecting and connecting utilities (such as gas,
water, electricity), appliances, equipment (such as a security system
or electric vehicle charging station), or conversion of appliances for
operation on available utilities;
(b) Fees for cutting and fitting rugs, draperies, and curtains when
they are moved from one residence to another;
(c) Deposits or fees for utilities not offset by eventual refunds;
(d) Losses that cannot be recovered by transfer or refund and are
incurred due to early termination of a contract (e.g., medical, dental,
private institutional care for immediate family members with
disabilities, nonrefundable education enrollment fee, real estate
expenses connected with the cancellation of a contract when a new
transfer prevented the employee from completing a purchase of a
residence);
(e) Automobile registration, driver's license, and use taxes
imposed when initially bringing privately-owned vehicles (POVs) into
certain jurisdictions;
(f) Reinstalling or removing automobile parts upon vehicle reentry
into the United States or entry into a foreign country, when removal or
installation of those automobile parts was required by host country
law;
(g) Post office box rental fee when rented to provide a constant
mailing address between the time an employee departs the old residence
and occupies a residence at the new official station;
(h) Rental agent fees customarily charged for securing housing in
foreign countries;
(i) Reassembly, set up, and tuning of a piano moved for relocation;
(j) Pet care (for cats and dogs only), child care, or adult care
for dependent parents or other adult dependents incapable of self-care
at home while the employee or spouse are away on a househunting trip,
or are packing or unpacking;
(k) Rental car fees while awaiting a delayed POV shipment to or
from OCONUS if the transportation service provider (TSP) has not
arranged for the employee's use of a rental car at TSP expense.
Reimbursement may be authorized starting after the shipping company
designated delivery date, shall not exceed 10 days, and does not
include the days after the POV is delivered or a new POV is purchased
at location. The rental car for the employee and immediate family
members must be the same or comparable size or model as the POV the
employee shipped;
(l) Transportation and quarantine of pets (cats and dogs only).
Costs normally associated with the transportation, quarantine fees, and
handling of dogs and cats. This includes pet-related costs due to air
carrier rules or imposed by the law of the jurisdiction of the
employee's new residence as an integral part of the process of
admissions and licensing;
(m) Professional relicensing fees required by the new official
station that are directly related to the employee's occupation, such as
fees required to take the bar exam or teaching certification; and
professional relicensing fees or business costs (including exam,
continuing education courses, business license, permit, and
registration fees) that are directly related to the immediate family
member's occupation, when the immediate family member was licensed or
certified in a profession, or owned a business, at the employee's
previous official station and is required to secure or maintain a new
professional license or certification, or business license or permit,
to engage in that profession in a new jurisdiction because of unique
licensing or certification requirements and authorities; or
(n) Specialized shipment of hazardous materials, such as lithium
batteries, when Federal, state, local, and foreign country laws or
carrier regulations prohibit commercial shipment of certain articles
not included as part of household goods, which cannot be otherwise
transported to the new official station because of shipping and
transportation restrictions.
Sec. 302-16.9 What are examples of types of costs not covered by the
MEA?
Examples of costs that are not reimbursable from the MEA are:
(a) Losses in selling or buying real and personal property and
costs related to such transactions;
(b) Cost of additional insurance on household goods while in
transit to the new official station or cost of loss or damage to such
property;
(c) Additional costs of moving household goods caused by exceeding
the maximum weight limitation;
(d) Costs of newly acquired items, such as the purchase or
installation cost of new rugs or draperies;
(e) Higher income, real estate, sales, or other taxes as the result
of establishing residence in the new locality;
(f) Fines imposed for traffic infractions while en route to the new
official station locality;
(g) Accident insurance premiums or liability costs incurred in
connection with travel to the new official station locality, or any
other liability imposed upon the employee for uninsured damages caused
by accidents for which the employee or their immediate family is held
responsible;
(h) Losses as the result of sale or disposal of items of personal
property (such as lithium batteries, gasoline, and natural gas) not
considered convenient or practicable to move;
(i) Damage or loss of clothing, luggage, or other personal effects
while traveling to the new official station locality;
(j) Subsistence, transportation, or mileage expenses in excess of
the amounts reimbursed as per diem or other allowances under this
subtitle;
(k) Medical expenses due to illness or injuries while en route to
the new official station or while living in temporary quarters at
Government expense under the provisions of this chapter;
(l) Costs incurred in conjunction with structural alterations (such
as remodeling or modernizing of living quarters, garages or other
buildings to accommodate privately-owned automobiles, appliances or
equipment [e.g., a security system or electric vehicle charging
station]); or replacing or repairing worn-out or defective appliances,
or equipment shipped to the new location;
(m) Costs incurred in connection with preparing a residence for
sale or purchase (e.g., maintenance, repairs, cleaning);
(n) Delivery charges or costs associated with newly-acquired items
(such as appliances, security systems, locksmith service, or new
vehicle) at the new official station for reasons of personal taste or
preference and not required because of the relocation;
(o) Costs unrelated to the quarantine, transportation, and handling
of pets. Additional costs for lodging for a second room or boarding
fees, micro-chipping, veterinary expenses (e.g., inoculations,
[[Page 3710]]
examinations, medical care and certification fees), routine care and
grooming of pets, and purchases of crates and tags for the pets.
Expenses for other animals (horses, fish, birds, reptiles, rodents,
etc.) are not authorized because of their size, exotic nature,
restrictions on shipping, host country restrictions, and special
handling difficulties; or
(p) Costs related to obtaining a visa, passport, immigration green
card, birth certificate or other acceptable evidence of birth when
required for official travel to foreign locations; charges for
immunization, inoculations, other disease-preventative medical
prophylaxis, including disease testing, that are required for official
travel if not obtained through the agency. The expenses in this
paragraph (p) may be reimbursable as part of the employee's relocation
en route travel miscellaneous expenses as specified in 41 CFR 301-12.1.
Sec. 302-16.10 What standard of care must I use in incurring
miscellaneous expenses?
You must exercise the same care in incurring expenses that a
prudent person would exercise if relocating at personal expense.
Subpart B--Agency Responsibilities
Sec. 302-16.100 What governing policies must we establish for MEA?
For MEAs, you must establish policies and procedures governing:
(a) Who will determine whether payment for an amount in excess of
the lump sum MEA is appropriate; and
(b) How you will pay a MEA in accordance with Sec. Sec. 302-16.2
and 302-16.3.
Sec. 302-16.101 How should we administer the authorization and
payment of miscellaneous expenses?
You should limit payment of miscellaneous expenses to only those
expenses that are necessary.
Sec. 302-16.102 Are there any restrictions to the types of costs we
may cover?
Yes, a MEA cannot be used to reimburse:
(a) Costs or expenses incurred which exceed maximums provided by
statute or in this subtitle;
(b) Costs or expenses incurred but which are disallowed elsewhere
in this subtitle;
(c) Costs reimbursed under other provisions of law or regulations;
(d) Costs or expenses incurred for reasons of personal taste or
preference and not required because of the move;
(e) Losses covered by insurance;
(f) Fines or other penalties imposed upon the employee or members
of their immediate family;
(g) Judgments, court costs, and similar expenses growing out of
civil actions; or
(h) Any other expenses brought about by circumstances, factors, or
actions in which the move to a new official station was not the
proximate cause.
[FR Doc. 2025-00497 Filed 1-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-14-P
