General Services Administration August 25, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The General Services Administration's (GSA) annual per diem review has resulted in lodging and meal allowance changes for locations within CONUS to provide for the reimbursement of Federal employees' per diem expenses. This Per Diem Bulletin updates the maximum per diem amounts in existing per diem localities. The CONUS per diem rates prescribed in Bulletin 12-01 may be found at https://www.gsa.gov/ perdiem. GSA bases the lodging per diem rates on the average daily rate that the lodging industry reports to an independent organization. The use of such data in the per diem rate setting process enhances the Government's ability to obtain policy-compliant lodging where it is needed. In conjunction with the annual lodging study, GSA identified one new non-standard area (NSA): Alexandria/Leesville/Natchitoches, Louisiana (Allen, Jefferson Davis, Natchitoches, Rapides, and Vernon Parishes). In addition, GSA reviewed all of the locations that changed from a NSA to the standard CONUS designation in FY 2011. Of those locations, the following areas will once again become NSAs in FY 2012: Montgomery, Alabama (Montgomery and Autauga Counties); Ocala, Florida (Marion County); Michigan City, Indiana (LaPorte County); Benton Harbor, Michigan (Berrien County); Mackinac Island, Michigan (Mackinac County); Mount Pleasant, Michigan (Isabella County); Jefferson City, Missouri (Cole County); and Sheboygan, Wisconsin (Sheboygan County). If a per diem rate is insufficient to meet necessary expenses in any given location, Federal executive agencies can request that GSA review that location. Please review numbers five and six of GSA's per diem Frequently Asked Questions at (https://www.gsa.gov/perdiemfaqs) for more information on the special review process. In addition, the Federal Travel Regulation allows for actual expense reimbursement as directed in Sec. 301-11.300 through 301- 11.306.