41 C.F.R. PART 302–5—ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSEHUNTING TRIP EXPENSES
Title 41 - Public Contracts and Property Management
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5738; 20 U.S.C. 905(a); E.O. 11609, 36 FR 13747, 3 CFR 1971–1973 Comp., p. 586.
Source: FTR Amdt. 98, 66 FR 58196, Nov. 20, 2001, unless otherwise noted.
Note to subpart A: Use of the pronouns “I” and “you” throughout this subpart refers to the employee. The term “househunting trip” refers to a trip made by the employee and/or spouse to your new official station locality to find permanent living quarters to rent or purchase. The term “living quarters” in this part includes apartments, condominiums, and cooperatives in addition to townhouses and single family homes. The allowance for househunting trip expenses is intended to facilitate and expedite the employee's move from your old official station to your new official station and to lower the Government's overall cost for the employee's relocation by reducing the amount of time an employee must occupy temporary quarters. The allowance for househunting trip expenses provides the employee and/or spouse a period of time to concentrate on finding a suitable permanent residence at the new official station and thereby expedites the employee's relocation. You are eligible for a househunting trip expenses allowance if you are an employee who is authorized to transfer, and in addition: (a) Both your old and new official stations are located within the United States; (b) You are not assigned to Government or other prearranged housing at your new official station; and (c) Your old and new official stations are 75 or more miles apart (as measured by map distance) via a usually traveled surface route. New appointees and employees assigned under the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C. 4109) are not eligible for a househunting trip expenses allowance. No, your agency determines when it is in the Government's interest to authorize you a househunting trip and the procedures you must follow if it is authorized. You will receive a househunting trip expenses allowance if: (a) Your agency authorized you to perform a househunting trip in advance of the travel (the agency authorization must specify the mode of transportation and the period of time allowed for the trip); (b) You have signed a service agreement; (c) Your agency has established, and informed you of, the date you are to report to your new official station; and (d) You meet any additional conditions your agency has established. Only you and/or your spouse may travel on a househunting trip at Government expense. Your agency may authorize only one round trip for you and/or your spouse in connection with a particular transfer. Yes, however, your reimbursement will be limited to the cost that would have been incurred if you and your spouse had traveled together on one round trip. You may begin your househunting trip as soon as your agency has notified you of your transfer and issued a travel authorization for a househunting trip. To take maximum advantage of your trip, however, it is very important that you become familiar as quickly as you can with your new official station area (e.g., housing market conditions, school locations, etc.). If you are selling your residence at your old official station, you should not begin your househunting trip until you have a current appraisal of the value of the residence so that you can more accurately determine the appropriate price range of residences to consider during your househunting trip. A househunting trip should be for a reasonable period, not to exceed 10 calendar days, as authorized by your agency under §302–5.101(d). You and/or your spouse must complete your househunting trip as indicated in the following table: Your agency will reimburse your househunting trip expenses as indicated in the following table: [FTR Amdt. 98, 66 FR 58196, Nov. 20, 2001, as amended by FTR Amdt. 108, 67 FR 57969, Sept. 13, 2002] Your agency will authorize you to travel by the transportation mode(s) (e.g., airline, train, or privately owned automobile) it determines to be advantageous to the Government. Your agency will pay for your transportation expenses by the authorized mode(s). If you travel by any other mode(s), your agency will pay your transportation expenses not to exceed the cost of transportation by the authorized mode(s). To receive reimbursement for househunting trip transportation expenses you must itemize your transportation expenses and provide receipts as required by §§301–11.25, 301–11.306 and 301–52.4(b) of chapter 301. For fixed amount househunting trip subsistence reimbursement, you do not need to document your subsistence expenses. For per diem househunting trip subsistence expense reimbursement, you must itemize your lodging expenses and you must provide receipts as required by §§301–7.9(b), 301–11.25, 301–11.306 and 301–52.4(b) of chapter 301. [FTR Amdt. 98, 66 FR 58196, Nov. 20, 2001, as amended by FTR Amdt. 108, 67 FR 57969, Sept. 13, 2002] Your agency may authorize an advance of funds, in accordance with §302–2.20 of this chapter, for your househunting trip expenses. Your agency may not advance you funds in excess of the sum of your anticipated transportation costs and either the maximum per diem allowable under part 302–4 of this chapter for the location and duration of your househunting trip or your fixed amount househunting trip subsistence expenses payment, whichever applies. Yes, you are in a duty status when you perform a househunting trip. Yes, if your fixed househunting amount is more than adequate to cover your househunting expenses any balance belongs to you. Note to subpart B: Use of pronouns “we”, “you”, and their variants throughout this subpart refers to the agency. You should administer the househunting trip expenses allowance to minimize or avoid its use when other satisfactory and more economical arrangement are available. You must establish policies and procedures governing: (a) When you will authorize a househunting trip for an employee; (b) Who will determine if a househunting trip is appropriate in each situation; (c) If and when you will authorize the fixed amount option for househunting trip subsistence expenses reimbursement; (d) Who will determine the appropriate duration of a househunting trip for an employee who selects a per diem allowance under part 302–4 of this chapter to reimburse househunting trip subsistence expenses; and (e) Who will determine the mode(s) of transportation to be used. You may authorize a househunting trip on an individual-case basis when the employee has accepted the transfer and his/her circumstances indicate that a househunting trip actually is needed. You may not authorize a househunting trip when the purpose of the trip is to assist the employee in deciding whether he or she will accept the transfer. You must consider the following factors: (a) Ease of administration. Payment of a per diem allowance under part 302–4 of this chapter requires you to review claims for the validity, accuracy, and reasonableness of each expense amount, except for meals and incidental expenses. Fixed amount househunting trip subsistence expenses reimbursement is easier to administer because you do not have to review expense amounts. (b) Cost considerations. You must weigh the cost of each reimbursement option on a case-by-case basis. (c) Treatment of employees. The employee is allowed to choose between a per diem allowance under part 302–4 of this chapter and fixed amount househunting trip subsistence expenses reimbursement when you offer the fixed amount reimbursement method. You therefore should weigh employee morale and productivity considerations against actual cost considerations in determining which method to offer.
Title 41: Public Contracts and Property Management
PART 302–5—ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSEHUNTING TRIP EXPENSES
Section Contents
§ 302-5.1 What is a “househunting trip”?
§ 302-5.2 What is the purpose of the househunting trip expenses allowance?
§ 302-5.3 Am I eligible for a househunting trip expenses allowance?
§ 302-5.4 Who is not eligible for a househunting trip expenses allowance?
§ 302-5.5 Must my agency authorize payment of a househunting trip expenses allowance?
§ 302-5.6 Under what circumstances will I receive a househunting trip expenses allowance?
§ 302-5.7 Who may travel on a househunting trip at Government expense?
§ 302-5.8 How many househunting trips may my agency authorize in connection with a particular transfer?
§ 302-5.9 May my spouse and I perform separate househunting trips at Government expense?
§ 302-5.10 How soon may I and/or my spouse begin a househunting trip?
§ 302-5.11 Is there a time limit on the duration of a househunting trip?
§ 302-5.12 When must my househunting trip be completed?
§ 302-5.13 What methods may my agency use to reimburse me for househunting trip expenses?
§ 302-5.14 What transportation expenses will my agency pay?
§ 302-5.15 Must I document my househunting trip expenses to receive reimbursement?
§ 302-5.16 May I receive an advance of funds for househunting trip expenses?
§ 302-5.17 Am I in a duty status when I perform a househunting trip?
§ 302-5.18 May I retain any balance left over from my househunting reimbursement if my fixed amount is more than adequate to cover my househunting trip?
§ 302-5.100 How should we administer the househunting trip expenses allowance?
§ 302-5.101 What governing policies must we establish for the househunting trip expenses allowance?
§ 302-5.102 Under what circumstances may we authorize a househunting trip?
§ 302-5.103 What factors must we consider in determining whether to offer an employee the fixed amount househunting trip subsistence expense reimbursement option?
Subpart A—Employee's Allowance For Househunting Trip Expenses
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§ 302-5.1 What is a “househunting trip”?
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§ 302-5.2 What is the purpose of the househunting trip expenses allowance?
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§ 302-5.3 Am I eligible for a househunting trip expenses allowance?
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§ 302-5.4 Who is not eligible for a househunting trip expenses allowance?
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§ 302-5.5 Must my agency authorize payment of a househunting trip expenses allowance?
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§ 302-5.6 Under what circumstances will I receive a househunting trip expenses allowance?
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§ 302-5.7 Who may travel on a househunting trip at Government expense?
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§ 302-5.8 How many househunting trips may my agency authorize in connection with a particular transfer?
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§ 302-5.9 May my spouse and I perform separate househunting trips at Government expense?
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§ 302-5.10 How soon may I and/or my spouse begin a househunting trip?
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§ 302-5.11 Is there a time limit on the duration of a househunting trip?
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§ 302-5.12 When must my househunting trip be completed?
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------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your househunting trip must be For completed by------------------------------------------------------------------------You.................................... The day before you report to your new Official station.Your spouse............................ The earlier of: (a) The day before your family relocates to your new official station; or (b) The day before the maximum time for beginning allowable travel expires (see § 302- 2.100 of this chapter).------------------------------------------------------------------------
§ 302-5.13 What methods may my agency use to reimburse me for househunting trip expenses?
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------------------------------------------------------------------------ For You are reimbursed------------------------------------------------------------------------You and/or your spouse's transportation Your actual transportation expenses. costs.You and/or your spouse's subsistence One of the following: expenses.. (a) A per diem allowance for you and/or your spouse as prescribed under §§ 301-11.100 through 301-11.102 of this chapter 301; or (b) If you accept your agency's offer of the fixed amount option, and: (1) Both you and your spouse perform a househunting trip either together or separately, a single amount determined by multiplying the applicable locality rate (listed in appendix A to chapter 301 of this subtitle) by 6.25 or (2) Only one of you performs a househunting trip, an amount determined by multiplying the applicable locality rate (listed in appendix A to chapter 301 of this subtitle) by 5.------------------------------------------------------------------------
§ 302-5.14 What transportation expenses will my agency pay?
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§ 302-5.15 Must I document my househunting trip expenses to receive reimbursement?
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§ 302-5.16 May I receive an advance of funds for househunting trip expenses?
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§ 302-5.17 Am I in a duty status when I perform a househunting trip?
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§ 302-5.18 May I retain any balance left over from my househunting reimbursement if my fixed amount is more than adequate to cover my househunting trip?
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Subpart B—Agency Responsibilities
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§ 302-5.100 How should we administer the househunting trip expenses allowance?
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§ 302-5.101 What governing policies must we establish for the househunting trip expenses allowance?
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§ 302-5.102 Under what circumstances may we authorize a househunting trip?
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§ 302-5.103 What factors must we consider in determining whether to offer an employee the fixed amount househunting trip subsistence expense reimbursement option?
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