WASHINGTON -- Uncle Sam raised the federal lodging allowance for
government travelers attending conferences, effective Jan. 14.
In an amendment to the Federal Travel Regulation, the General
Services Administration decreed that the lodging portion of the
travel per diem can be up to 25% above the lodging per diem rate
for the location, if necessary.
Separately, the GSA ruled that government employees who drive
their own cars on official business can be reimbursed 32.5 cents
per mile, up from 31 cents, also effective Jan. 14.
The lodging change, presaged in early December when the GSA
issued per diem rates for 2000, is an acknowledgement that
conference hotels might be more expensive than the two- and
three-star properties surveyed for government travelers.
The new rule also enables the government to pay for refreshment
breaks at conferences for the first time. The higher lodging rate
can be arranged by the federal agency sponsoring a conference as
long as the federal agency considers at least three sites and other
factors, such as air fares.
For federal employees attending conferences that are not
sponsored by the government, the employee's travel-approving
official can authorize lodging reimbursement up to the conference
rate.
Meanwhile, the GSA still is considering making the 2000 per
diems valid only through Sept. 30, then issuing a batch of new
rates. The move would be made in order to switch to a fiscal-year
schedule.