invitational travel

Non-Employee Travel and Travel Arranger Responsibilities

TABLE OF CONTENTS

8.1 What is the purpose of this chapter?  This chapter provides guidance and procedures for non-employees performing official Temporary Duty Travel (TDY) on behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and for travel arrangers who arrange their travel.

8.2 What is the scope of this chapter? 

A. This chapter applies only to TDY travel for people who are not Service employees. See section 8.7 for more information about who the non-employees are who travel on behalf of the Service.

B. This chapter does not cover:

(1) Permanent Change of Station (PCS) travel (see 266 FW 1 ),

(2) Temporary Change of Station (TCS) travel (see Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), 41 CFR Part 302, Subpart E ), or

(3) Local travel in and around a permanent duty station (see 265 FW 12 ).

8.3 What is the overall policy?

A.  We may reimburse non-employees for traveling on behalf of the Service. We generally cover the costs associated with transportation and lodging, up to a maximum allowable rate, and provide a daily meal and incidental expense (M&IE) allowance.

B.  When traveling on behalf of the Service, non-employees must follow the FTR, U.S. Department of the Interior (Department) policy, and Service policy in Part 265 . This chapter supplements, rather than substitutes for, the other TDY travel policies in  Part 265 .

C.  Non-employees may not access the electronic travel system to reserve or authorize their own travel. Instead, we assign a travel arranger to each non-employee who travels on our behalf. The travel arranger completes all required actions in the electronic travel system on behalf of the traveler.

8.4 What are the authorities for this chapter? See 265 FW 1 for a list of the authorities for all the chapters in Part 265 .

8.5 What terms do you need to know to understand this chapter?

A. Approving officials  are supervisors, Directorate members (i.e., Regional Directors; Assistant Directors; Director, National Conservation Training Center (NCTC); Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS)), and other officials who approve travel-related transactions (e.g., authorizations and vouchers). 

B. ConcurGov  is the name of the electronic travel system the Service must use.

C. Corporate cards allow Regions and programs to purchase transportation tickets for individuals without a Government-issued travel charge card. These individuals may include invitational travelers, employees serving without an appointment, new employees who have not yet received a Government-issued travel charge card, and employees with a suspended or closed Government-issued travel charge card account.

D. Electronic travel system provides an automated process for Service employees and approving officials to plan, document, manage, and monitor TDY travel (see 265 FW 2 ). ConcurGov is the Service’s current electronic travel system.

E. TDY travel is travel that is performed for official purposes and is over 50 miles from the traveler’s permanent duty station and commuting residence.

F. T-entered stamp is the stamp a travel arranger applies to an invitational traveler’s voucher after the invitational traveler has signed a hard copy of the voucher, which is included with the receipt packet.

G. Travel arranger is a staff member who books, documents, and adjusts travel reservations on behalf of others, including invitational travelers. The staff member could be a Service employee or contractor.

H. Travel authorization is the form the Service uses to approve official TDY travel and travel-related expenses. These forms are created and approved in the electronic travel system. All travelers must receive written authorization from their approving official before traveling, except in emergencies (see 265 FW 4 for more information).

I. Travel Management Center (TMC)  (i.e., Duluth and El Sol Travel) is responsible for assisting travelers with booking and adjusting travel itineraries. The TMC charges higher fees to assist with booking travel and adjusting reservations than those associated with self-service booking through ConcurGov.

J. Travel voucher is the form the Service uses to approve travelers for reimbursement of travel-related expenses. These forms are created and approved in the electronic travel system.

K. Travelers are employees and non-employees who are authorized to conduct TDY travel on behalf of the Service.

RESPONSIBILITIES

8.6 What are the responsibilities related to non-employee travel? See Table 8-1.

Table 8-1: Responsibilities for Non-Employee Travel

INVITATIONAL TRAVELER

8.7 Who is a non-employee?  Non-employees include, but are not limited to:

A.  Invitational travelers ( section 8.8 ),

B.  Volunteers ( section 8.12 ),

C.  Employees of other Government agencies ( section 8.13 ), 

D.  Staff on Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments ( section 8.15 ), and

E.  Contractors or cooperators ( section 8.16 ).

8.8 Who can be an invitational traveler? The following can be invitational travelers:

A.  A person who is not a Federal employee, who is not under contract with the Service, and who meets any of the following criteria:

(1)  Authorized by an approving official to complete any of the following activities on behalf of the Service:

     (a)  Participate in a Service meeting or conference (see 265 FW 11 ),

     (b)  Serve as a subject matter specialist or consultant (not on contract or cooperative agreement),

     (c) Provide training to Service employees,

     (d)  Fulfill a one-time official commitment to the Service,

     (e)  Receive, as a former Federal Government employee or other individual, an honor at a Federal Government awards ceremony, or

     (f)  Travel as an attendant to a Service employee with a special need or disability.

(2)  Authorized by a supervising Directorate member (i.e., Regional Directors; Assistant Directors; Director, NCTC; Chief, NWRS), Division Chief, or Office Chief to travel to an interview for employment with the Service (see  225 FW 9 ).

(3)  A spouse or family member of an employee if the employee's supervising Directorate member authorizes them to attend a Presidential or Departmental award ceremony honoring the employee.

B.  A Service employee in the following situation(s):

(1) To attend a non-Federal meeting or conference related to official duties, but which is funded by a non-Federal source (e.g., State or local governmental agency, private company, non-profit organization).

(2) To perform travel entirely outside of the United States, but which is funded by a foreign government. See the Department’s Office of International Affairs website for policy and additional information on approvals required for foreign travel.

8.9 Can invitational travelers qualify for travel reimbursement from the Service? Yes, invitational travelers can qualify for travel reimbursement. To reimburse an invitational traveler, the traveler must travel farther than 50 miles from their permanent duty station (if applicable) and permanent residence to fulfill an official commitment to the Service. The permanent duty station is the location where they perform duties on behalf of the Service.

8.10 How does the Service reimburse invitational travelers for travel-related expenses?  We:

A.  Cover the cost of transportation while the traveler is in TDY status. Transportation that the travel arranger books in the electronic travel system is charged to the Service’s corporate card included in the invitational traveler's profile. The travel arranger must book transportation in accordance with  265 FW 5 .

B.  Reimburse the invitational traveler for the actual cost of lodging, up to the maximum lodging rate the General Services Administration (GSA) has established for the TDY location, or obtain approval for actual subsistence on a case-by-case basis (see 265 FW 6 ). The travel arranger will reserve lodging in the electronic travel system, but the invitational traveler must pay using a personal credit card or other personal form of payment. The travel arranger must list the expenses as "reimbursable" on the travel voucher. As an alternative, we may use a purchase order to pay for invitational travelers' lodging.

C.  Provide invitational travelers with a daily allowance for meals and incidental expenses using the Lodgings-Plus method of reimbursement (see  265 FW 6 ).

D.  Reimburse invitational travelers for other travel-related expenses required to complete the mission of the trip (see  265 FW 7 ).

8.11 Is pre-employment interview travel a type of invitational travel?  Yes, the Service may pay for pre-employment interview travel expenses when the trip is in the best interest of the Government. Interviewees may not receive a travel advance.

8.12 What process applies to volunteers when they are required to travel on behalf of the Service?  The method we reimburse volunteers for travel-related expenses depends on whether they are working from their volunteer duty station or traveling to an alternate location.

A.  If the volunteer must travel to an alternate site that is farther than 50 miles from their volunteer duty station and permanent residence, we may reimburse them for the transportation cost.

B.  We may also provide reimbursement, at the discretion of their approving official, for the actual cost of lodging and an allowance for meals and incidental expenses up to 100% of the GSA per diem rate for the TDY location (Lodgings-Plus method).

(1)  The volunteer may only claim one type of reimbursement per day. If receiving reimbursement (see 150 FW 3 ), the volunteer must suspend it for the duration of the TDY trip to claim Lodgings-Plus reimbursement (see  265 FW 6 ).

(2)  We use the volunteer's travel status and location at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) to determine the appropriate method of reimbursement for that day.

OTHER NON-SERVICE EMPLOYEE TRAVELERS

8.13 How does the Service fund travel for an employee of another bureau/agency?  We must use the U.S. Government Order Form (U.S. Department of the Treasury Form  7600B ) and obligate funds in the Financial and Business Management System (FBMS). The other bureau’s/agency’s employee should make all the travel arrangements through their bureau/agency and bill the Service for reimbursement using their procedures.

8.14 What process applies to Pathways Internship or Presidential Management Fellows program participants who travel on behalf of the Service? 

A. If the participant does not receive a salary, they are considered a volunteer and are eligible for reimbursement in accordance with  section 8.12 .

B. If the participant receives a salary, they must adhere to the same process as Service employees ( 265 FW 4 - 7 ).

8.15 What process applies to individuals on IPA assignments who travel on behalf of the Service?

A. IPA participants (e.g., employees, including non-Federal employees) may receive reimbursement of either per diem allowance (see 265 FW 9 ) or limited relocation expenses (see 266 FW 1 ) for the period of the assignment. The IPA service agreement must specify the method of reimbursement.

(1) We may reimburse the individual the full allowable amount for transportation and a reduced per diem rate of 55% of the GSA maximum rate for the assignment duration (see 265 FW 9 ). Reimbursement is limited to a maximum of 1 year, unless we extend the IPA assignment. Payments for IPA assignments for 1 year or longer must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as taxable income.

(2) We may reimburse the individual for limited relocation expenses:

     (a)  Travel and transportation expenses to and from the assignment location (see FTR 302-2 );

     (b)  Travel and transportation expenses the individual's immediate family incurs while traveling to and from the assignment location (see FTR 302-2 );

     (c)  Transportation and temporary storage expenses of the individual's household goods and personal effects (see FTR 302-8 and FTR 302-9 );

     (d)  Temporary quarters subsistence expenses for the period immediately preceding the assignment and the period immediately following the assignment (see FTR 302-6 ); and

     (e)  A miscellaneous expense allowance (see FTR 302-3 ).

(3)  We may not cover the cost of selling or buying a residence or the cost associated with property management services during the assignment.

B.  We may reimburse an individual on IPA assignment who must travel farther than 50 miles from their IPA duty station, permanent duty station, and permanent residence for transportation and per diem costs associated with the trip. The Service may reimburse these costs regardless of whether the individual receives standard IPA reimbursement or limited relocation IPA reimbursement.

(1)  Individuals may only claim per diem reimbursement under one method per day. Travelers who receive standard IPA reimbursement must suspend the IPA per diem allowance for the duration of the TDY trip.

(2)  We use the individual's travel status and TDY location at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) to determine the appropriate method of per diem reimbursement for that day.

8.16 How does contractor or cooperator travel differ from that of other non-employees?  We must not issue travel authorizations for contractors or cooperators or allow them to use the electronic travel system to arrange their own travel.

A.  Contractors or cooperators must arrange their own travel and cover all costs associated with travel. We may reimburse contractors or cooperators for travel-related costs if the contract/cooperative agreement authorizes it. The contractual or cooperative agreement governs travel reimbursement between the Service and the contractor/cooperator, and not Part 265 of the Service Manual.

B.  Travel vendors do not have to make Government fares or rates available to our contractors or cooperators, but they may choose to do so. We may provide a contractor or cooperator a letter of identification to help them obtain Government fares and rates.

TRAVEL ARRANGER

8.17 What do travel arrangers need to do for a non-employee traveling on behalf of the Service?

A.  Non-Service employees are not given access to the electronic travel system to reserve their own travel. Travel arrangers will coordinate travel authorizations, make travel arrangements, and complete travel vouchers for non-employees. An authorization must exist in the electronic travel system for a voucher to be completed.

B. The first time that a non-employee must travel on our behalf, the travel arranger must:

(1)  Complete the ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form ( Standard Form 3881 ) and submit it to the Interior Business Center (IBC).

(2) Complete the ConcurGov Profile Maintenance Form and submit it to the Travel team. We use this form to set up the traveler in the electronic travel system even though, as a non-employee, the traveler will not access the system directly. 

C.  The travel arranger must complete all of the travel-related activities listed below for each TDY trip that the non-employee conducts on our behalf.

(1)  Submitting the Authorization for Use of Corporate Account form ( FWS Form 3-2313 ) to the designated account holder;

(2)  Reserving the transportation for the trip;

(3) Creating a travel authorization in the electronic travel system;

(4)  Obtaining approval on the travel authorization;

(5)  Assisting the traveler with any updates to the travel itinerary;

(6)  Requesting receipts and supporting documentation from the traveler;

(7)  Creating a travel voucher in the electronic travel system within 5 business days from the traveler’s return, and attaching all supplied receipts and supporting documentation;

(8)  Printing a copy of the travel voucher, obtaining the traveler's signature on the voucher, and uploading a copy of the signed voucher to the voucher supporting documents; and

(9)  Signing the travel voucher using the T-entered stamp (if the travel arranger has the T-enter role) or requesting the document be T-entered by the Travel team, and submitting it for reimbursement.

8.18 Who should travel arrangers and approving officials contact with questions about non-employee travel?  Non-employee travelers (except contractors or cooperators), travel arrangers, and approving officials should contact the Travel team with questions about travel.

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In This Section

• Upcoming Meetings
• Federal Register Notices
• Press Releases
• Meeting Information &  Materials
• Meeting Summaries

Travel Guidance & Administrative Items

• Subcommittee Information
• Invitational Travel Guidance
• Invitational Travel Procedures  (PDF)
• Vendor Request Form (Excel)
• Invitational Traveler Access Form (WORD)
• Concur Traveler Manual  (PDF)
• Welcome to DC  (PDF)
• Federal Travel Regulations
• DOI Travel Policy
• Per Diem Rates
• Transit Authority
• Washington DC Official Tourism Site

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Guidance and Procedures on Invitational Travel

United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Alaska State Office 222 West Seventh Avenue, #13 Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7504 http://www.blm.gov/ak

In Reply Refer To: 1203 (AK9522) P

July 8, 2011

Information Bulletin No. AK-2011- 008

To: All Employees

From: State Director

Subject: Guidance and Procedures on Invitational Travel

Program Area: Travel and Acquisitions

Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) provides guidance and instruction for invitational travel.

Policy/Actions: Invitational Travel is authorized travel of individuals serving without pay or at $1 a year when they are acting in a capacity that is directly related to, or in connection with, official activities of the Government.

Invitational travel affords a number of options for how we may compensate and/or provide for the invitational traveler’s lodging and meals and incidentals (M&IE). Travel for these individuals may require coordination with both your travel and your procurement offices.

The preferred option is to treat invitees’ travel the same as an employee’s temporary duty travel. This involves establishing the traveler in both FBMS and GovTrip and processing the travel documents as you would do your own. Any common carrier transportation is paid using the State Corporate Card. The invitee is reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses after they complete their travel. This includes both the lodging and the M&IE. General guidance may be found in the Alaska Travel Handbook H-1382-2 or contact your Travel Office for further details.

In the event the invitee(s) is unable to pay out of pocket expenses it may be possible to place the coordinating BLM employee’s charge card under crew authority. This authority allows the BLM coordinator to place meal and lodging charges for the invitee(s) on their government charge card, effectively making them a crew chief. This process requires a waiver request be submitted to the State Lead A/OPC, Alissa Varrati. The waiver request requires approval by the Bureau Lead A/OPC. Approval must be acquired prior to use of this option. The waiver request must be submitted at least 45 days in advance of when travel arrangements need to begin. In addition, the BLM coordinator must complete the crew authority charge card training. This option is only available in the event that the standard invitational travel process is not a possibility and the situation must be documented in the waiver request. Be prepared to make other arrangements in the event your waiver is not approved.

Under the crew authority option the crew chief must make arrangements with meal vendors in advance. The vendor, as well as the invitee(s), must be notified in advance of the per meal rate per individual. The invitee(s) are then informed of the locations they may receive their meals. The crew chief may make arrangements to pick up their receipts from the meal vendor(s) daily or weekly. Under this option, these arrangements may be made with no more than three vendors. It is recommended that lodging accommodations be made in an area near the meal providers.

A third and final option is to have procurement issue a contract for both lodging and meals. Under this option the lodging provider would provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The invitee(s) do not have the option to eat meals outside of the hotel. Under this option the standard Procurement Acquisition Lead Times (PALT) applies.

Timeframe: Immediately

Budget Impact: None

Background: Many offices require individuals to attend official Government activities (e.g., Resource Advisory Council meetings). Not all travelers have the means to fund travel out-of-pocket. Options do exist to assist travelers in such cases. These instances require greater planning and lead time to ensure all personnel have the necessary authorities to support these activities.

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None

Coordination: Travel and Procurement coordinated this IM.

Contacts: If you need more information or have any policy questions, please contact Susan Erickson, State Travel Program Specialist, at 907-271-3173 or Alissa Varrati, Procurement Analyst, at 907-271-3439.

Signed by: Ted Murphy Director (Acting)

Authenticated by: Anita R. Jette State Records Specialist

Fiscal Year

UNCLASSIFIED (U)

TRAVEL AND TRAVEL ADVANCE MANAGEMENT

(CT:FIN-487;   10-05-2023) (Office of Origin:  CGFS/FPRA/FP)

4 FAM 461  scope and authority for travel

(CT:FIN-487;   10-05-2023)

a. This subchapter contains the fiscal policy related to contracted charge cards, travel advances, travel claims, congressional travel, educational travel, and gifts of travel expenses from a non-Federal source.  The policy stated herein must be used in conjunction with those procedures set forth in 4 FAM 410 , 4 FAM 420 , 4 FAM 430 , 2 FAM 960 , and the Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR).

b. 22 U.S.C. 4081 and 5 U.S.C. Chapter 57 contain the statutory authority for the manner in which travel is performed and the expenses for which the traveler can be reimbursed.  Officials responsible for financial management and administrative activities should use prudence and make businesslike decisions  when applying these regulations (see 14 FAM 561.2 ).  Other authorities cited herein govern specific aspects of granting travel advances and accepting payments from non-Federal sources.

4 FAM 462  TRAVEL APPLICABILITY

This subchapter applies to official travel as defined in 14 FAM 500 , Employee Logistics–Travel, for travelers in the Foreign Service and other U.S. Government travelers for whom specific provisions apply (see 14 FAM 511.2-1 ); volume 1 of the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) for those travelers in the military or assigned to the military who are subject to the Foreign Affairs Manual; and in the Travel and Transportation Reform Act, and the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) (41 CFR, subtitle F) for all other U.S. Government-authorized travel.  Generally, all travel should be processed in the Department’s electronic travel systems and coordinated through the travel management center consistent with 14 FAM 560 .

4 FAM 463  GOVERNMENT-CONTRACTEd Individual CHARGE CARDS

4 FAM 463.1  Mandatory Compliance

The Department, through the General Services Administration (GSA), authorizes the issuance and use of Government-contracted individually billed account (IBA) travel charge cards to U.S. direct hire (USDH) employees.  Compliance with the following regulations and policies is mandatory for employees who are required to be issued, use, and maintain Government-contracted IBA travel charge cards:

(1)  The Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998, Public Law 105-264, mandates that Federal employees use the Federal travel charge card for all payments of expenses for official Government travel, unless an exemption has been granted in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), 41 CFR, subtitle F;

(2)  The FTR implements statutory requirements and Executive branch policies for travel by Federal civilian employees and others authorized to travel at government expense;

(3)  The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, Public Law 112-194, requires all Federal agencies to establish certain safeguards and internal controls for government charge card programs and to establish penalties for violations, including removal when circumstances warrant.  See 3 FAM 4000 for information on disciplinary action for misuse, non-usage, abuse, untimely payment, or nonpayment;

(4)  OMB Circular No. A-123, Appendix B, prescribes policies and procedures to agencies regarding how to maintain internal controls that reduce the risk of fraud, waste, abuse, and error in government charge card programs, in accordance with the below definitions:

(a)   Abuse:   Use of a government charge card to buy authorized items, but at terms (e.g., price, quantity) that are excessive, is for a questionable government need, or both.  Examples of such transactions would include purchase of luxury or deluxe versions of products and services that exceed the government's actual requirements.

(b)   Delinquency/Delinquent Account:   An undisputed charge card account balance that is unpaid for more than 61 days past the statement date.

(c)  Fraud :  Any felonious act of corruption or attempt to cheat the government or corrupt the government's agents.  For the purposes of this guidance, use of government charge cards to transact business that is not sanctioned, not authorized, not in one’s official government capacity, not for the purpose for which the card was issued, or not as a part of official government business, are instances of fraud.  This list is not intended to be all inclusive.

(d)  Government Travel Charge Card :  An individually (IBA) or centrally (CBA) billed government travel account.  It is a travel charge card program used by authorized employees to pay for travel and transportation-related expenses in compliance with the applicable regulations and in support of the Department for official government business.

(e)  Improper Purchase :  An improper purchase is any purchase that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount under statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirements.  Incorrect amounts include overcharges and undercharges.

(f)   Misuse :  Use of a Federal charge card for other than the official government purpose(s) for which it is intended.

(g)  Non-Usage :  Not using the government travel card for official travel expenses while on authorized government travel, absent a valid exemption.

(h)  Waste :  Any activity taken with respect to a government charge card that fosters, or results in, unnecessary costs or other program inefficiencies.

(5)  OMB Memorandum M-13-21 requires the implementation of the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012; and

(6)  OMB Memorandum M-12-21 promotes efficient spending to support agency operations.  Refer to Section 1 – Travel.

4 FAM 463.2  Applicability

a. All USDH employees who are expected to conduct temporary duty (TDY) or permanent change of station (PCS) travel more than two times in a fiscal year in order to carry out their official duties must apply for and use IBA travel charge cards.  For these employees, all official travel expenses must be paid by an IBA travel card unless:

(1)  A vendor does not accept the IBA travel charge card;

(2)  General Services Administration (GSA) has granted an exemption.  41 CFR 301-51.3 provides GSA exemptions for:

(a) Any employee with an application pending for the Government contractor-issued travel charge card;

(b) Any employee when issuance of the Government contractor-issued travel charge card would adversely affect the mission or put the employee at risk; and

(c) Any employee who is not eligible to receive a Government contractor-issued travel charge card; or

(3)  The agency head, or their designee authorized in 18 FAM 201.3 , has granted an exemption.

b. Employees referenced in subparagraph a must apply for an IBA charge card by following the instructions on the Travel Card Program SharePoint site.  

c.  Contact the CGFS Travel Card Program Office general mailbox at [email protected] for assistance and support of the IBA travel charge card.

4 FAM 463.3  General Contract Information

a. Employees, as cardholders, are issued IBA travel charge cards valid for 2 years.  The travel charge card issuing bank will automatically send a replacement card for the expiring card.

b. No interest or annual membership fees are assessed to the cardholder.  Preset expenditure limits are placed on the IBA travel charge card, and the cardholder is eligible for travel accident insurance, lost baggage insurance, and rental car insurance when purchasing transportation using the card.

c.  Where the IBA travel charge card is accepted, the cardholder may obtain cash from authorized contractor-affiliated banks or ATMs up to three business days prior to the start of travel.  Cash advances obtained after the final travel day may be considered misuse.  In those locations where the IBA travel charge card is not accepted, the cardholder may use a personal charge card to obtain cash for or pay official government travel expenses. 

4 FAM 463.4  Authorized IBA Travel Charge Card Use

a. An IBA travel charge card must be used according to the travel card cardholder agreement and used for all official government travel expenses as authorized on the Travel Order (i.e., TDY, PCS, Medevac, Evacuations).  For normal and routine travel, travelers must use their travel management center, which has the centrally billed account (CBA) to purchase air, rail, or ship transportation tickets and annual passes.  Authorization is needed from the approving official to purchase air, rail, or ship transportation tickets with IBA travel charge cards.  Verbal approval must be finalized via an amendment to the travel authorization. 

b. Misuse, non-use, and/or abuse of an IBA travel charge card may result in its suspension and/or disciplinary action (see 4 FAM 463.9 ).

4 FAM 463.5  Financial Obligation and Liability

4 FAM 463.5-1  Cardholder

The cardholder is liable for all authorized billed charges and is responsible for disputing any unauthorized charges with the travel charge card issuing bank and documenting all correspondence.  U.S. Government employees are required to pay their financial obligations in a proper and timely manner.

4 FAM 463.5-2  U.S. Government Liability

The U.S. Government assumes no liability for charges incurred on an IBA travel charge card issued to an employee, nor is the U.S. Government liable for charges on lost or stolen cards.

4 FAM 463.6  Settlement of IBA Travel Charge Card Bills

4 FAM 463.6-1  Payment of Monthly IBA Travel Charge Card Billings

Payment by the cardholder must be for the full amount billed, which is due and payable as specified in the travel charge card cardholder agreement.  Deferred payments are not allowed.  However, in certain situations such as an evacuation, where an employee needs extended payment terms, the IBA travel charge card can be placed in a “mission critical” status, which would prevent suspension of the card.  In order to be eligible for the “mission critical” status, the account must have been in a current payment status prior to the evacuation.  Payment of travel charge card bills are due in full on or around the 12th or 13th of the month.  A cardholder should contact the Travel Card Program at the first of the month if they are experiencing reimbursement delays.  The Travel Card Program will review the account and place in a “mission critical” status if needed.  Contact the Travel Card Program general mailbox at [email protected] to learn more about the “mission critical” status.

4 FAM 463.6-2  Review of Charges

The cardholder must review all charges to determine those not made by the cardholder and provide the travel charge card issuing bank a signed statement (affidavit of forgery) of any charges considered to be fraudulent; otherwise, all charges are the responsibility of the cardholder.  The cardholder is responsible for contacting the travel charge card issuing bank to resolve any disputes in billings and to assure that any entitled credits are applied.  Contact the Travel Card Program general mailbox at [email protected] for assistance with disputed charges.

4 FAM 463.7  Lost or Stolen IBA Travel Charge Cards

The cardholder is expected to exercise the same care for security of the IBA travel charge card and card number as for their own personal credit cards.  If a card is lost or stolen, the cardholder must notify the travel charge card issuing bank within 24 hours of discovery.  The cardholder will be provided a replacement card.

4 FAM 463.8  Suspension or Cancellation

a. Cardholder use of the IBA travel charge card will be suspended by the travel charge card issuing bank when:

(1)  The cardholder has been delinquent for more than 61 days past the statement date and the cardholder has not provided a valid and acceptable reason for delinquency to the issuing bank;

(2)  There is any confirmed habitual misuse of the IBA travel charge card (see 4 FAM 463.1 (4) for the definition of misuse); or

(3)  Two or more non-sufficient funds (NSF) payments are received within a 12-month period.

b. The cardholder’s IBA travel charge card is canceled by the travel charge card issuing bank upon separation from the Department.  Separating cardholders must contact their Travel Card Program Coordinator (A/OPC) or the Travel Card Program general mailbox at [email protected] to assist with closing their IBA travel charge card account.

c.  A travel advance will not be issued to an employee when use of the IBA travel charge card has been suspended or canceled.

4 FAM 463.9  Actions for Government Travel Card Misuse, Non-Usage, Abuse, and Delinquency

(CT: FIN-487;   10-05-2023)

a. Misuse, non-usage, and/or abuse of a U.S. Government-sponsored or issued credit card, or untimely payment or nonpayment of balance due, may result in disciplinary action (see 3 FAM 4000 ).

b. Travel card-specific actions the Department will take in response to acts of non-compliance are outlined in tables on the Travel Card Program SharePoint site.  For additional information contact the Travel Card Program office via email at [email protected] or toll free at 844-469-9407.  Also, see policies and regulations regarding IBA travel charge cards on the Travel Card Program SharePoint site.

4 FAM 464  TRAVEL ADVANCES

5 U.S.C. 5705 and the FTR (41 CFR Part 301-51) provide authority to grant a travel advance.  The purpose of a travel advance is to provide an employee authorized to travel at U.S. Government expense with funds to meet authorized travel expenses.

4 FAM 464.1  Applicability

a. USDH employees who require a travel advance should obtain and use the IBA travel charge card to advance cash for travel related expenses, regardless of the expected number of trips in a fiscal year, instead of requesting an official travel advance.  A travel advance will not be issued to USDH employees for TDY and PCS travel without prior written justification to the Comptroller, Bureau of the Comptroller and Global Financial Services (CGFS) or the Comptroller’s designee.   

b. Travel advances may be made available for TDY travel, primarily to locally employed staff, personal services contractors, and on an exception basis to USDH employees.  The exception basis is based on submitting a justification to the Comptroller, CGFS or designee for approval.  In addition, travel advances may be made available for invitational travel and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) travel for an eligible family member.

c.  Advances for transfer allowances are not permitted.  Travelers must use the IBA travel charge card for transfer per diem and travel expenses.

d. A travel advance must be issued as an electronic funds transfer (EFT) whenever possible.  If EFT is not available, then cash may be advanced.  Travel advances for local employees may be provided on a pre-paid U.S. debit card (USDC) or other similar instruments.  If authorized, a travel advance may be issued to an employee who has proper identification and a valid travel authorization that cites the funds to be charged for the travel.

e. The term “employee” is defined in 41 CFR 301-1.2 as:

(1)  An individual employed by an agency, regardless of status or rank;

(2)  An individual employed intermittently in Government service as an expert or consultant and paid on a daily basis, such as a reemployed annuitant (REA); or

(3)  An individual serving without pay or at $1 a year (also referred to as “invitational traveler”).

f.  Travel advances for Department-authorized travel may be issued to individuals traveling under invitational travel, and to personal services contractors as defined in 3 FAM 9110 .  These individuals may be considered employees for the purpose of allowing them travel advances.  The terms and conditions regarding access to and recovery of travel advances to a personal services contractor must be included in the contract.  Other individuals who are not Government employees and who have not been issued invitational travel authorizations may not receive an advance of funds for the purpose of travel.

g. Suspension of an IBA travel charge card because of an employee’s nonpayment or misuse is not a valid reason for issuing a travel advance.

4 FAM 464.2  Calculation of the Advance

To calculate otherwise allowable travel advances, the factors in 4 FAM 464.2-1 through 4 FAM 464.2-5 must be considered.

4 FAM 464.2-1  Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Estimated out-of-pocket expenses are calculated on the type and estimated duration of travel.  Meals and incidental expenses (M&IE), as prescribed in the FTR for travel within the continental United States (CONUS), or as prescribed in chapter 925, Per Diem Supplement to the Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas) for travel outside CONUS, and miscellaneous expenses for taxis, tolls, parking, automobile rental, checked baggage charges, etc., are considered as out-of-pocket expenses.  See 14 FAM 560 – Allowable Travel and Miscellaneous Expenses and 14 FAM 570 – Per Diem.

4 FAM 464.2-2  Lodging Portion

The lodging portion is the daily amount designated for lodging for a specific locality as prescribed in the FTR for travel within CONUS, or as prescribed in chapter 925 of the DSSR for travel outside CONUS, unless a lesser rate is specified in the travel authorization.

4 FAM 464.2-3  Limitation of Advances

Travel advances are limited to 80 percent of the estimated combined total of out-of-pocket expenses and, when allowed, lodging.  Payments by the U.S. Government to a third party, such as payments for air, rail, or ship tickets, or lodging will not be considered in the calculation of allowed advance amount.  The 80-percent limit includes PCS travel when applicable, and travel to attend training.  The minimum travel advance allowed is $100.  Advances at 100 percent are not authorized except for non-U.S. citizen locally employed staff when the 80-percent limitation would create a financial hardship for that employee.  Advances for non-U.S. citizen locally employed staff at amounts above the 80-percent rate must be approved by the financial management officer at post.

4 FAM 464.2-4  Forty-Five Calendar Days

When travel advances are authorized, the total amount advanced to the traveler may not exceed 80 percent of the estimated expenses limited to 45 calendar days of travel status.  If travel exceeds 45 days, travelers must file an interim voucher to claim expenses, liquidate the existing advance and request a new advance not to exceed an additional 45 days.

4 FAM 464.2-5  Outstanding Advances

All prior travel advances issued to a traveler must be repaid (by voucher and/or direct refund) before the traveler may apply for an advance for transfer, separation, or further TDY travel.  A new advance is not allowed until prior outstanding advances for completed travel have been settled.  The responsible bureau or post financial management officer must provide authorization for the additional advance if one is justified (e.g., back-to-back TDY trips).

4 FAM 464.3  Travel Advance Application

Requests for payment of travel advances can be made through the Global e-Travel (GeT/E2) application for TDY travel when the travel authorization is created or after the travel authorization has been approved.  In the rare case that a PCS travel advance is requested, the PCS travel authorization must be approved by the Global Talent Management, Executive Office, Resources Management Division (GTM/EX/RMD) prior to CGFS Comptroller approval.  In addition, Form OF-261, Travel Advance Application, Voucher, and Account, is used by the traveler to apply for advances paid through the cashier.  The fiscal officer uses the form to make the payment and to account for the repayment(s).  The fiscal officer should make note of any outstanding travel advance balances and list them in blocks 8A-8C of Form OF-261.  Form OF-261 is processed in accordance with the following: 

(1)  A travel advance must be requested before the commencement of travel.  A supplemental advance may be authorized en route only when an amended authorization extends the period of the travel, if an emergency situation exists, or the post of departure has difficulty in obtaining U.S. dollars.

(2)  Financial management officers are responsible for determining when a travel advance should be made.  The request should be made no more than 14 days prior to departure, but must be made early enough to ensure that the funds are in the traveler’s account before departure.  Advances should be made via direct deposit to the traveler’s account or to a debit card.  In all cases, consider each traveler’s individual situation when making this determination.  An advance in cash may also be made by an authorized cashier from the cashier’s operating cash advance in accordance with 4 FAM 390 and should be requested no earlier than necessary as authorized by the financial management officer prior to travel departure.

4 FAM 464.3-1  Fiscal Data for Advances

The data required for travel advance requests must include:

(1)  The appropriation fund symbol for which the actual travel is chargeable;

(2)  The appropriate allotment chargeable;

(3)  The obligation number (travel authorization number);

(4)  The estimated date of travel completion;

(5)  The paying office’s Treasury symbol;

(6)  The date paid; and

(7)  The amount of the advance payment.

4 FAM 464.3-2  Type of Currency

Travel advances may be issued as direct deposit, debit card or cash when necessary.  Travel advances for host country travel are paid in local currency only.  For travel outside the host country, travel advances should normally be paid in U.S. dollars, unless use of local currency is a legal requirement.

4 FAM 464.3-3  Debit Card Travel Advances for Local Employees

Travel advances for locally employed staff may be provided on a pre-paid U.S. debit card (USDC) or other similar instruments.  This card option is primarily for locally employed staff that do not have bank accounts or access to host country ATM machines.  Travel advances posted to the USDC may be accessed by travelers worldwide at ATMs, hotels, and other point of sale terminals.  The pre-paid cards are funded in U.S. dollars, but can be used at any location where debit/credit cards are accepted.

4 FAM 464.4  Outstanding Travel Advances

The Comptroller General has defined a travel advance as a loan.  If it is not timely vouchered or refunded, the travel advance represents a debt to the U.S. Government.  The traveler will be notified when a travel advance becomes delinquent according to the Debt Collection Improvement Act, which provides for interest, penalties, and administrative charges to be assessed on the amount advanced on the 31st day from the date of the notice to the employee:

(1)  When the repayment of a travel advance is not made within 30 days of the initial debt notice sent to the traveler, collection will be in accordance with the Department’s debt collection regulations at 22 CFR Part 34 and the procedures set forth in 4 FAM 490 ;

(2)  If the traveler receives a salary from the Department, outstanding travel advances may be referred to payroll for salary offset;

(3)  Interest, penalties, and administrative charges will be assessed on amounts outstanding on the 31st day from the notice to the traveler;

(4)  Travelers who fail to repay outstanding advances within the required time may be subject to disciplinary action; and

(5)  Travelers will not be able to receive another advance if they fail to repay an existing outstanding travel advance.

4 FAM 464.5  Accounting for Travel Advance

The following procedures are utilized by the travel authorizing official; approving official; and/or administrative bureau/office fund manager to account for all travel advances issued against allotment accounts or other accounts as provided:

(1)  Outstanding overseas employee travel advances charged to post allotments are recorded in the Regional Financial Management System (RFMS/M) and are also reported in the applicable reporting system.  Responsible post management officers utilize these sources to control and clear outstanding employee travel advances.  Prior to payment of any travel voucher or issuance of another advance, the responsible post financial management officer must check RFMS/M to determine if the traveler has a prior outstanding advance;

(2)  Travel advances issued by posts for Washington-authorized TDY travel are charged to the post allotment when the travel originates and ends at the post;

(3)  Prior to payment of any travel voucher or issuance of another advance for domestic assigned travelers, the Global Financial Management System (GFMS), Travel Advance Query, is checked by the certifying officer to determine if the traveler has a prior outstanding advance; and

(4)  For collection or repayment made by a post for travel advances charged to a domestic-held allotment, copies of the Form OF-261, Travel Advance Application, Voucher and Account, clearly stating the traveler’s name and travel authorization number, is mandatory to confirm issuance. 

4 FAM 464.6  Repayment of Advances

4 FAM 464.6-1  Traveler Responsibility

a. The traveler is responsible for timely repayment of their travel advance by submitting a travel reimbursement voucher and/or by direct refund.

b. When travel is indefinitely postponed or canceled, any travel advance received must be repaid immediately.

c.  Travelers are responsible for entering travel advances provided outside of the Global e-Travel (GeT/E2) application in their GeT/E2 travel voucher/claim submission.

4 FAM 464.6-2  Advance Refund Responsibility of Others

a. CGFS Post Support Unit, post financial management officers or bureau fund managers will ensure that all outstanding travel advances are deducted from travel reimbursement vouchers.  Post financial management officers or bureau fund managers must notify the traveler by memorandum, requesting that the advance be settled within 10 days if:

(1)  The final travel reimbursement voucher is not submitted within the time prescribed;

(2)  Repayment is not made following travel completion, indefinite postponement, or cancellation of travel; and/or

(3)  The approved amount of the voucher submitted is insufficient to cover the amount of advance outstanding and that the excess advance is due and payable.

b. Certifying officers must determine if outstanding travel advances have been properly deducted before certifying a travel voucher.  Travel advances made against a quarterly or annual authorization are deductible from the final voucher for that period.  Travel advances made against one travel authorization that are still outstanding will be deducted from the claim of another travel authorization.

c.  If settlement of the travel advance is not made within 10 days after the notification has been made, bureau fund managers or post management officers must refer the matter with appropriate fiscal data and surrounding details to the Global Financial Operations Directorate ( CGFS/F ) for collection action either by salary offset or other collection mechanisms for USDH employees and personal services contractors consistent with 4 FAM 490 .  Active employees must note that salary deductions will occur on an involuntary basis.  For active locally employed staff, post management officers must refer the matter with appropriate fiscal data and surrounding details to Global Compensation (CGFS/GC) for collection action by salary offset.

d. Monthly reports of outstanding employee travel advances are forwarded to post management officers and bureau fund managers by CGFS/F .  Notification and collection action is performed at the post or bureau as needed.  Post management officers and bureau fund managers will review the travel advance status reports and inform CGFS/F of errors and/or collection difficulties within 30 days after receipt of the report. 

e. Rate of exchange:  A travel advance is repaid by refund or voucher deduction in the same kind and amount of currency in which the advance was made utilizing the same exchange rate.

4 FAm 465  TRAVEL CLAIMS

4 FAM 465.1  Traveler’s Responsibility

(CT:FIN-487;   10-05-2023)

a. Travel should be conducted in accordance with the approved travel authorization.  Upon completion of travel, each traveler is required to submit an expense report (voucher/claim) within 5 business days from the travel ending date to account for the travel performed and for the related authorized costs.  If the submitted expense report (voucher/claim) is the final expense report (voucher/claim), the travel voucher should be marked as “FINAL”.  Travel is completed when the traveler arrives at the officially assigned post of duty or place of residence.

b. Travelers must include an itemized list of expenses and other information on all temporary duty travel claims.  All claimed expenses incurred during official travel regardless of amount should be listed in the travel voucher.  This list must include:

(1)  Airfare e-receipt which includes flight times, flight duration, seat class, and cost.  The e-receipt statement that the travel management center generates provides this data and is mandatory;

(2)  Itemized lodging receipts with daily rates and taxes charged, with proof of payment, regardless of amount;

(3)  Receipts for TQSE/HSTA meal matrix items are not required for payment, unless reimbursement patterns show trends that suggest invalid reimbursements or improper payments.  In these situations, the certifying officer may request receipts before payment;

(4)  Itemized rental car receipts with proof of payment (see 14 FAM 566.2-1 );

(5)  Authorized checked luggage fee receipts, regardless of amount;

(6)  Excess luggage fees receipts, regardless of amount.  Excess luggage is luggage exceeding the weight, size, or quantity limit for “authorized luggage”.  To be reimbursed, it must be required for an official purpose and must be specifically authorized in advance of travel with a justification in the remarks on the travel orders detailing the specific official purpose necessitating the transport and an estimated cost of such transport ( 14 FAM 568.1 );

(7)  Seat selection fee receipts, regardless of amount;

(8)  All other expenses that exceed $75 including daily meals for education travel claims and education allowance claims;

(9)  Any other expense that the bureau or office determines is necessary to complete the claim;

(10) Any other documentation that an approving official, voucher examiner, or certifying officer determines is necessary to complete the claim, to include the ability to request the IBA card statement; and 

(11) For long-term lodging, a signed copy of the lease is required during the authorized timeframe.  Lodging expenses must be directly attributable to official travel and be incurred as a direct consequence of the TDY assignment.  Lease periods must be within the official dates of travel, to include periods of leave.  When a traveler takes official days off or annual leave in conjunction with an official trip, the traveler is not entitled to any per diem on days when annual leave is taken (see 14 FAM 574 ).

4 FAM 465.1-1  When to File

a. A voucher/claim (expense report) for reimbursement of expenses must be submitted within:

(1)  Five workdays after completion of authorized TDY travel;

(2)  Five workdays after arriving for duty on post assignment or PCS travel; and

(3)  Five workdays after each 30 calendar days of extended travel, including Medevac, long-term training or training in conjunction with PCS.

b. Employees are not to postpone this submission until completion of delayed travel by the employee’s family or the delayed transportation of effects by submitting an interim voucher within the stated timeframe.

4 FAM 465.1-2  How to File Your Travel Voucher

CT:FIN-487;   10-05-2023)

a. TDY travel claims must be submitted through the Global e-Travel (GeT/E2) application.  In those rare instances where electronic voucher submission is not available, approved claims must be submitted on Form DS-189, Travel Reimbursement Voucher to [email protected].

b. PCS travel claims must be submitted through the PCS Travel Claim System via OpenNet.  PCS travel claims (Form DS-189, Travel Reimbursement Voucher and SF-1190, Foreign Allowances Application, Grant and Report for transfer allowance claims) not submitted through the PCS Travel Claim System may be manually submitted to [email protected]. 

c.  All training vouchers in conjunction with PCS travel should be submitted using the PCS travel claims application and administratively approved by the FSI Travel Center ([email protected]).

d. Each employee is responsible for submitting their travel voucher electronically.  Documentation that substantiates the claim (i.e., lodging receipts, transportation, tickets, fees, travel card statement and other documentation) must be scanned and uploaded to the electronic travel voucher system or attached to paper travel vouchers.  In addition, Form DS-4087, Authorization Request for Premium Class Air Travel, must be downloaded from myData or scanned and uploaded to the electronic travel system, if applicable.  Travelers may be requested to provide a receipt or receipts and substantiate or provide justification to clarify and validate any claimed expense or expenses that the bureau, office, post, or certifying officer determines is necessary to process the claim, regardless of amount.

4 FAM 465.1-3  Approving Official’s Responsibility

a. Before a voucher claiming reimbursement of travel expenses is presented for certification by the certifying officer, the voucher must be administratively approved by an official (see 4 FAM 424 ) who has a requisite personal knowledge that the travel was performed by the traveler during the period claimed or who is responsible for supervising the traveler.  The supervising official is to ascertain that any leave (annual or sick) taken while in travel status is being properly reported on the employee’s leave record and that no claim for reimbursement is being made for the period of leave on the travel voucher.

b. Administrative approval confirms that the traveler made the authorized trip and performed the expected official duties.

c.  Administrative approval of the travel vouchers by approving officials must be completed within 2 workdays of the traveler submitting the voucher.

d. When approving travel vouchers, officials who have been delegated authority to authorize or approve are required to ensure upon completion of travel that:

(1)  The travel was performed as directed;

(2)  The items of expense claimed are appropriate, reasonable, and in accordance with applicable regulations.  The following items should be approved in advance on the travel orders and annotated in the remarks section of the voucher: authorizing actuals, excess baggage (exceeding the weight, size, or quantity limit for “authorized luggage”), use of a rental car, larger size of rental car, early/late check in, and when granted, the use of personal credit card along with the reimbursable expenses and fees;

(3)  Funds have been obligated to pay for the travel; and

(4)  Outstanding travel advances related to the specific travel voucher have been subtracted from the net amount.

4 FAM 465.1-4  Voucher Review for Leave

The approving official should review each voucher to ascertain that any leave (annual or sick) taken while in travel status by the employee is being properly reported on the employee’s Time and Attendance record and the Department’s electronic travel system and that no claim for reimbursement is being made for the period of leave.

4 FAM 465.1-5  Voucher Review for Approval

Prior to certification, each travel reimbursement voucher is examined to ascertain that the following information is provided:

(1)  Dates for expenses incurred :  The travel expenses incurred by the employee or family member, or other traveler are for the period of travel stated in the travel authorization.  When the travel authorization directs attendance at meetings or conferences, the traveler may schedule the arrival for the day prior to and departure for the day after the conference.  Additional days before arrival and/or departure are for personal convenience and will be at the traveler’s expense.

      If the date of departure or return differs by more than 2 days from the date authorized on the original travel authorization, then the travel authorization must be amended.  An amendment to the travel authorization will also be required if the amount claimed exceeds the estimated expenses by $250 or more, and if the increased amount is beyond the traveler’s control, the amendment will state, “additional amounts claimed were erroneously omitted”;

(2)  Claimed amounts :  The amounts claimed on the voucher must be proper and in accordance with the applicable regulations as cited on the travel authorization, provisions of law, this regulation, or other applicable regulations;

(3)  Partial reimbursement vouchers :  Travelers must submit a partial reimbursement voucher for each 30 consecutive calendar days of reimbursable travel or training;

(4)  Amount payable to the traveler :  The amount allowed for interim payment or final settlement of a voucher, less any outstanding travel advance, is the amount to be certified as payable to the traveler;

(5)  Fiscal year charged :  The fiscal year being charged as shown on the travel authorization.

4 FAM 465.2  Prepayment Examination of Vouchers/Claims

Prior to certification, each travel reimbursement voucher is examined according to voucher audit standards.  These standards include internal audits contained in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software used to automate the generation and processing of travel vouchers, as well as edits and controls present in the Department’s financial management system(s) that process payment data from feeder systems.

4 FAM 465.3  Statistical Sampling

The audit of travel vouchers may be statistically sampled as required by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).  This includes the Department conducting post payment audits.

4 FAM 465.4  Certification for Payment of Approved Claims

All processed travel vouchers are certified for payment in accordance with 4 FAM 430 , on Voucher and Schedule of Payments or the electronic equivalent generated by the Department’s financial management system(s).  Certified payments are forwarded to Treasury or the servicing U.S. disbursing officer, according to 4 FAM 434 .  Vouchers are payable in U.S. dollars, except in foreign areas, locally employed staff are reimbursed in accordance with local currency laws or prevailing practice.

4 FAM 465.5  Residual Debit Card Balances

Locally employed staff advanced U.S. dollars for travel outside of their home country, who have U.S. dollar balances remaining on their U.S. debit card must first use the residual balances to liquidate any outstanding advance in accordance with the procedures necessary to settle their travel advance, see Chapter 7 of the Cashier User Guide.  Residual balances owed to the traveler will be paid in local currency.

4 FAM 465.6  Suspensions and Disallowances

Travelers must indicate on their voucher the total amount being claimed and the amount of any advance to be applied in determining the net amount due the traveler.  The voucher examiner or certifying officer must furnish the traveler an explanation, within the remarks of the Global e-Travel (GeT/E2) application, of any differences between the amount claimed and the amount approved for payment.  Travelers should review the remarks within GeT/E2 for information about disallowed expenses.  When the traveler has evidence (receipt) as support for or objects to a suspended or disallowed amount, the traveler may submit a reclaim voucher to which the evidence or an explanation is attached.

4 FAM 466  Congressional Travel

a. 22 U.S.C. 1754 authorizes using local currencies overseas for transportation, per diem, and other expenses for foreign travel for Members of Congress and congressional staff.  This authority establishes the appropriation to be charged as well as the authorizations and restrictions that are applicable to congressional delegations (CODEL) or staff delegations (STAFFDEL).

b. Particular procedures pertain to congressional travel only and include the rates to be paid, manner of payment, accounts charged, authorizations required, use and exchange of foreign currencies, and related reporting requirements.  For more detailed guidance, please see the Congressional Travel Reference Guide ALDAC, regularly updated by the Bureau of Legislative Affairs (H).

4 FAM 466.1  Authorization and Notification of Funds

4 FAM 466.1-1  Authorization Letter

a. The authorization (letter) required for purposes of 4 FAM 466 may be provided by the:

(1)  Speaker of the House of Representatives in the case of a member or employee of the House;

(2)  Chairman of a standing or select committee of the House of Representatives in the case of a member or employee of that committee;

(3)  President of the Senate, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Majority Leader of the Senate, or the Minority Leader of the Senate, in the case of a member or employee of the Senate;

(4)  Chairman of a standing, select, or special committee of the Senate in the case of a member or employee of that committee or of an employee of a member of that committee; or

(5)  Chairman of a joint committee of the Congress in the case of a member or employee of that committee.

b. The authorization provided is the sole authority for financing the three basic elements of congressional travel (transportation, per diem, and other official expenses).  The authorization letter will specify the members of the delegation and the destination countries.  Changes in delegation composition or the country of destination must be specifically sanctioned in writing by the authorizer.

4 FAM 466.1-2  Notification of Post

a. The Department’s Congressional Travel Office (CTO) in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs (H/CTO) has been designated to oversee management of funds provided by Congress to support Congressional travel and to provide definitive guidance on all administrative issues related to such travel.  For each visit, CTO will send one or more cables to post which will provide accounting fiscal data and payment instructions for per diem, transportation, and other expenses in strict conformity with Congressional authorization letter(s).  The cable is the sole authority for financing Congressional travel and cannot be transferred between posts.  CTO cannot send the final authorization cable, including passenger manifest and fiscal data, until the Department receives the appropriate Congressional authorization letter(s).

b. The authorization may only be transmitted to posts by H, as the cable constitutes the legal authority to incur expenses to provide the support requested by the delegation.  Posts do not have this authority until the cable has been received from H.

4 FAM 466.2  Funding of Congressional Accounts

a. The Department administers the following congressional accounts at the request of and on behalf of the Congress:

b. Although the Department administers these accounts, they are not Department of State funds.  The authorizing statute, 22 U.S.C. 1754, assigns the responsibility for the use of these funds and their accountability to the Congress.  Thus, neither the Department in Washington, Charleston, nor any post abroad may incur any obligation for services to or finances for any Congressional Delegation (CODEL) or Staff Delegation (STAFFDEL) member not covered by a specific congressional authorization.

4 FAM 466.3  Per Diem and Other Expenses

4 FAM 466.3-1  Per Diem Allowed

a. Official Congressional travelers receive a per diem allowance, which is calculated as the sum of the applicable lodging reimbursement, plus the applicable meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) rate.  Such allowances are published in chapter 925, Per Diem Supplement to the DSSR (Government Civilians, Foreign Areas).  The authorizing statute, 22 U.S.C. 1754, further specifies that Congressional travelers receive in local currency owned by the United States an amount not to exceed the equivalent of $75 per day per person or the maximum per diem allowance established under the authority of 5 U.S.C. Chapter 57, subchapter I, for employees of the U.S. Government while traveling in a foreign country (the locality of travel), whichever is greater, exclusive of the actual cost of transportation. 

b. When no lodging cost is incurred (e.g., the traveler stays in no-fee U.S. Government quarters or in a private residence), the traveler is entitled only to the greater of either $75 or the M&IE rate.  In all instances, a minimum of $75 should be disbursed.

c.  When the Congressional authorizer specifically requests enhanced per diem to cover exceptional subsistence expenses, including lodging, deriving from special or unusual circumstances, the authorization cable must state explicitly the maximum per diem allowance and enhanced rate authorized.  In these instances, the enhanced per diem must be calculated as three hundred percent of the otherwise applicable per diem.

d. When no lodging costs are incurred but special circumstances have led the congressional authorizer to request an enhanced M&IE, the latter must be calculated as three hundred percent of the otherwise applicable M&IE rate or a lesser amount as specified by H in conformity with the Congressional authorization letter(s).

e. When post pays for meals, including in a representational capacity, for Congressional travelers receiving per diem, post is entitled to reimbursement.  However, post should not automatically deduct such costs from individual Congressional travelers’ M&IE without consulting first with the delegation and/or H/CTO.  While Members and staff are expected to pay their pro rata shares for official meals, the time and manner of such payment requires discussion with each delegation, as the House of Representatives and Senate follow separate rules and practices in this area.

f.  Posts are to disburse per diem monies in local currencies for each night spent in the country of jurisdiction.  If U.S. currency is specifically required to pay hotel expenses, or has been specifically provided for or requested in the authorizing cable, posts are authorized to disburse in dollars.  Posts with adequate U.S. dollar reserves may be requested to disburse dollars to the travelers to cover per diem for subsequent stops.

g. Per diem is computed on a full-day basis and is paid at the rate where the traveler is located at midnight.  Disbursements to congressional travelers are not advances and are not paid at the 80-percent limit applied to Executive Branch travelers.

4 FAM 466.3-2  Other Services

a. When “other services” are authorized, expenses for the following may be incurred on demand, without additional specific authorization, and are chargeable to the appropriate congressional account and sub-object code 2168:

(1)  Car and/or bus rental, including support vehicles;

(2)  Taxis, Ubers, and other “for hire” transportation paid by Embassy staff in support of the Congressional visit;

(3)  Control room(s), rental of office equipment (e.g., computers, printers, copiers, scanners or fax machines);

(4)  Supplies and publications;

(5)  Official long-distance phone calls, Embassy tie-lines; Internet access and Wi-Fi;

(6)  Support-related overtime pay;

(7)  Airport expeditors;

(8)  Interpreters and translators;

(9)  Wreaths and flowers for ceremonial purposes; and

(10) Shipping and mailing costs for official materials.

b. Unusual and extraordinary expenses require specific authorization from the congressional authorizer.  Such expenses are:

(1)  Charter of aircraft, including use of Embassy Air assets;

(2)  Purchase of airline tickets on foreign carriers;

(3)  Reciprocal hospitality functions;

(4)  Photographers or security guards; 

(5)  Special meeting rooms other than control rooms; and

(6)  Costs for post personnel travel and per diem while outside their duty station in support of Congressional travel.

c.  All anticipated Embassy support costs must be included in a cost estimate prepared for review by the Congressional authorizer of record before the delegation leaves the United States.  To ensure a timely review of the cost estimate, H will advise of its due date via email or cable.  If no due date is provided, post should send its cost estimate to H at least five days before the delegation leaves the United States. 

4 FAM 466.3-3  Accommodation Exchange

Upon departure of CODELs and STAFFDELs, unused local currencies disbursed to travelers from one of the two congressional funds may be converted to U.S. dollars through reverse accommodation exchange.  Final accountability for such conversions rests with the individual traveler.  Unspent monies disbursed and charged against either 00X0188.1 (Senate) or 00X0488.1 (House) may, at the option of the traveler, be returned at post for credit to the charged account.

4 FAM 466.4  Accounting and Reporting for Congressional Travel

4 FAM 466.4-1  Accounting Fiscal Data

a. Authorization cables provide the accounting fiscal data for obligating and liquidating charges and consist of an appropriation/allotment/obligation number.  Sub-objects, which are not included in the authorization cable but must be used for post level liquidations and reporting, are:

2167 for per diem; and

2168 for other official expenses.

Posts are to use only the above sub-objects; no other sub-objects apply:

(1)  Voucher documents supporting transactions must indicate full accounting data as shown in the authorization cable as well as the sub-object code; and

(2)  Expenditure amounts must be reported in U.S. dollars only.  For Foreign Service accountability (FSA) accounts, the USDO must process the charges and credits to the proper appropriation(s), as reported on Form SF-1221, Statement of Transactions According To Appropriations, Funds, and Receipt Accounts (Foreign Service Account). 

b. Any funds originally charged to 00X0188.1 (Senate) or 00X0488.1 (House) that are returned should be credited back to the proper account and obligation number.

4 FAM 466.4-2  Reporting

a. The Department is obliged to report promptly and fully to the Congress the itemized charges associated with support for foreign congressional travel, in order for Congress to meet its statutory reporting obligations pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 1754.  Posts must report within 15 days all disbursements of per diem or payments for lodging for each traveler, as well as itemizing the expenditures for authorized other services.  All expenditure reporting must be in U.S. dollars.

b. The information must be cabled to the Department: Attention H, with a copy to the Office of Accounting Operations (CGFS/F/AO).  EXCEPTION:  When the travel is incident to travel by members or staff of the State-Foreign Operations Subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the information should be cabled to the Department: Attention M, with a copy to CGFS/F/AO.

c.  All supporting documentation must be retained at post and not sent to either the Department or Congress in Washington.

d. The following examples are the required cable report format for all funded Congressional travel:

(1)  Expenditures for CODEL Jones visit to (post name), (dates of visit);

(2)  Per diem—00X0488.1-2089-0H0489-2167 $ 1,900.00:

(break out Lodging and M&IE by Congressional traveler or provide a chart showing lodging, M&IE, and subtotals by traveler)

(3)  Per diem returned unspent (Jones) $ 100.00;

(4)  Other Expenses—00X0488.1-2089-0H0489-2168 $ 3,455.00:

(a)  Control Room $ 225.00

(b)  Overtime Local Staff $ 325.00

(c)  Representational event with civil society $ 500.00

(d)  Interpreters $ 120.00

(e)  Rental of Vehicles $ 485.00

(f)   Train/Rail Tickets for CODEL $ 200.00 (break out by Congressional traveler if possible)

(i)     Jones ($50)

(ii)    Adams ($50)

(iii)    Jefferson ($50)

(iv)   Smith ($50)

(g)  Train/Rail Tickets for Embassy staff $ 100.00 (break out by Embassy traveler is not required unless later requested by Capitol Hill)

(h)  In-country flights (Helo/Airplane) for CODEL $1,000.00 (break out by Congressional traveler if possible)

(i)     Jones ($250)

(ii)    Adams ($250)

(iii)    Jefferson ($250)

(iv)   Smith ($250)

(i)   In-country flights (Helo/Airplane) for Embassy staff $500.00 (break out by Embassy traveler not required unless later requested by Capitol Hill)

4 FAM 467  special travel provisions

4 FAM 467.1  Educational Travel

4 FAM 467.1-1  Scope

This section sets forth the policies and procedures for the acceptance and use of payments for the educational travel allowance.  This allowance permits one round trip annually between a school attended and the foreign post of assignment.  This benefit is primarily intended to reunite a full-time post-secondary student attending college (including the post-baccalaureate level), technical or vocational school with the employee/parent serving the U.S. Government in the foreign area.  Educational travel can commence from either the school or the post, but only one round trip between school and post is allowed annually.

4 FAM 467.1-2  Payment Guidelines

a. Payment or reimbursement of expenses incurred for educational travel, when authorized in accordance with 14 FAM 532.5 , may include actual expenses for transportation for the dependent child, authorized per diem at the maximum applicable rate for the authorized designated location locality rate of the school, and transportation expenses for unaccompanied air baggage (UAB), up to the weight allowance of 113 gross kilograms, or 250 pounds.

b. Employees whose dependents have been authorized educational travel may elect to store the dependent’s UAB at or in the vicinity of the dependent’s school in lieu of transporting the UAB back to the employee’s duty station during visits to post.  Refer to 14 FAM 500 , 14 FAM 600 , and Department of State Standardized Regulation (DSSR) 285.1 for applicable guidelines regarding the cost of storage that may be claimed.  When choosing this option, employees are responsible for making arrangements with a local storage facility and must pay all fees directly to the storage facility.

c.  Employees should refer to 14 FAM 610 and 14 FAM 620 before electing storage as an option over shipping a dependent’s UAB and must consult with post concerning documentation required for reimbursement.  The employee is also responsible for obtaining an estimate for shipping the UAB to determine the maximum amount of reimbursement of storage vs. shipment of UAB.  Claims for storage of UAB will be restricted to the lesser of the constructive cost of shipping UAB or costs of storing the UAB.

d. The employee should request reimbursement for authorized Educational Travel expenses using the established electronic travel system at post, whenever available; otherwise via Form DS-189, Travel Reimbursement Voucher.  The reimbursement request must include all necessary receipts and reference the authorization detailed on the post assignment travel orders.  The fiscal data charged for paying the claim will be the accounting data on the educational travel orders issued by the post for this post-funded expense.  These data must include the post allotment code, the associated appropriation symbol used to fund the educational travel, the obligation number, and budget object code 2162 (the code assigned to educational travel), as well as other relevant accounting data associated with educational travel orders.

4 FAM 467.2  Certain Gifts of Travel and Travel Expenses

4 FAM 467.2-1  Scope

a. This section sets forth the policies and procedures for the acceptance and use of payments for travel, subsistence, and related expenses from non-Federal sources in connection with official travel of employees at certain meetings and similar functions and on other occasions when travel expenses are paid by non-Federal sources.  Employees should refer to 2 FAM 962.12 for the standards to be used for approving and accepting such travel as a gift to the Department.  In some circumstances, the Department may receive payments in connection with the attendance of an accompanying spouse, as set forth in 2 FAM 962.12 .

b. This section does not authorize acceptance of such payments by an employee or accompanying spouse of an employee in their personal capacity.

c.  This section does not authorize solicitation by an employee or the Department from a non-Federal source for the covered travel.  Employees may inform non-Federal sources that there is either no or insufficient travel funds for the employee to participate in proposed travel.

4 FAM 467.2-2  Authority

a. 31 U.S.C. 1353 provides authority for agencies to accept payments from non-Federal sources in connection with the funding of official travel for meetings or similar functions.  Payments can only be accepted from non-Federal sources by the Department if they are for “travel, subsistence, and related expenses,” as outlined in this chapter.

b. 5 U.S.C. 5701; 5 U.S.C. 5709.

c.  41 CFR 301 and 41 CFR 304.

d. 22 U.S.C. 2697 provides authority for the Secretary of State to accept gifts (unconditional and conditional), to include a gift of travel expenses.  In circumstances where gift of travel expenses cannot be accepted under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 1353, the Department may accept them under the general gift acceptance authority of the Secretary of State as implemented in 2 FAM 960 .

4 FAM 467.2-3  Definitions

Conflicting non-Federal source :  Any person or entity other than the Government of the United States, when a Department-authorizing official determines that acceptance of a donation from such a source under the circumstances would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of all the relevant facts to question the integrity of Department programs and operations.

Meeting or similar function :  A conference, seminar, speaking engagement, training course, or similar event that takes place away from the employee’s official duty station and is sponsored or cosponsored by a non-Federal source (see 2 FAM 962.12 , paragraph d ).

Non-Federal source :  Any person or entity other than the Government of the United States and includes any individual, private, or commercial entity, nonprofit organization or association, state, local, or foreign government, or international or multinational organization.

Payment :  Funds paid for travel, subsistence, and related expenses by check or similar instrument to the Department or payment in kind.

Payment in kind :  Goods, services, or other benefits provided by a non-Federal source for travel, subsistence, and related expenses in lieu of funds paid to the Department by check or similar instrument for the same purpose.

Travel, subsistence, and related expenses :  The same types of expenses payable under the provisions of 14 FAM 500 , and when applicable, 41 CFR Chapter 301 of the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) or volume 1 of the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR).

4 FAM 467.2-4  Delegation of Authority

The authority to approve acceptance of payment has been delegated to the management counselor at post for travel within the country of assignment and to the relevant bureau executive director for travel outside of a country of assignment and for all travel of employees stationed in Washington, DC.  Any gift for the travel of a person to whom authority has been delegated must be approved at the next higher level.  See 2 FAM 962.12 , paragraph b.

4 FAM 467.2-5  Conditions for Acceptance of Payments for Employee Travel

The authorized agency official must make certain determinations before payment can be accepted for an employee’s travel under this authority.  (See 2 FAM 962.12 , subparagraph d(1)).  Further, the Department-authorizing official must determine if the non-Federal source is disqualified on conflict-of-interest grounds.  Relevant factors are included in 2 FAM 962.12 , subparagraph d(3).

4 FAM 467.2-6  Payment From a Non-Federal Source Not Sponsoring the Event

In addition to accepting payment from a non-Federal source that is sponsoring the event, payments may also be accepted from a non-Federal source that does not have an interest in the subject matter of the meeting or similar function.  The payment must be provided in kind and consist of the types of services the non-Federal source generally provides, such as air passenger transportation services by commercial airline.  Payments can be accepted from more than one non-Federal source in connection with a single event so long as the total of such payments does not exceed the total cost of the trip.  Department-authorizing officials must make independent determinations for each non-Federal entity that is providing travel expenses.

4 FAM 467.2-7  Spousal Travel

a. Department-authorizing officials may approve acceptance of payment under this part from a non-Federal source for an accompanying spouse.  Requests must be submitted for approval to the Office of the Legal Adviser Office of Ethics and Financial Disclosure (L/EFD).  A determination must first be made that the spouse’s presence at the meeting or similar function is appropriate consistent with the standards and procedural requirements of 14 FAM 532.1 – Family Travel for Representational Purposes.

b. The accompanying spouse must not be deemed a U.S. Government employee for any purpose other than eligibility for payment of travel, subsistence, and related expenses. 

4 FAM 467.2-8  Payment Guidelines

a. Payment other than in kind:  Authorized payments from a non-Federal source for an employee and/or accompanying spouse, other than payments in kind, must be by check or similar instrument made payable to the Department of State and should be received by the employee or accompanying spouse on behalf of the Department.  Neither the employee nor the spouse is authorized to receive cash, a check, or a similar instrument made payable to the traveler.

b. Immediately give all checks or similar instruments to the appropriate Department official authorized to accept such payment for approval.  They will promptly forward it to the Department’s banking lockbox operation for deposit to the Department’s credit.  The Global Financial Operations Directorate (CGFS/F) will receive the standardized check deposit memorandum for the deposit and will record the credit to the Department’s financial system as a credit to the Department’s salaries and expenses appropriation or other appropriate account pursuant to the authority in 31 U.S.C. 1353(a).  These deposits will be credited at the appropriation level and will be allotted subsequently to the elements incurring the travel costs.

c.  When the acceptance of payment has been approved in advance, the agency may accept payment in excess of applicable limitations for travel in the continental United States or in non-foreign areas (per diem or actual expense allowances established in the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) for travel in the continental U.S. and by the Secretary of Defense in the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) for travel in non-foreign areas).  Under this arrangement, the non-Federal source must pay the full amount of the subsistence expenses at issue, and the accommodation or other benefit furnished must be comparable in value to that offered to or purchased by other similarly situated individuals attending the meeting.  When the applicable limitation will be exceeded, payment should be required in advance of the travel.

d. Payment in kind:  Generally, payment in kind from a non-Federal source may be accepted in excess of the limitations under the applicable travel regulations, provided that the non-Federal source pays the full amount of the subsistence expenses at issue, and the accommodation or other benefit is comparable in value to that offered to, or purchased by, other similarly situated individuals attending the meeting or similar function.  However, employees may not accept first-class, common carrier accommodations unless specifically approved by the Department.

e. Offer of free travel after official travel begins:  In circumstances where an authorizing official has approved the acceptance of a gift of travel, employees can accept additional travel expenses from the same non-Federal source if the expenses paid or provided in kind are comparable in value to other meeting attendees and there was no disapproval by the Department for these particular expenses.  In circumstances where the gift of travel expenses was not approved in advance (e.g., a hotel room is compensated but not known until the employee checks out of the hotel), authorized expenses may be accepted by submitting the facts and circumstances to the approving authority within 7 working days after the trip ends.  If the gift of travel is not approved, reimbursement to the donor will be required as described in 41 CFR 304-3.13(b)(3).

4 FAM 467.2-9  Travel Authorization

The employee and the spouse must travel pursuant to official Department of State travel authorizations in order to use payments covered by this section.

4 FAM 467.2-10  Reimbursement to Employee or Accompanying Spouse

a. Each employee or spouse on whose behalf a payment has been accepted under this chapter must file a travel claim on an authorized reimbursement form.  The employee or spouse will be reimbursed for expenditures in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation or analogous provisions of the FAM and Joint Travel Regulations.

b. For purposes of filing a travel reimbursement claim, payments in kind for otherwise reimbursable expenses (such as transportation or lodging) are treated as if furnished by the U.S. Government.

4 FAM 467.2-11  Reporting

a. Semi-annual reports of payments, including payments in kind, of more than $250 accepted under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 1353 (see 2 FAM 962.12 , subparagraph d(1)) must be submitted to L/EFD.  That office must submit reports to the Office of Government Ethics by May 31 of each year with respect to payments in the preceding period beginning on October 1 and ending on March 31; and November 30 of each year for payments received beginning on April 1 and ending September 30.

b. For each event where payment in excess of $250 was accepted for an employee, the bureau executive directors and post management counselors should complete and submit a Form SF-326, Semiannual Report of Payments Accepted from a Non-Federal Source, to L/EFD.

c.  The Form SF-326 should contain the following information:

(1)  Each event for which payment of more than $250 is accepted, including the event’s description, sponsor, location, date;

(2)  The names of each employee and spouse (if applicable) for which such payment was accepted, including the employee’s position and dates of travel;

(3)  The identity of the non-Federal source from which payment was accepted; and

(4)  An itemization of the benefits accepted that includes a description of the type of benefit, the value, and whether it was provided by check or in kind.

d. Gift of travel expenses approved under 2 FAM 962.12 , subparagraph d ( 2 ), do not have to be reported on Form SF-326, but would instead be reported through the Gift Fund Registry.  See 2 FAM 964 .  Questions concerning whether travel is reportable should be provided to L/EFD.

4 FAM 467.2-12  Promotional Materials/Compensation for Poor Service

a. In general, OPM regulations at 5 CFR 2635.204(c)(3) provide that “an employee may not accept for personal use any benefit to which the Government is entitled as the result of an expenditure of Government funds.”  However, there are particular laws and regulations relating to travel benefits.

b. Consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation at 41 CFR 301-53.2 and Public Law 107-107, employees can retain for their personal use any promotional benefits or materials received from a travel service provider in connection with official travel if such items are obtained under the same conditions as those offered to the general public and at no additional cost to the Government.  This includes but is not limited to both frequent flyer miles and “hotel points.”

c.  Promotional benefits or materials you receive from a travel service provider in connection with your planning and/or scheduling an official conference or other group travel (as opposed to performing official travel yourself) are considered property of the Government, and you may only accept the benefits or materials on behalf of the Federal Government.

d. If you are involuntarily denied a confirmed reserved seat on a plane while on official travel, any payment you receive for liquidated damages must be given to the Federal Government.  However, if you are offered compensation in exchange for voluntarily vacating your seat, you may accept such compensation for personal use as long as:

(1)  Voluntarily vacating your seat will not interfere with performing your official duties;

(2)  Additional travel expenses incurred as a result of vacating your seat are borne by you and are not reimbursed; and

(3)  You are charged with annual leave to the extent your volunteering delays your travel during duty hours.

e. With regard to other forms of compensation for poor service as a result of official travel, consult L/EFD and the Office of the Legal Adviser Office of Management (L/M).

4 FAM 468  THROUGH 469 UNASSIGNED

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Reference manual 7 - chapter 7: reimbursement.

(See DO-7, § 7)

Note: This page contains Chapter 7 of Reference Manual 7 (RM-7) that accompanies Director's Order 7, Volunteers-In-Parks. Users of RM-7 are strongly encouraged to check this page for updates before utilizing previously viewed, printed, or downloaded materials.

Reimbursement Policy

The NPS has the authority to reimburse volunteers for actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of VIP activities. Out-of-pocket expenses may include:

• Transportation
• Subsistence (food, water, laundry, etc., as designated in policy)
• Incidental expenses

Wages, stipends, honorariums, and/or living allowances are not considered eligible reimbursement costs. Per the “Fair Labor Standards Act” and IRS guidance, parks and programs cannot give volunteers a “flat rate” daily, weekly, or monthly reimbursement, stipend, or per diem.

It is important to note that reimbursement is not mandatory. The NPS is not obligated to provide any reimbursement to volunteers for any purpose. Reimbursements are meant to offset the personal cost of volunteering. They are not constrained to the physical park boundaries as long as the volunteer is performing the duties in the volunteer service agreement.

All reimbursements must be made in accordance with current IRS guidelines.

Food reimbursement can include volunteer expenses incurred while purchasing food from a restaurant or similar type food vendor and the customary tip for the location (not to exceed 20 percent). Reimbursement of food purchased at grocery or similar type stores is allowable; however, reimbursement must be limited to expenses that are reasonably necessary while the employee is on volunteer assignment (e.g., the volunteer cannot be reimbursed for the equivalent of one month of food when he/she is only serving as a volunteer for one week). The reimbursement of alcohol, tobacco, or similar products is prohibited.

Volunteers may only receive per diem meal reimbursement through invitational travel (see Claiming Reimbursement ).

Other Incidental Expenses

Volunteers may receive reimbursement for incidental expenses directly related to the operation of the volunteer program, such as medical exams (when required for specific positions), fingerprints, volunteer training tuition and materials, uniforms and costumes, special tools, and equipment. Whenever possible, supplies and materials for volunteers should be purchased with an NPS purchase card, instead of volunteers making supply purchases with their own funds or credit cards.

Establish Park/Program Reimbursement Policy

Superintendent/Manager have the discretion to determine which reimbursements will be authorized and may set a limit or not-to-exceed amount on what volunteers may claim. Each park and program, therefore, should create a local reimbursement policy and include it in the volunteer service agreement. Reimbursement rates must be at or below the local per diem rate.

Per the Fair Labor Standards Act and IRS guidance, parks and programs cannot give volunteers a “flat rate” daily, weekly, or monthly reimbursement, stipend, or per diem. For example, the NPS cannot give the volunteer $20 a day for lunch with the expectation or assumption that they will or did spend $20. However, the NPS can reimburse a volunteer $20 (the local limit) for a $25 lunch expense incurred while volunteering if they have a receipt.

Claiming Reimbursement

There are two methods for reimbursing volunteers:

• Invitational travel, through Federal Travel Regulations ( FTR, 41 CFR 300–304 )
• SF-1164, through 54 USC 102301(b)

Each method has different requirements, processes, and documentation. The highlights of each method are summarized in the following chart, with additional explanation below. In all cases, accurate and current records of expenditures must be maintained.

Whenever possible, purchases should be made through the government procurement process rather than directly by the volunteer.

Reimbursement Requirements

For the purpose of reimbursement, each volunteer service agreement should include the following information:

• Volunteer’s name
• Volunteer’s permanent home address, or if the volunteer’s permanent home address is a mobile home, the statement “volunteer resides in a mobile home”
• Volunteer’s duty station and address
• Date or dates the individual will be serving as a volunteer
• If being reimbursed under 54 USC 102301(b), a listing of what expenses may be reimbursed to the volunteer and any limitations to the volunteer’s reimbursement (e.g., reimbursement limited to $20 a day)
• The following statement: “I agree that I have not accepted, and will not accept, duplicate reimbursement for relocation expenses from public or private sources. Furthermore, to the best of my knowledge, no third party has accepted duplicate reimbursement for my relocation expenses.”

Travel Status

Travel status (“away from home” versus “not away from home”) determines what volunteers may be reimbursed for. In accordance with the local reimbursement policy, when the volunteer will receive reimbursement, the park or program must designate a duty station within the volunteer service agreement that will also serve as the home of record. Determination of duty station is important when determining whether a volunteer is “away from home” or “not away from home,” because volunteers who are given park housing (such as dorm, yurt, camper pad, trailer, etc.) must not also be reimbursed as if they are traveling.

Away from Home

For reimbursement purposes, a volunteer is considered “away from home” when all of the following situations exist:

• The volunteer’s residence while volunteering is greater than 50 miles from the duty station.
• The volunteer cannot reasonably commute to and from their residence to the duty station on a daily basis without requiring overnight travel or stopping for substantial sleep or rest.
• The volunteer’s primary residence is not a recreational vehicle, travel trailer, or similar home without a permanent physical address. A permanent address must be a habitable structure, not a mailing address.

When a volunteer is considered “away from home,” the following reimbursement standards apply:

• Mileage: Mileage for commuting from a residence to an assigned duty station is reimbursed based on the prevailing IRS mileage rate for charitable service. Mileage for on-duty travel (when a government vehicle is not available) may be reimbursed at the charitable rate, or the volunteer may be put on invitational travel and be reimbursed at the standard federal mileage rates.
• Other Transportation Costs: In addition to mileage, the actual cost of tolls, ferries, public transportation services, and similar types of expenses may be reimbursed. Under the “away from home” category, volunteers can be reimbursed for their airfare costs using either of the methods shown in the chart.
• Meals: Volunteers who are “away from home” may be reimbursed for the actual cost of meals, up to the “meals and incidental expenses” (M&IE) portion of the federal per diem rate or specific park or program limit. In limited situations, meals may be provided for the volunteer by the government (see NPS-Provided Food for additional information).
• Lodging and Related Expenses: Volunteers “away from home” may be reimbursed for the actual cost of lodging and related expenses, up to the lodging portion of the federal per diem rate or specific park or program limit. The NPS may also provide housing directly to volunteers without billing them.

Not Away from Home

For reimbursement purposes, a volunteer is considered “not away from home” in any of the following situations:

• The volunteer’s residence while volunteering is less than 50 miles from the volunteer work site. If the volunteer has been provided housing in the park, their assigned housing becomes their residence for purposes of duty station.
• The volunteer can reasonably commute to and from their residence to the work site on a daily basis without requiring overnight travel or stopping for substantial sleep or rest.
• The volunteer’s primary residence is a recreational vehicle, travel trailer, or similar home without a permanent physical address. A permanent address must be a habitable structure, not a mailing address.

When a volunteer is considered “not away from home,” the following reimbursement standards apply:

• Mileage: Mileage for commuting from a residence to an assigned duty station is reimbursable based on the prevailing IRS mileage rate for charitable service, at the discretion of the Superintendent/Manager. Mileage for on-duty travel (when a government vehicle is not available) may be reimbursed at the prevailing charitable rate, or the volunteer may be put on invitational travel and be reimbursed at the prevailing GSA rate.
• Other Transportation Costs: In addition to mileage, the actual cost of tolls, ferries, public transportation services, and similar types of expenses may be reimbursed.
• Meals: Volunteers who are “not away from home” may not receive reimbursement for meals. In limited situations, meals may be provided for the volunteer by the government (see NPS-Provided Food ).
• Lodging and Related Expenses: Volunteers “not away from home” may not receive reimbursement for lodging and related expenses. In some limited situations, however, lodging and related expenses may be provided by the government for volunteers who are “not away from home” (e.g., if a volunteer is in a position that requires them to be on call 24/7 or if a volunteer is performing work in the backcountry, and it is not practical for the volunteer to return home each evening).

Volunteers who fall under the “not away from home” category can be reimbursed only using SF-1164. The volunteer must provide receipts for any expenses (regardless of the amount) to receive reimbursement.

Reimbursement Process

Option 1: invitational travel.

Only volunteers in “away from home” status may be placed on invitational travel. When a volunteer is placed on an invitational travel authorization, they are reimbursed in accordance with the DOI TDY policy. The volunteer must be given an invitational travel letter that clearly states the types of reimbursement the volunteer may receive and, if applicable, any not-to-exceed limits. The volunteer will be placed in the online government travel system (currently Concur), and travel ceilings will apply. Consult DO-31, Section 6: Travel Policies and Procedures and your travel manager for more information.

Invitational travel reimbursement will be processed via electronic fund transfer (direct deposit). If air travel is necessary, tickets must be purchased directly by the NPS. Volunteer travel more than 50 miles beyond park boundaries that will not result in reimbursement may be authorized via a paper travel authorization request form (Form GSA87).

If a park or program establishes a per diem rate lower than the local standard, the rate will need to be manually adjusted in the travel system.

Reimbursements made to volunteers under invitational travel have the same requirements for audit purposes as an employee traveling on official business under a TDY authorization.

Option 2: SF-1164 under 54 USC 102301(b)

Form SF-1164 may be used to reimburse volunteers who are “not away from home” or “away from home.” Volunteer reimbursement made using SF-1164 should be coded under the Budget Object Code (BOC) 118C, Non-Federal Employee Compensation/Awards.

To initiate reimbursement using SF-1164:

• The volunteer provides banking information and submits a typed vendor request form to the Accounting Operations Center (AOC) (consult with budget personnel for more information).
• The statement “VIP reimbursement” on SF-1164
• An itemized listing of expenses, the date the expense was incurred, description of the expense (e.g., mileage on January 1 from residence to volunteer site), and the amount of reimbursement requested for each expense
• Volunteer’s signature
• Authorized approving official’s signature
• Receipt for each expense claimed for reimbursement
• Copy of the volunteer service agreement
• The volunteer signs page two of the claim.
• The supervisor provides an account number and signs page two, approving the claim and filling in the total amount. The supervisor provides an account number. The budget person signs the “Authorizing Certifying and Paying Officer” section on the second page.
• The vendor number is written on the first page of SF-1164.
• Budget staff submit the claim to AOC through FBMS.

Upon completion, volunteer supervisors must ensure all documentation meets NPS audit requirements.

Group Reimbursement

Groups also may claim reimbursement using SF-1164. Each group member must complete their own SF-1164 and vendor form, or the group leader may request reimbursement on behalf of a whole group and then distribute the reimbursement funds on their own.

Individual park and program procedures may vary; consult with budget personnel for more information.

Non-US Citizen Reimbursement

If the volunteer is not a US citizen or does not have a US bank account, they may apply for an EFT (electronic funds transfer) waiver. Budget staff can provide an EFT waiver form. The reimbursement process otherwise remains the same; however, instead of a direct deposit, AOC will issue a treasury check.

Last updated: December 19, 2023

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Moscow Travel Guide: Best Things to Do + More [2023]

· everything to know about visiting moscow, including the best things to do and how to get around. ·.

Moscow is Russia’s vibrant capital city, and it also happens to be the largest city in all of Europe. The city’s long and infamous history makes it one of the most unique places we have ever visited.

The architecture ranges from centuries-old palaces to uniform, gray concrete buildings. The people range from cold and private to warm and welcoming. Moscow is a city is strong juxtapositions, and we learned a lot during our time there.

This post will break down all you need to know about visiting Moscow, including the best things to do, how to get there, how to get around, and more.

The Best Things to Do in Moscow

1. explore the red square.

The Red Square is the heart of Moscow. Most of the city’s top attractions can be found here, including just about everything on this list. The Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and Lenin’s Mausoleum are all located here, and the State Historical Museum and GUM are not far from here, either.

The Red Square is a common home for parades, protests, and seasonal celebrations. There are massive Christmas celebrations here, with food vendors and carnival rides set up in numbers.

2. Check Out the Ziferblat

The Ziferblat is a café in Moscow that is unlike any café we have ever been to. While most cafes charge you for your drinks and food, the Ziferblat charges you for your time.

Upon arrival, you are given a clock. When you leave, the barista calculates how much time you spent in the café and charges you accordingly. This concept was created to help visitors to be more intentional with their time, and the cafe itself is incredibly charming.

For a detailed look at everything you need to know before you visit, make sure you read my post about visiting the Ziferblat Cafe in Moscow .

3. Marvel at St. Basil’s Cathedral

St. Basil’s Cathedral is one of the most iconic churches in the world, and it was the single thing we were most excited to see while in Moscow. Built almost 500 years ago, St. Basil’s Cathedral is recognized by its colorful domes and whimsical style. The church is of the Russian Orthodox faith, and the inside is just as wondrous as the outside.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is located on the edge of the Red Square, making it incredibly convenient to visit. Entrance for non-worshippers costs 800 rubles, and tickets can be bought at the church

4. Explore the Kremlin

The Kremlin is the largest active fortress in Europe, and it is the site of most of Russia’s government affairs. In addition to government buildings, the Kremlin Complex is filled with courtyards, towers, and museums that are open to the public. If you have the time, you could spend a couple of days fully exploring all that there is to see in the Kremlin.

5. Walk Through Lenin’s Mausoleum

Vladimir Lenin is one of the most important figures in Russian history, and his body is located perfectly embalmed in a mausoleum in the Red Square. The Mausoleum is open to the public to visit, and as long as you are willing to go through a few security checks, it is easily one of the best things to do in Moscow. Its convenient location in the Red Square makes it a can’t miss attraction.

There is absolutely no photography allowed inside the Mausoleum. Do not test this rule.

6. Wander Along Arbat Street

The Arbat is a very popular street in Moscow that is lined with stores, cafes, and other touristy attractions. It is one of the oldest streets in the city, dating back to the 1400s. This street is both quaint and trendy, and there are many walking tours that introduce tourists to the neighborhood’s wonders and highlights.

7. Catch a Show at the Bolshoi Theatre

As a lover of the arts, it is hard to think of Moscow and not think of ballet. Russia has always been a top dog in the world of fine arts, and Bolshoi Theater is one of the best places to catch a performance. We were lucky enough to attend an Opera here, and it is a venue that you don’t want to miss out on if you enjoy opera, ballet, or orchestral performances.

8. Visit the State Historical Museum

The State Historical Museum is one of the most respected museums in Moscow. Despite its name, it is not really focused on the history of Russia as a nation. Rather, it contains a collection of artifacts from all throughout Russia’s history.

The museum’s collection is very broad in nature. It houses some items from indigenous tribes that used to occupy the region, pieces collected by the Romanov family, and more.

9. Wander Around GUM

GUM is an absolutely massive mall within walking distance of the Red Square. It isn’t just the size that draws visitors here; it’s the sense of luxury. The mall is so beautiful inside, much like the metro stations.

While visiting a mall might not sound like it belongs on a bucket list, this mall does. You will not want to miss out on visiting GUM while in Moscow.

10. Admire the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

While St. Basil’s Cathedral is the most iconic church in Moscow, it isn’t the only one. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is absolutely stunning, with massive golden domes. It is the tallest Orthodox church in the world, and it is the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow.

It is located just about a mile from the Red Square, just south of the Kremlin Complex. You can walk to it from the Red Square in about 20 minutes.

How to Get to Moscow

Flying to moscow.

Moscow has three major international airports: Sheremetyevo (SVO) , Domodedovo (DMO) , and Vnukovo (VKO) . All three of them are directly connected to downtown Moscow by the Aeroexpress trains, which leave every 30 minutes throughout the day. By Aeroexpress train, you can expect to get to the city center in 25-45 minutes depending on the airport that you fly into.

Sheremetyevo is the biggest and busiest of the three airports, and it is the one you are most likely to fly into – especially if you are coming from outside of Europe or the Caucus region. We flew into Sheremetyevo on a direct flight from New York City.

I usually provide backup airport options, because flying right into the city isn’t always the cheapest way to get where you’re going. Unfortunately, when it comes to Moscow, don’t really have a choice other than to fly right into Moscow. It is a very remote city, and it is usually the cheapest place to fly into in Russia as a whole.

Since Sheremetyevo is so busy, you will probably find a great flight option anyway. I wrote in  my post about finding cheap flights  that using hub airports will lead to more affordable airfare, and the same logic applies here. Even though Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot, is no longer a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, Moscow is still a major hub connecting passengers from all over the world.

READ OUR CHEAT SHEET

Train or Bus to Moscow

Trains and buses are one of the most popular ways to get around Europe. However, they’re of very little use when you’re trying to get to Moscow.

Moscow is hundreds of miles from the nearest major cities. The only major European city that can even be reached within 8 hours on the ground is St. Petersburg, and even the Baltic capitals of Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn are over 12 hours away.

If you want to get to Moscow, the best option is almost always to fly. While the train routes to Moscow are scenic, they simply take forever.

How to Get Around Moscow

METRO | TROLLEYS | TRAMS | BUSES

Moscow has one of the most memorable metro systems in the world. Its metro lines are very deep underground, and the stations are absolutely stunning. Each station has its own unique style, but all of them contain escalators that seem to go on forever.

The system was built in an effort to showcase the power of the Soviet Union and its bright future. The plans were a form of propaganda, but they resulted in what is still one of the most visually appealing subway systems on earth.

Moscow’s metro system isn’t just pretty. It is also very useful and accessible. The system has 17 lines that connect the city and its surrounding area.

But wait; there’s more!

The Moscow metro system is also incredibly affordable, with each ride costing less than a dollar. The metro is by far the best way to get around Moscow, as it is almost impossible to beat the connection times and the low cost to ride.

Tickets can be bought at electronic, English-speaking kiosks in stations, or directly from ticket counters at certain larger stations. There are also day passes available, which are a very solid option if you plan on riding the metro several times per day.

The metro is by far the best way to get around Moscow.

In addition to the metro system, Moscow also has a network of buses, trams, and trolleys. This system is nowhere near as convenient or well-connected as the metro, though, and is likely of little use to you during your trip. There is no Uber in Moscow, but a similar app named Yandex is available if you need a ride in a pinch.

How Many Days Do You Need in Moscow?

Moscow is the biggest city in all of Europe, and it is absolutely loaded with things to do. You could spend weeks in Moscow and still find new things to do. Of course, most travelers don’t have that kind of time to spend in one place!

I recommend spending no less than three full days in Moscow, and ideally closer to five or seven.

Moscow is very spread out, and it can take some time to get from one major point to another. There are also so many places that are nice to just sit back and relax, which is hard to do when you’re in a hurry trying to cram activities into just a few days.

If you only have a week to visit Russia, I’d advise spending all of the time in one city. If you decide to split your time between Moscow and St. Petersburg, I recommend not trying to squeeze in any day trips beyond those two cities.

When Is the Best Time of the Year to Visit Moscow?

There are two different ways to approach this question. Personally, I think the best time to visit Moscow is around Christmas and New Year’s Day. While the weather will be absolutely freezing, Moscow is a surreal winter wonderland in December and January.

We were in Moscow right before Christmas. While it was very cold, you can always bundle up. Exploring the Christmas markets and pop-up ice skating rinks throughout Moscow is one of my favorite memories from anywhere I’ve traveled, and I dream of going back to do it again.

If you aren’t fond of the cold, Moscow is beautiful in the summer. It tends to get pretty cold in the shoulder seasons, so if you want warm weather, you should plan to visit in the summer. Moscow actually gets pretty warm in July and August, and there are a bunch of fantastic places to soak up the sun within the city.

The best time to visit Moscow is either around Christmas or from late May to August.

Is Moscow Safe to Visit?

While Moscow is a truly wonderful city, there’s no denying that visiting Russia comes with risks. As the country is run by an infamous communist dictator, concerns about visiting are valid. While we didn’t experience any sort of threat or negative treatment during our time in Moscow, we visited in a peaceful time.

In our experience, Russia doesn’t seem to detain normal Americans or Westerners to use as pawns. As a regular person, as long as you don’t commit any crimes, there is a slim chance you will run into any issues. However, Russia will not hesitate to enforce its laws against foreigners, and illegal behaviors will likely land you in a very compromising position.

Russia will not hesitate to enforce its laws against foreigners, and illegal behaviors will likely land you in a very compromising position.

To make matters worse, Russia has a bad reputation for gang violence. While the Russian mafia has very little interest in normal Western tourists, they won’t hesitate to pick a fight with anyone who ventures into their sphere of influence. If you seek out illegal substances or activities, you could be a target of the mafia.

If you seek out illegal substances or activities, you could be a target of the mafia.

Finally, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, things are all very different. Russia is currently at war, and there are battles raging within 8 hours of Moscow. While it is still relatively safe to visit, that could change at any time as the war with Ukraine continues.

Is Moscow Worth Visiting?

Without a doubt, Moscow is worth visiting. It is one of the most unique major cities we have ever visited, and we hope to make it back one day. The Russian Orthodox churches are stunning, the city’s history is unlike any other, and the food is to die for.

While many visitors prefer St. Petersburg to Moscow, I think Moscow deserves a lot of hype of its own. Moscow is the beating heart of Russian culture and history, and it’s a place I highly recommend checking out if you have the chance.

That’s all we have for you about Moscow! I hope this post was helpful as you plan your trip to Russia’s capital.

Have you been to Moscow? Or is this your first time visiting? Comment below if you have anything to add to our travel guide!

Hi, I'm Greg. I'm an avid traveler who has traveled to over 50 countries all around the world with my wife and kids. I've lived in Italy, Mexico, China, and the United States, and I dream of moving abroad again in the future. With this blog, I provide my audience with detailed destination guides to my favorite places and pro-tips to make travel as stress-free as possible.

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U.S. Government Accountability Office

[Payment of Invitational Travel and Per Diem Expenses of Nongovernment DOD Dependent School Board Members]

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) requested an advance decision on the propriety of paying invitational travel and per diem expenses to nongovernment Department of Defense (DOD) Dependent School Board members for travel to state conferences and workshops. GAO held that DFAS may reimburse certain expenses resulting from invitational travel for those individuals whose: (1) attendance at a particular function provided a direct benefit to the government; and (2) travel was necessary to carry out their statutory duty to oversee school expenditures and operations.

B-185612, AUG 12, 1976

ARMY RESERVE MEMBER ON INACTIVE DUTY APPREHENDED BY THE FBI AND CHARGED WITH LARCENY OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY, WHICH CHARGE WAS LATER DISMISSED, IS NOT ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR PRIVATE ATTORNEY'S FEES INCURRED FOR REPRESENTING HIM SINCE THE GOVERNMENT WAS NOT REQUIRED TO PROVIDE HIM AN ATTORNEY AND NO LEGAL AUTHORITY EXISTS TO PAY THE CLAIM. ALSO, CLAIM IS NOT SO EXTRAORDINARY NOR DOES IT CONTAIN ELEMENTS OF LEGAL LIABILITY OR EQUITY WHICH WOULD WARRANT REPORTING IT TO CONGRESS UNDER THE MERITORIOUS CLAIMS ACT OF 1928, 31 U.S.C. 236 (1970).

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER WILLIAM WALLACE, USAR

THIS ACTION IS IN RESPONSE TO A LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 3, 1975 (AFKB AC-CM -JA), WITH ENCLOSURES, FROM COLONEL CHARLES E. BRANT, USAR, STAFF JUDGE ADVOCATE, HEADQUARTERS, 83D UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE COMMAND, COLUMBIS, OHIO, CONCERNING THE LEGAL FEES INCURRED BY CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER WILLIAM WALLACE, USAR, IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SET OUT BELOW.

THE SUBMISSION INDICATES THAT THE MEMBER WAS ASSIGNED TO AN ARMY RESERVE UNIT WHOSE MISSION WAS TO SUPPORT THE ARMY MARKSMANSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM. REPORTEDLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH CURRENT REGULATIONS AND LONG-STANDING PRACTICE THE MEMBER RETAINED HIS SERVICE WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION IN HIS PERSONAL POSSESSION FOR PRACTICE IN EVENINGS AND ON WEEKENDS AT LOCATIONS NEAR HIS HOME. FOLLOWING A FIELD EXERCISE, HE WAS APPREHENDED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION ON MARCH 10, 1974, AND CHARGED WITH VIOLATION OF 18 U.S.C. 641 (1970). A LETTER DATED JUNE 12, 1974, FROM COLONEL BRANT TO THE ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, STATES IN PART AS FOLLOWS CONCERNING THE MEMBER'S APPREHENSION:

"WE UNDERSTAND THE FACTS TO BE THAT WALLACE WAS APPREHENDED BY THE FBI ON 10 MARCH 1974 FOR LARCENY OF GOVERNMENT AMMUNITION AND WEAPONS. APPARENTLY, WALLACE DEPARTED FORT KNOX ON THAT DATE IN A US ARMY JEEP WITH 5,000 ROUNDS OF 5.56MM AMMUNITION; 2,500 ROUNDS OF 7.62MM AMMUNITION; AND 10,000 ROUNDS OF .22 CALIBER AMMUNITION. THIS AMMUNITION WAS EXCESS FROM A TWO-DAY PRACTICE FIRING MISSION AT FORT KNOX BY THE 1451ST RTU. THAT EVENING, THE FBI CONDUCTED A SEARCH OF THE JEEP, WHICH WAS PARKED AT WALLACE'S RESIDENCE IN VALLEY STATION, KENTUCKY AND RECOVERED THE ABOVE AMMUNITION. ADDITIONALLY, SOME 90,000 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION WERE RECOVERED FROM WALLACE'S RESIDENCE UPON SEARCH, ALONG WITH ONE M-16 RIFLE, TWO .45 CALIBER PISTOLS, ONE .38 CALIBER PISTOL AND THREE .22 CALIBER PISTOLS. WALLANCE WAS APPREHENDED AND TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. WE HAVE NO INFORMATION THAT WALLACE WAS SELLING OR OTHERWISE UNLAWFULLY DISPOSING OF AMMUNITION OR WEAPONS. * * * "

THE SUBMISSION FURTHER INDICATES THAT AN INVESTIGATION BY HEADQUARTERS, 83D ARMY RESERVE COMMAND, REVEALED NO FELONIOUS CONDUCT OR INTENT BY THE MEMBER AND THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY WAS SO ADVISED BY COLONEL BRANT'S JUNE 12, 1974 LETTER. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS INDICATED THAT MR. WALLACE WAS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE THE GUNS AND AMMUNITION AT HIS HOME AS A PART OF HIS OFFICIAL DUTIES AND IT APPEARS THAT THE QUANTITY OF GUNS AND AMMUNITION RETAINED BY THE MEMBER WAS FAR IN EXCESS OF THE QUANTITY WHICH NORMALLY WOULD BE RETAINED BY A MEMBER IN MR. WALLACE'S POSITION.

ULTIMATELY, BY ORDER DATED SEPTEMBER 3, 1974, THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, WESTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY, DISMISSED THE CHARGE AGAINST THE MEMBER.

AS A RESULT OF THE CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST HIM, THE MEMBER INCURRED CIVILIAN ATTORNEY'S FEES IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,500 FOR WHICH HE SEEKS REIMBURSEMENT ON THE BASIS THAT THIS EXPENSE IS A MORAL OBLIGATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARISING OUT OF A MISTAKE PERSISTED IN BY FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. IN THIS REGARD THE SUBMISSION STATES AS FOLLOWS:

"IT IS THE VIEW OF THIS COMMAND THAT WALLACE ACTED IN GOOD FAITH AND WITHIN THE SPIRIT, IF NOT THE LETTER, OF EXISTING ARMY REGULATIONS. HAD HE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE ACTIVE ARMY DURING THIS PERIOD, MILITARY COUNSEL WOULD HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO DEFEND HIM AT NO COST. THE SJA, FORT KNOX (AT THAT TIME, COLONEL JAMES MACHLIN), WAS REQUESTED TO FURNISH GOVERNMENT COUNSEL AND DECLINED TO DO SO ON THE GROUNDS THAT MR. WALLACE WAS NOT A PERSON SUBJECT TO THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE, WHICH OF COURSE HE WAS NOT. HOWEVER, IT IS CLEAR THAT WALLACE WAS ACTING IN THE COURSE OF HIS DUTIES AS A MEMBER OF THE ARMY RESERVE; THAT THE ARMY AND HIS UNIT BENEFITTED FROM HIS WORK; AND THAT THERE WAS NO CRIMINAL INTENT SHOWN. HAD THE US ATTORNEY OR THE FBI COORDINATED WITH THIS HEADQUARTERS BEFORE OR AT THE TIME OF THE ARREST, A MOST UNFORTUNATE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. MOREOVER, HAD THE CHARGES BEEN DROPPED UPON RECEIPT OF OUR LETTER OF 12 JUNE 1974, CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONAL LEGAL EXPENSE TO WALLACE WOULD HAVE BEEN SPARED."

AS THE SUBMISSION INDICATES, IF MILITARY COURT MARTIAL PROCEEDINGS HAD BEEN INSTITUTED AGAINST THE MEMBER, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENTITLED TO MILITARY DEFENSE COUNSEL PROVIDED AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE OR BY CIVILIAN COUNSEL IF PROVIDED BY HIM BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE UNITED STATES. SEE ARTICLE 38(B), UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE, 10 U.S.C. 838 (1970), AND MANUAL FOR COURTS-MARTIAL, UNITED STATES, 1969 (REVISED EDITION), PARAGRAPH 48A. HOWEVER, WE ARE AWARE OF NO LAW AUTHORIZING PAYMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF PRIVATE ATTORNEY'S FEES INCURRED BY A MILITARY MEMBER INCIDENT TO CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST HIM FOR A CIVIL OFFENSE IN CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THESE. WHILE WE HAVE AUTHORIZED PAYMENT OF PRIVATE ATTORNEY'S FEES IN SOME LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES INVOLVING LITIGATION BROUGHT AGAINST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AS A RESULT OF THEIR PERFORMANCE OF OFFICIAL DUTIES, IN THOSE CASES THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WHICH, PURSUANT TO LAW, WOULD ORDINARILY HAVE REPRESENTED SUCH OFFICIALS DECLINED TO REPRESENT THEM DUE TO POLICY OR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. SEE 55 COMP.GEN. 408 (1975) AND 53 COMP.GEN. 301 (1973). IN THIS CASE IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THE MEMBER WAS ENTITLED TO BE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL FURNISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT. ACCORDINGLY, WE KNOW OF NO LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR PAYMENT OF THE CLAIM AND, THEREFORE, IT MAY NOT BE ALLOWED. COMPARE 49 COMP.GEN. 44, 47 (1969).

CONCERNING THE APPLICATION OF THE MERITORIOUS CLAIMS ACT OF 1928, 45 STAT. 413, 31 U.S.C. 236 (1970), THAT ACT PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS:

"WHEN THERE IS FILED IN THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE A CLAIM OR DEMAND AGAINST THE UNITED STATES THAT MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE ADJUSTED BY THE USE OF AN APPROPRIATION THERETOFORE MADE, BUT WHICH CLAIM OR DEMAND IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES CONTAINS SUCH ELEMENTS OF LEGAL LIABILITY OR EQUITY AS TO BE DESERVING OF THE CONSIDERATION OF THE CONGRESS, HE SHALL SUBMIT THE SAME TO THE CONGRESS BY A SPECIAL REPORT CONTAINING THE MATERIAL FACTS AND HIS RECOMMENDATION THEREON."

THE REMEDY PROVIDED BY THE MERITORIOUS CLAIMS ACT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY ONE, AND ITS USE IS LIMITED TO EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES. IN THIS CASE THE MEMBER INCURRED LEGAL EXPENSES AS A RESULT OF CIVIL CRIMINAL CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST HIM BY THE UNITED STATES. THE BRINGING OF SUCH CHARGES AND THE DECISION TO HAVE THEM DISMISSED WERE MATTERS WITHIN THE LEGITIMATE DISCRETION OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY IN CARRYING OUT HIS OFFICIAL DUTIES. WHILE SUCH CHARGES WERE RELATED TO MEMBER'S STATUS AS A MEMBER OF THE ARMY RESERVE, THEY DID NOT RESULT FROM HIS PERFORMANCE OF REQUIRED OFFICIAL DUTIES, BUT RESULTED FROM ACTIONS WHICH AT MOST WERE PERMITTED UNDER EXISTING REGULATIONS AND PRACTICES. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE SEE NO BASIS ON WHICH TO DISTINGUISH THE EXPENSE HE INCURRED FROM EXPENSES INCURRED BY OTHERS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO CRIMINAL CHARGES WHICH DO NOT RESULT IN PROSECUTION. THEREFORE, WE DO NOT CONSIDER HIS CLAIM TO CONTAIN SUCH ELEMENTS OF LEGAL LIABILITY OR EQUITY AS WOULD WARRANT REPORTING IT TO THE CONGRESS UNDER THE MERITORIOUS CLAIMS ACT OF 1928. ACCORDINGLY, NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN BY THIS OFFICE TO REPORT THE CLAIM TO THE CONGRESS.

Office of Public Affairs

Chuck Young Managing Director [email protected] (202) 512-4800

Wisconsin Badgers

Men's Track & Field April 22, 2024 Charlie Parent

Five things to know: Badgers gear up for Penn Relays and Texas Invitational

Distance heads to penn while throwers, sprints and vaulters travel to texas.

MADISON, Wis -- The Wisconsin men's track and field program will split up for the final weekend in April as select distance athletes will travel to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays while throwers, sprinters and vaulters head to Austin for the Texas Invitational. The Penn Relays run Thursday through Saturday while the Texas Invitational begins Friday and wraps up on Saturday. 

Fans can follow the action live @BadgerTrackXC on social media. The Penn Relays will also be streamed live on Flo Track and live results can be found here .

Here are five things to know for the weekend:

1. THE CHASE: Badger athletes will partake in the steeplechase for the first time this season on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Logan Measner and Benjamin Nibbelink are set to compete in the race. Measner broke onto the steeplechase scene at last year's Wisconsin Classic, where he won the event at the home meet in 8 minutes, 45.13 seconds. The Jackson, Wisconsin, native then followed up his performance at the Big Ten Championships, earning second in just his second steeplechase ever at 8:46.50. He would then go on to finish 18th at the 2023 NCAA West Preliminary with a personal best time of 8:41.89. Nibbelink also competed in the steeplechase at last year's Big Ten Championships. He finished fourth in 8:54.78.

2. GOING THE DISTANCE: Four Badgers will compete in distance events at the Penn Relays Thursday, while another group will race in the 4xMile on Saturday at 11:55 a.m. Joe dosReis and Pierce Seigne get things kicked off in the 1500 meters Thursday at 5:35 p.m. dosReis is coming off a season best performance at the Wake Forest Invitational, crossing the line in 3:42.76. Seigne recently broke his personal best in the event at the UW-Platteville Invitational two weekends ago. The Vermont native finished second in the race at 3:46.53.

Micah Wilson and Josh Truchon will wrap up Thursday evening in the 5000 meters at 7:55 p.m. Wilson last ran the 5000 meters at the 2024 Big Ten Championships. The 2023 Big Ten Cross Country Freshman of the Year finished seventh, earning the Badgers two points in 14:11. Truchon got his outdoor campaign off to a strong start at the Stanford Invitational. He finished ninth in the 5000 meters, crossing the line in 13 minutes, 57.33 seconds.

Finally, UW alum Ollie Hoare will race in the professional mile on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. as he continues to train for the 2024 Olympics. Hoare recently finished second in the 1500 meters at the Australian Athletics Championship at 3:37.83, trailing behind Badger junior Adam Spencer who won the national title. 

3. SPRINTS AND VAULTS: Elliot Harris, Jalen Williams and Giovanni Wearing will feature for the UW sprint group, accompanied by vaulters Hunter Cook and Nathan Nelson at the Texas Invitational. Harris will compete in Friday's 200 meters at 5:10 p.m. and Saturday's 400 meters at 3:00 p.m. He's coming off two second place finishes during the Badgers' west coast trip just two weeks ago. The junior finished second in the 400 meters at the UCLA Legends Invitational (48.10) and at the Cerritos Invitational (48.76). Williams has picked up right where he left off after a runner-up finish at the 2024 Big Ten Indoor Championship. He's earned two wins in the 400 meters this season, coming at the UCLA Legends Invitational (47.41) and Cerritos Invitational (48.02). Wearing also won in the 110 meter hurdles at the UCLA and Cerritos. The Virginian currently ranks 27th in the country and best in the Big Ten with a time of 13.62. The trio will run a 4x100 Relay alongside jumper Justin Kiefel on Saturday at 2:25 p.m. Aside from the relay, Kiefel will compete in the triple jump at 1:00 p.m. Saturday.

Cook has gotten off to a hot start in his sophomore outdoor season. The Ripon, Wisconsin, native recently set a personal best in the pole vault at the Keyth Talley Invitational on March 23. He finished third in the event with a clearance of 16 feet, 11 inches (5.16m). That mark beat Cook's previous best set just one meet prior at the 2024 Big Ten Indoor Championships. Nelson, a freshman from Rochester, Minnesota, has yet to vault this outdoor season. He last competed at the Badger Midwest Invite on January 13th, earning a personal best and finishing fourth with a mark of 15-11 ¾ (4.87m). The vaulters will compete at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, 

4. TEXAS LAUNCH PARTY: Jacob Schaefer , Jacob Bugella and Jason Swarens will represent the UW throwers in the discus, hammer throw and shot put, respectively. Schaefer gets the group underway in the discus throw at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. He's already competed in four meets this season, including an individual victory at the Cerritos Invitational. Schaefer also set his personal best in the discus throw with a distance of 180-8 (55.08m) at the Battle on The Bayou three weeks ago. Bugella has also had a busy workload, getting set to compete in his sixth meet of the year. The UW-Stout transfer set his personal best in the hammer throw at the Keyth Talley Invitational, recording a distance of 201-7 (61.45m) that was good for No. 9 on the UW top-10 list. Swarens prepares for his first shot put competition of the outdoor season. The senior last threw the shot at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, where he earned first-team All-American honors after finishing fourth with a distance of 65-2 ¼ (19.87m).

5. UP NEXT: The Badgers return home for their lone home meet of the year, the Badger Challenge on Friday, May 3rd. Admission at the McClimon Track and Soccer Fields is free. Field events begin at 1:00 p.m., while track events start at 3:20 p.m. UW will compete against UNI and UW-Milwaukee in the final meet before 2024 Big Ten Outdoor Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Players Mentioned

Hunter Cook

Jacob Schaefer

Adam Spencer

Jason Swarens

Logan Measner

Pierce Seigne

Micah Wilson

Jacob Bugella

Justin Kiefel

Giovanni Wearing

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ICPC World Finals Moscow 2021 Information

Final Release as of 19 August 2021 Update

About the ICPC World Finals Moscow 2021

The 44th Annual World Finals of the ICPC International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC Moscow 2021) is coming to Moscow, October 1-6, 2021, in Manege , hosted by Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology ( MIPT ). Known as the ICPC World Finals Moscow 2021 or simply ICPC Moscow 2021 , the competition is the championship round of regional competition bringing together 58,963 talented university students from 3,406 universities in 104 countries on 6 continents.

These World Finalists, the top 2% advancing from the ICPC Regionals, are among the best of the best future software engineers, computer scientists, developers, and founders of the mission-critical digital services essential to serve the needs of today’s communities across the globe.

The ICPC operates under the auspices of the ICPC Foundation and is headquartered at Baylor University . Since 1970, the ICPC has been sponsored by the UPE International Honor Society .

About the ICPC World Finals Championship 2021

The ICPC World Finals Championship is the signature competition at the ICPC World Finals. Teams of three university students vie to solve the most problems in the least time from a set of problems of different levels of difficulty in a gruelling competition. The Championship determines bragging rights for top collegiate algorithmic problem solvers from universities that span the globe.

The competition is in two Divisions: Championship and Invitational. Championship teams compete onsite on the traditional “level playing field” for five hours. The Invitational “level playing field” permits teams with offsite team members and access to limited Internet resources. The Invitational is conducted for three hours. Competition will begin on October 4, 2021, at 16:00 Moscow Time.

Once a competition begins, the scoreboard tracks all of the submissions of teams. Upon the conclusion of competition, the Judges qualify teams for honors by confirming that teams met all qualification requirements throughout the competition including attendance and participation at all required events. Honors are awarded within Division: High Honors (top 25%), Honors (top 50%), and Honorable Mention.

The Judges verify that top teams in the Invitational Division met a set of requirements that assures that the results are accurate and that the teams competed within the rules on a level playing field. The Judges then determine and award the Invitational Awards: Invitational Medals and UPE Honor Society First-to-Solve Awards.

The Judges certify that top teams in the Championship Division met a set of stringent requirements that assures that the results are correct and that the teams competed within the rules on the traditional level playing field. These certified teams are eligible for ranking and for the Championship Awards: ICPC World Champion, ICPC Medalists (Gold, Silver, and Bronze), and the UPE Honor Society First-to-Solve Awards.

All awards and honors will be presented at the ICPC Awards Ceremony on October 5, 2021.

About ICPC Moscow 2021 Events

Many participants chose to arrive several days early to acclimatize. Registration and the ICPC Welcome are October 1, 2021. Events continue with the Tech Showcase and walking tours within the Kremlin and Red Square district, leading to the Invitationaling Ceremony in Zaryadye Concert Hall on October 3. The ICPC World Finals Championship will be held at the Manege in Moscow, Russia, on October 4, 2021, starting at 16:00 Moscow Time. The competition caps a full day of activities including the Dress Rehearsal, Practice Contest, and Judges’ Briefing. The following day, we will have the ICPC Challenge and Awards Ceremony concluding on October 5, 2021.

Hosted by Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, MIPT is making it easy to participate in Moscow. All participants will receive rapid, easy, no cost, contact-free visa processing as part of registration.

Our goal is for participants to experience the majesty of Moscow and the thrill of the World Finals with the same or higher level of comfort and safety that they experience at their home campuses. Our health protection protocol for ICPC events is based on the success of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum conducted in June 2021 that meets all health regulations and recommendations by WHO. We are collecting special requirements from each participating university to ensure that each participant may be able to follow the home university’s health protocols while in Moscow.

About ICPC Moscow 2021 Safety Measures

To maximize safety for others, participants need to be fully vaccinated before arrival and be preparedto provide documentation. MIPT will be glad to assist in requesting that your local authorities provide rapid access to vaccines. Exceptions may be granted for health or other reasons.

MIPT will provide ample access to preventive health supplies at registration, hotel, and events. MIPT will provide PCR testing on arrival and during your stay with your ICPC Name Tag digitally linked to the results. MIPT will provide assistance and insurance for participants and invited guests to cover any costs associated with emergencymedical treatment or required quarantine at your hotel in Moscow.

Access to ICPC events is gained through rapid checkpoints that require only your mask, a normal temperature scan, and scanning your ICPC name tag to confirm your negative PCR result. In this way, you will know that the people at the event have a valid negative PCR test.

Planning for the ICPC Moscow 2021

Think Fault Tolerant. Teams are encouraged to set up a practice facility that might qualify for offsite team member participation. That provides practice with a workstation similar to that at the World Finals and provides for an alternative for competing for honors in the event that unforeseen circumstances prevent travel.

Participants are encouraged to purchase refundable tickets and/or trip insurance, travel medical insurance,and consider planning for quarantine upon return. Your university may offer or recommend options. It is a matter of being prepared and then focusing full attention on the ICPC World Finals.

In Moscow, participants will be the honored guests of MIPT, the City of Moscow, and the Ministries of the Russian Federation. Using digital technology, coordinated organization, and goodwill, MIPT looks forward to welcoming participants to the ICPC World Finals at the airport. And, should circumstances prevent meeting you in Moscow, ICPC is preparing to bring digital ICPC Moscow 2021 to you. We look forward to welcoming participants to Moscowat the 44th Annual ICPC World Finals Championship, ringing in the dawn of the Digital Millennium.

About ICPC Moscow 2021 Sponsors and Host Partners

JetBrains , the ICPC Global Programming Tools Sponsor, provides its globally-recognized tools and global support for the World Finals and ICPC programs worldwide.

As ICPC Diamond World Finals Sponsor, Huawei will provide The ICPC World Finals Challenge, an event that explores the challenges of emerging technology.

They will be joined in the ICPC Tech Showcase by ICPCGold Sponsors, IBM Quantum , AWS Educate , and Deviation Games , who offered ICPC Challenges and Regional Support, together with ICPC Program Sponsors, Endure Capital and Two Sigma , who provided critical support for ICPC regional competition.

MIPT has assembled a great cast of host partners that will ensure that the ICPC World Finals Moscow will be extraordinary. MegaFon serves as Digital Partner. 1C Company serves as Official Partner. Strategic partners and sponsors are Raiffeisenbank Russia , VTB Bank and Russian Post JSC. Technical Partner is Yandex , and the Partners are JSCo “ Russian Railways ” and JSC “ Post Bank ”. All provide support and critical infrastructure. Visit them at the ICPC Tech Showcase, October 2-3.

Moscow City, together with the Ministry of Digital Development, Media and Mass communications, Presidential Grant Foundation, Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Foreign Ministry are working together to provide the community support critical to the success of the ICPC World Finals Moscow.

Binding together the strengths of academia, industry, and community, we will host ICPC Moscow 2021 for this next generation of top talent as they gear up to take on the challenge of building engines of prosperity and platforms that will help life blossom in the dawn of the Digital Millennium.

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Inside a celeb-filled weekend of golf at the 8AM Invitational | Rogers Report

There was no shortage of fun at the 8AM Invitational.

Hello friends! I have had a whirlwind two weeks — I went from the Masters back to Boston for 36 hours and then to the 8AM Invitational hosted by Justin Timberlake at the Wynn Las Vegas. I have begun to catch up on some much-needed rest, but wanted to give you all the lowdown on the celebrity events I attended over the weekend.

First things first: Las Vegas is hot . My lovely producer, Emma Devine, and I flew from Boston to Vegas together and I was definitely not ready for the 90-degree weather. Sunscreen and water were definitely my two best friends all weekend. So was the iced vanilla latte from Caffé Al Teatro at the Wynn. If you’re ever there, do yourself a favor and try it.

Okay, before we get into all of the action from the weekend, allow me to provide a list of the celebrities who teed it up in the event:

• Justin Timberlake
• Jimmy Fallon
• Michael Phelps
• Erin Lim Rhodes
• Chandler Parsons
• Chace Crawford
• Jason Kennedy
• Courtney Lee
• Michelle Wie West
• Blake Griffin
• Shane Victorino
• Ryan Sheckler
• CC Sabathia
• Dexter Fowler
• Brian Baumgartner
• Matthew Stafford
• Jacoby Ellsbury
• Andrew Whitworth
• Matt Lanter
• Anthony Anderson
• Judah Smith
• Jason Williams
• Adrian Gonzalez
• Kathryn Newton
• Andrew Santino
• Alex Bachman
• Danny Amendola
• Trey McBride
• Archie Bradley
• Dylan Efron

The 8AM Invitational officially began on Friday, and when I say that the celebrities and athletes in the field were treated like royalty, I mean it.

Not only did the players get a ton of swag before stepping foot on the course, they also had a players lounge with everything you could dream of. Any and every breakfast item you could think of was there (food and drink). There was a cigar station, an area for players to pick out belts, a pop-up Greyson Clothiers shop, and as much Bask sunscreen as one’s heart could possibly desire, which was a massive plus for this Irish gal. Plus, Dewar’s lemon wedges were flowing to keep the field loose.

My coworker Dylan Dethier and I were lucky enough to try out the warm-up stations, which included compression boots to help blood flow in our legs, LED-light face masks, massages and a stretching station. There were also two F1 simulators where players could get a feel of what it’s like to drive a McLaren . I tried it out and folks, I’m very glad I work in golf media. I could not keep the car on the track.

After I was properly warmed up for a day of watching golf, I headed to the first tee, where music was playing, players were hanging out and the vibes were stellar. It’s interesting to watch actors, singers and professional athletes — people who are the best in the business at what they do — still get nervous on the first tee. It definitely makes them seem much more relatable (as long as you focus on just the golf aspect and not what they do off the course). The person whose game most blew me away was Kathryn Newton . Her swing is beautiful and she definitely brought a ton of energy to the event.

My coworkers and I spent the day following around different groups, capturing content of players and checking out the various activations set up throughout the course.

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Day 1 of the golf ended with the World Wide Technology Shootout, where players hit wedge shots (from a fresh stack of TaylorMade golf balls) over Lake Travis (named after the one and only Travis Kelce, who we missed dearly this year) in a closest-to-the-pin contest. Archie Bradley stuck it closest and earned bragging rights for the next year.

They golf portion of the day may have ended by mid-afternoon, but the fun was far from over. It was time for a blackjack party.

Friday night

A fun fact about me is that I know absolutely nothing about blackjack. However, that didn’t stop me from having the time of my life at the blackjack tournament that took place on Friday night for the good folks of the 8AM Invitational. Over the last two years, I’ve learned that anywhere you go during this event, you’ll be treated like a star. Even if you’re just there for social media purposes.

Before the blackjack began, my coworkers and I made sure to grab a bite to eat. There were endless stations of food throughout the party, as well as an 8AM Invitational ice sculpture, an open bar, and a live painting going on. Jimmy Fallon won it by the end of the night, although I have no idea how he went about getting it home.

As fun as the blackjack event was, the best part is that the whole thing was that it was for charity to benefit the American Skin Association.

Saturday at the 8AM Invitational was a day I had been looking forward to for weeks for a very special reason: we brought the Scoop on the road! Well, kind of. We had an ice cream truck and I got to chat with some of the players while they enjoyed some ice cream treats made at the Wynn. More on that in a few.

I spent a good portion of the day on Saturday at the 19th hole at the 8AM Invitational, which was full of activations. There was a massive wall of Bask sunscreen, which was much-needed. Not to brag, but I spent about 18 hours in the Las Vegas sun and didn’t get even the smallest sunburn. That’s a massive win for me. I tried the Cabot Citrus drink (delicious and refreshing!) and shot some hoops on the Cabot Court, which took me right back to my high school basketball days. From there, I checked out the Greyson Clothiers set up and dreamed of the day the brand comprises my entire golf wardrobe. It can be so, so hard to find flattering golf clothes for women, but Greyson has absolutely nailed it. Ladies, make sure you check it out.

I also need to give a proper shout out to my producer and fellow Bostonian, Emma Devine. She got incredible video footage of the players, the activation stations and dealt with me all weekend. So it was only fair that I got her a well-earned drink on Saturday afternoon: a Dewar’s lemon wedge . Soon enough, it was time for my big moment: The Scoop (8AM Invitational version).

I talked to a handful of players about the event, their games, their style and more. And I’m very excited for you all to see that content on GOLF soon.

Congratulations to Blake Griffin and Chandler Parsons on their big win at the 8AM Invitational. What a lovely way for Griffin to kick off his retirement!

Saturday night

And now for just a few words on the karaoke party that broke out on Saturday night at the Wynn. It was epic. Jimmy Fallon has pipes, and so do a handful of the stars who teed it up in the 8AM Invitational. I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything these people can’t do.

Overall, it was so much fun watching these celebrities and hosts — Drew Stoltz, Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon — have so much fun on the golf course over two days at the Wynn. The entire weekend was full of so much joy, and it isn’t one I’ll soon forget.

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Legendary US Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson set to launch track and field league

Olympic champion Michael Johnson is launching his own track and field league.

According to the Sports Business Journal , the legendary American runner has secured over $30 million from investors and strategic partners for a track and field league scheduled to begin next year. Winners Alliance is reportedly the lead investor and will be the league’s operating partner.

The new track and field league has reportedly added three agencies to promote the sport’s stars through fan-focused storytelling. The goal is to help promote track and field athletes and increase the popularity of the sport. Track and field is one of the most popular Olympic sports every four years and will be featured prominently at the 2024 Paris Games.

“Working to change the game for athletes and fans! League details coming this June,” Johnson posted on social media Tuesday along with a link to the Sports Business Journal article.

Johnson is one of the most decorated track and field athletes of all time. He’s a four-time Olympic gold medalist, earning golds in the 200 and 400 meters at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and defending his 400-meter gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Johnson also won gold as part of the 4x400 relay team at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

An eight-time world champion, Johnson’s personal-best time of 43.18 in the 400 that he ran in 1999 is still an American record.

Johnson’s new track and field league comes amid another big investment in the sport.

Alexis Ohanian announces 776 Invitational

Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband to Serena Williams, announced Tuesday that he’s investing in a new women’s only track and field invitational, called the 776 Invitational, coming September 2024.

“At 776, we believe in the power of sports to drive positive change and inspire future generations,” Ohanian said in a statement on the 776 Invitational’s official website . “By investing in women’s track, we aim to elevate the profile of female athletes and create a more inclusive and equitable sporting landscape."

American sprinter Gabby Thomas, the defending Olympic bronze medalist in the women’s 200, is partnering with Ohanian to help jumpstart the 776 Invitational.

"I am excited to partner with forward-thinking organizations like 776 that share our vision for advancing women's track," Thomas said in a statement . "Through this investment, we hope to not only provide athletes with the resources and visibility they need to have enduring careers but also to inspire fans worldwide with a reinvented format to experience the best of our sport."

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X  @TheTylerDragon .