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04/12/23 PDTATAC 1
SGTP
“FTR and JFTR – What Lies Ahead”
5 February 2009
BILL TIRRELL
Chief, Travel & Transportation BranchPer Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee staff
A Division of the Defense Travel Management Office
“There is no substitute for hard work.”Unk
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Caveats
• The material in this briefing is current BUT is subject to change in the future.
• Do NOT make this brief the basis of ANY decision; rather consult the appropriate reference (JTR or JFTR) for current information.
• “If you can’t stand the answer, don’t ask the question.” (Ed Brennan, State Department)
• N.B. The PDTATAC website has changed – and will change again! See the several currently CORRECT references in this brief.
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Overview – The Past
• DOD Civilian Employees– Title 5 of the US Code (statute law), case law from the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) and General Services Administration (GSA) Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA – formerly GSBCA), GSA’s Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), State’s Standardized Regulations (DSSR), and DOD policies in Joint Travel Regulations, Volume 2 (JTR)
• JTR is on the PDTATAC website http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/trvlregs.html
• Links to other websites from http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/links.html
• JFTR, Volume 1 is NOT applicable to DOD civilian employees• The civilian employee traveler follows the regulations of
whoever’s appropriation pays for the travel (except for ‘Fly America’)
• Service regulations ‘supplement’ the JTR but cannot authorize expenditures not allowed in JTR
Overview – The Past (cont’d)
• Uniformed Service Members– Titles 37 & 10 of the US Code (statute law), case law from the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Defense Department Office and Hearings and Appeals (DOHA) with some impact from the GSA Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA – formerly GSBCA) and DOD (and non-DOD) policies in Joint Federal Travel Regulations, Vol. 1 (JFTR)
• JFTR is on the PDTATAC website http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/trvlregs.html
• Links to other websites from http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/links.html
• JTR, Vol. 2 is NOT applicable to uniformed service members• The uniformed service traveler ALWAYS follows the JFTR• Service regulations ‘supplement’ the JFTR but cannot
authorize expenditures not allowed in JFTR– More of the ‘How to’ than the ‘What’ that’s in JFTR
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Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee (PDTATAC) Composition – The Present
• The COMMITTEE:– Deputy Assistant Secretary level (6 principals with Dept of the Navy
representing Navy and Marine Corps)– Chaired by Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Military Personnel
Policy)• Service Staff levels
– Military Advisory Panel (MAP) – one rep per each of the seven Services– Civilian Advisory Panel (CAP) – one rep per each DOD Service plus one
rep for OSD and DOD agencies• PDTATAC staff
– Travel and Transportation – regulations (Travel, Transportation, Uniformed Personnel Overseas Allowance Payments (TLA & COLA), Housing Allowances (BAH & OHA) and CONUS COLA)
– Economics and Statistics – Compute and publish uniformed services COLA (CONUS and OCONUS), OHA, some per diems (Non-foreign OCONUS)
– BAH – Create and maintain BAH rates with DMDC and a contractor!
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Basics
• JTR (& FTR) & JFTR are NOT “guidance”– They have the force & effect of law!– There are NO JTR or JFTR ‘waivers’.
• TDY location, NOT HOTEL location, determines per diem locality (and rate) (with a very rare exception)
• Just because JTR (or JFTR) doesn’t say you can’t do something does NOT mean that you can (JTR, par. C1050-A & JFTR, par. U1000)– Said differently – The regs tell users what they can do; find where the
regulations say you CAN do something!
• JTR & JFTR Appendices A are must-read if dealing with uniformed service members & DOD civilian employees and travel & transportation allowances
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BASICS
• Per Diem, Travel And Transportation Allowance Committee is on the web for JTR & JFTR– http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/– This is a NEW link for some people– Many links to other sites– Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on a variety of
‘business travel’/TDY and ‘relocation’/PCS subjects– CURRENT world-wide per diem rates (including for
U.S. Installations)– Phone numbers of Service reps (DOD civilian &
Uniformed Services)
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Pot PourriTravel Authorizations/Orders
– If a travel authorization/order conflicts with JTR or JFTR, JTR (or JFTR) is ALWAYS correct.
• Errors can be/are made (all too often) on authorizations/orders• Some AOs simply don’t know what is right/wrong - or think they can
‘do what they want/think is right’ despite the regulations• There’s an incorrect belief that a statement on the authorization/order
overcomes the JTR/JFTR. It does NOT!
– If a service provider (Travel Management Center (TMC)/Commercial Travel Office (CTO) - or a personal property transportation office for instance) CANNOT understand the information on the authorization/order, the order preparer – and not the traveler – needs to clarify.
• Most TMCs/CTOs don’t like to send the traveler ‘back’ but if an error is made, guess who will hear about it?
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Pot Pourri (cont’d)Blanket Premium Class Authority & ‘Fly America’
• Each trip – on a trip-by-trip basis in a Government-funded business- or first-class seat– must be authorized/approved AND reported– Authority is at various levels– NO blanket authorizations/approvals– JTR, par. C2204 & JFTR, par. U3125
• ‘Fly America’– Different for DOD civilian employees & Uniformed personnel
than for State (& some other) personnel• See JTR, par. C2204-C & JFTR, par. U3125-C• New ‘Open Sky provisions do NOT apply to DOD
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Pot Pourri (cont’d)Baggage Handling and Tips
• Two of many Miscellaneous Expenses (JFTR/JTR, APP G)– Tips for baggage handling in the airport are
reimbursable for uniformed personnel– Tips for baggage handling in the airport are NOT
reimbursable for a DOD civilian employee (except for an employee with a disability and for handling GOV’T material)
– The ‘difference’ (in the above) is law!– Curbside baggage checking fees are NOT
reimbursable for anyone• See above regarding tips (Ex: $2/bag curbside fee is not
reimbursable, but the uniformed member can be reimbursed the tip given over and above the fee.)
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Emergency Leave from OCONUS
• DOD civilian employees and uniformed personnel have emergency leave programs– DOD civilian employees (from foreign countries):
• JTR, Ch 7, Part L (Family Visitation Travel (FVT) in connection with visiting evacuated family members)
• JTR, Ch 7, Part M (Emergency Visitation Travel (EVT) – like uniformed program but all the way to the emergency site)
• JTR, Ch 7, Part H (Emergency T&T for an Employee while on TDY)
– Uniformed personnel covered in JFTR, pars. U7205 and U7206
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FLY AMERICA
• State Department, US Information Agency, USAID, US International Cooperation Agency, and Arms Control and Disarmament Agency have SPECIFIC LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY in 49 USC §40118(d) to use foreign flag airlines between foreign countries even if a U.S.-certificated air carrier is available– Covers employees of these agencies and their
dependents and baggage– This does NOT apply – EVER – to DOD civilian
employees or uniformed personnel• See JTR, par. C2204-C & JFTR, par. U3125-C• Changes for ‘Open Sky’ agreements do NOT apply to DOD
IN THE FUTURE
• More alignment of JFTR and JTR– “Once upon a time” there was an effort to align the
JFTR’s predecessor, the FTR, and State’s Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)
• Almost 6 years to accomplish• Result: JFTR, Vol. 1 format (was JTR, Vol. 1)• It’s back again! Wherever allowances are identical,
PDTATAC intends to take advantage of it
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IN THE FUTURE (cont’d)
• In a perfect world, one set of regulations for all– For that to happen, laws and policies must change
• GSA has several legislative proposals that would, if enacted, change things for civilian employees like the duration of TQSE, what direction could be given to employees on using specific properties on TDY, etc.
• What changes would you like to see!?
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Frequently Asked Questions
• Why must we use city-pair airfares when there are less expensive airfares available? And what’s with the CTO fees for ticket changes?
• Do I, as a civilian employee, have to use Government lodgings?
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Wrap Up
• PDTATAC website: http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/– You can get e-mail notification of significant changes!
• Any traveler’s BIGGEST need is: • CORRECT AND TIMELY INFORMATION!!
• I suggest travelers be informed by knowledgeable personnel using JTR/FTR/DSSR, or JFTR, and Service implementing regs
– JTR implements FTR (& DSSR & OPM regs, in part) for DOD civilian employees
– JFTR is statutory regulation for uniformed services– PDTATAC is required to review “all written material”
implementing JFTR and/or JTR (DODD 5154.29)
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Wrap Up (cont’d)
• READ APPENDIX A IN JTR & JFTR!!
• Refer contractor Qs to the CORs & the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
• Service PoCs: http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/phdir.html
• In DESPERATION ONLY:– [email protected]
Wrap Up (cont’d)
• PDTATAC will be relocating soon (Scheduled 2 March)– new phone #s, new e-mail addresses, new location– Phones – Desk phone UNK; general phone
703-696-7000 (DSN 312-426-7000)– E-mail – [email protected]– Location – 4601 North Fairfax Drive,
Arlington, VA 22203-1500
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Selected PCS AllowancesComparison
• DOD civilian employees & uniformed personnel in the seven Services
– For a complete listing and references, see the FAQ #37 on our website @ http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/faq.html
– General information (JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Part A)
– DOD civilian employee/Uniformed member travel (paid differently)• New POC MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation)
rate set by GSA was effective 1 January 2009 - $.24/mile• Same per diem rate for POC travel ($109/day) (JTR & JFTR Chs 5,
Parts B)• DOD civilian employee paid ‘Lodgings-Plus’; Member paid ‘flat rate’
– Dependent travel and transportation (paid differently)• Same per diem rate used for POC travel ($109/day) (JTR & JFTR,
Chs 5, Parts C)
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Selected PCS AllowancesComparison (cont’d)
• DOD civilian employees & Uniformed personnel (cont’d)
– Miscellaneous Expense Allowance (MEA) vs. Dislocation Allowance (DLA)
• Paid differently; different payment ceilings (JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts G)
– House hunting trip @ GOV’T expense (DOD civilian employees only) (JTR, Ch 5, Part M)
• Uniformed personnel @ ‘no cost’ to the GOV’T
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Selected PCS AllowancesComparison (cont’d)
• DOD civilian employees & Uniformed members (cont’d)
– Temporary lodging/meals expenses at old and/or new permanent duty stations paid differently for DOD civilian employees and uniformed personnel, and differently within uniformed services:
• TQSE(AE) or TQSE(F) for DOD civilian employees (JTR, Ch 5, Part H) (TQSA per State Dept regs - DSSR)
– In CONUS TQSE(AE) is based on Standard CONUS per diem– This is important!!!
• TLE CONUS (48 states & DC) vs. TLA overseas• TLE & TLA computations in JFTR (JFTR, Ch 5, Part H for TLE & JFTR, Ch
9, Part C for TLA)
• Changes may be coming via legislation being prepared by GSA
