(d) An employee may transport only one motor vehicle under subsection (b) of this section during a 4-year period, except when the head of the agency concerned determines that replacement of the motor vehicle during the period is necessary for reasons beyond the control of the employee and is in the interest of the Government, and authorizes in advance the transportation under subsection (b) of this section of one additional privately owned motor vehicle as a replacement. When an employee has remained in continuous service outside the continental United States during the 4year period after the date of transportation under subsection (b) of this section of his motor vehicle, the head of the agency concerned may authorize transportation under subsection (b) of this section of a replacement for that motor vehicle. (e) When the head of an agency authorizes transportation under subsection (b) or (c) of this section of a privately owned motor vehicle, the transportation may be by— (1) commercial means, if available at reasonable rates and under reasonable conditions; or (2) Government means on a space-available basis. (f)(1) This section, except subsection (a), does not apply to— (2) This section, except subsection (a), does not affect section 403e(4) of title 50. § 5728. Travel and transportation expenses; vacation leave (a) Under regulations prescribed under section 5738 of this title, an agency shall pay from its appropriations the expenses of round-trip travel of an employee, and the transportation of his immediate family, but not household goods, from his post of duty outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii to the place of his actual residence at the time of appointment or transfer to the post of duty, after he has satisfactorily completed an agreed period of service outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii and is returning to his actual place of residence to take leave before serving another tour of duty at the same or another post of duty outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii under a new written agreement made before departing from the post of duty. (b) Under regulations prescribed under section 5738 of this title, an agency shall pay from its appropriations the expenses of round-trip travel of an employee of the Government appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term fixed by statute, and of transportation of his immediate family, but not household goods, from his post of duty outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii to the place of his actual residence at the time of appointment to the post of duty, after he has satisfactorily completed each 2 years of service outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii and is returning to his actual place of residence to take leave before serving at least 2 more years of duty outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. (c)(1) Under regulations prescribed under section 5738 of this title, an agency may pay, subject to paragraph (3) of this sub section, the expenses described in paragraph (2) of this subsection in any case in which the head of the agency determines that the payment of such expenses is necessary for the purpose of recruiting or retaining an employee for service of a tour of duty at a post of duty in Alaska or Hawaii. (2) The expenses payable under paragraph (1) of this subsection are the expenses of round-trip travel of an employee, and the transportation of his immediate family, but not household goods, from his post of duty in Alaska or Hawaii to the place of his actual residence at the time of appointment or transfer to the post of duty, incurred after he has satisfactorily completed an agreed period of service in Alaska or Hawaii and in returning to his actual place of residence to take leave before serving another tour of duty at the same or another post of duty in Alaska or Hawaii under a new written agreement made before departing from the post of duty. (3) The payment of expenses of any employee and the transportation of his family under paragraph (1) of this subsection is limited to the expenses of travel and transportation incurred for not more than two round trips commenced within 5 years after the date the employee first commences any period of consecutive tours of duty in Alaska or Hawaii. (d) This section does not apply to appropriations for the Foreign Service of the United States. § 5729. Transportation expenses; prior return of family (a) Under regulations prescribed under section 5738 of this title, an agency shall pay from its appropriations, not more than once before the return to the United States of an employee whose post of duty is outside the continental United States, the expenses of transporting his immediate family and of shipping his household goods and personal effects from his post of duty to his actual place of residence when (1) he has acquired eligibility for that transportation; or (2) the public interest requires the return of the immediate family for compelling personal reasons of a humanitarian or compassionate nature, such as may involve physical or mental health, death of a member of the immediate family, or obligation imposed by authority or circumstances over which the individual has no control. (b) Under regulations prescribed under section 5738 of this title, an agency shall reimburse from its appropriations an employee whose post of duty is outside the continental United States for the proper transportation expenses of returning his immediate family and his household goods and personal effects to the United States, when (1) their return was made at the expense of the employee before his return and for other than reasons of public interest; and (2) he acquires eligibility for those transportation expenses. (c) This section does not apply to appropriations for the Foreign Service of the United States. § 5730. Funds available Funds available for travel expenses of an employee are available for expenses of transportation of his immediate family, and funds available for transportation of things are available for transportation of household goods and personal effects, as authorized by this subchapter. § 5731. Expenses limited to lowest first-class rate (a) The allowance for actual expenses for transportation may not exceed the lowest first-class rate by the transportation facility used unless it is certified, in accordance with regulations prescribed under section 5738 of this title, that— (1) lowest first-class accommodations are not available; or (2) use of a compartment or other accommodation authorized or approved by the head of the agency concerned or his designee is required for security purposes. (b) Instead of the maximum fixed by subsection (a) of this section, the allowance to an employee of the Government for actual expenses for transportation on an inter-island steamship in Hawaii may not exceed the rate for accommodations on the steamship that is equivalent as nearly as possible to the rate for the lowest firstclass accommodations on trans-pacific steamships. § 5732. General average contribution; payment or reimbursement Under such regulations as the President may prescribe, appropriations chargeable for the transportation of baggage and household goods and personal effects of employees of the Government, volunteers as defined by section 8142(a) of this title, and members of the uniformed services are available for the payment or reimbursement of general average contributions required. Appropriations are not available for the payment or reimbursement of general average contributions (1) required in connection with and applicable to quantities of baggage and household goods and personal effects in excess of quantities authorized by statute or regulation to be transported; (2) when the individual concerned is allowed under statute or regulation a commutation instead of actual transportation expenses; or (3) when the individual concerned selected the means of shipment. §5733. Expeditious travel The travel of an employee shall be by the most expeditious means of transportation practicable and shall be commensurate with the nature and purpose of the duties of the employee requiring such travel. § 5734. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses of employees transferred from the Postal Service Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, officers and employees of the United States Postal Service promoted or trans ferred under section 1006 of title 39, United States Code, from the Postal Service to an agency (as defined in section 5721 of this title), for permanent duty may be authorized travel, transportation, and relocation expenses and allowances under the same conditions and to the same extent authorized by this subchapter for other transferred employees within the meaning of this chapter. § 5735. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses of employees transferring to the United States Postal Service (a) IN GENERAL.-Notwithstanding any other provision of law, employees of the Department of Defense described in subsection (b) may be authorized travel, transportation, and relocation expenses and allowances in connection with appointments referred to in such subsection under the same conditions and to the same extent authorized by this subchapter for transferred employees. (b) COVERED EMPLOYEES.-Subsection (a) applies to any employee of the Department of Defense who (1) is scheduled for separation from the Department, other than for cause; (2) is selected for appointment to a continuing position with the United States Postal Service; and (3) accepts the appointment. § 5736. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses of certain nonappropriated fund employees An employee of a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard described in section 2105(c) of this title who moves, without a break in service of more than 3 days, to a position in the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, respectively, may be authorized travel, transportation, and relocation expenses and allowances under the same conditions and to the same extent authorized by this subchapter for transferred employees. § 5737. Relocation expenses of an employee who is performing an extended assignment (a) Under regulations prescribed under section 5738 of this title, an agency may pay to or on behalf of an employee assigned from the employee's official station to a duty station for a period of not less than six months and not greater than 30 months, the following expenses in lieu of payment of expenses authorized under subchapter I of this chapter: (1) Travel expenses to and from the assignment location in accordance with section 5724 of this title. (2) Transportation expenses of the immediate family and household goods and personal effects to and from the assignment location in accordance with section 5724 of this title. (3) A per diem allowance for en route travel of the employee's immediate family to and from the assignment location in accordance with section 5724a(a) of this title. (4) Travel and transportation expenses of the employee and spouse to seek new residence quarters at the assignment location in accordance with section 5724a(b) of this title. (5) Subsistence expenses of the employee and the employee's immediate family while occupying temporary quarters upon commencement and termination of the assignment in accordance with section 5724a(c) of this title. (6) An amount, in accordance with section 5724a(f), to be used by the employee for miscellaneous expenses of this title. (7) The expenses of transporting a privately owned motor vehicle or vehicles to the assignment location in accordance with section 5727 of this title. (8) An allowance as authorized under section 5724b of this title for Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred on reimbursement of expenses paid under this section or on services provided in kind under this section. (9) Expenses of nontemporary storage of household goods and personal effects as defined in section 5726(a) of this title, subject to the limitation that the weight of the household goods and personal effects stored, together with the weight of property transported under section 5724(a) of this title, may not exceed the total maximum weight which could be transported in accordance with section 5724(a) of this title. (10) Expenses of property management services. (b) An agency shall not make payment under this section to or on behalf of the employee for expenses incurred after termination of the temporary assignment. § 5738. Regulations (a)(1) Except as specifically provided in this subchapter, the Administrator of General Services shall prescribe regulations necessary for the administration of this subchapter. (2) The Administrator of General Services shall include in the regulations authority for the head of an agency or his designee to waive any limitation of this subchapter or in any implementing regulation for any employee relocating to or from a remote or isolated location who would suffer hardship if the limitation were not waived. A waiver of a limitation under authority provided in the regulations pursuant to this paragraph shall be effective notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter. (b) In prescribing regulations for the implementation of section 5724b of this title, the Administrator of General Services shall consult with the Secretary of the Treasury. (c) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations necessary for the implementation of section 5735 of this title. § 5739. Authority for relocation expenses test programs (a)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, under a test program which the Administrator of General Services determines to be in the interest of the Government and approves, an agency may pay through the proper disbursing official for a period not to exceed 24 months any necessary relocation expenses in lieu of any payment otherwise authorized or required under this subchapter. An agency shall include in any request to the Administrator for approval of such a test program an analysis of the expected costs and benefits and a set of criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the program. |