tioned in an incorporated city or town, the official station is the reservation, station, or established area, or, in the case of large reservations, the established subdivision thereof, having definite boundaries within which the designated post of duty is located.

(4) Government. "Government" means the Government of the United States and the government of the District of Columbia.

(5) Continental United States. Continental United States means the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia. The term may be abbreviated as CONUS.

(6) United States. When used in a geographical sense, "United States" means the 50 States and the District of Columbia except as provided in § 301-3.6(b)(1)(iii). The terms "United States" and "the 50 States and the District of Columbia" may be used interchangeably.

(7) Government-furnished automobile. The term "Government-furnished automobile" includes an automobile which is (i) owned by an agency, (ii) assigned or dispatched to an agency on a rental basis from a GSA Interagency Fleet Management Center, or (iii) leased by the Government for a period of 30 days or longer from a commercial firm.

(8) Government-contract rental automobile. A "Government-contract rental automobile" is an automobile obtained for short-term use from a commercial firm under the provisions of an appropriate General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contract.

(9) Special conveyance. "Special conveyance" is any method of transportation other than common carrier, Government-furnished, Government-contract rental, or privately owned, which requires specific authorization or approval for the use thereof. Such transportation generally includes conveyances obtained through commercial rental means for less than 30 calendar days.

[54 FR 20267, May 10, 1989, as amended at 54 FR 53321, Dec. 28, 1989]

8301-1.4 Authorization of travel.

(a) Travel policy. It is the policy of the Government that agencies shall

authorize only that travel which is necessary to accomplish the purposes of the Government effectively and economically.

(b) Agency

responsibilities. (1) Except as otherwise provided by law, all travel shall be either authorized or approved by the head of the agency or by an official to whom such authority has been delegated. Ordinarily, a travel authorization shall be issued before the incurrence of the expenses. Agencies shall prescribe procedures for travel situations where it is not practical or possible to issue a written authorization in advance.

(2) Agency heads shall communicate the Government's travel policy to all travel-authorizing officials at all levels within their respective agencies and establish controls to ensure that only travel that is essential to the purposes of the Government and for accomplishment of the agency's mission is authorized or approved.

(3) Travel-authorizing officials shall authorize or approve only that travel necessary to accomplish the agency mission in the most effective and economical manner. Authorizing officials should be aware of travel plans, including plans to take annual leave in conjunction with travel, and shall ensure appropriate consideration of the need for the travel, the use of travel substitutes (i.e., mail, teleconferencing, etc.), and the most cost effective routing and means of accomplishing travel. Each employee's travel shall be authorized separately under specific guidelines provided in § 3011.5.

§ 301-1.5 Guidelines for issuing travel au

thorizations.

The travel policies and practices of each agency shall reflect, but not be limited to, the following guidelines:

(a) Types and use of travel authorizations. General or blanket travel authorizations for entire agencies or groups of employees shall not be used. To ensure adequate managerial and supervisory attention to the need for all travel, each employee's travel shall be authorized separately under one of the following types of travel authorization:

(1) Unlimited open authorization. This type of authorization allows an employee to travel for any purpose without further authorization. Unlimited open authorizations shall be issued only for department or agency heads, their deputies, or other principal agency officials as the agency head or deputy may designate, and managers of major subunits where no supervisor is present.

(2) Limited open authorization. This type of authorization allows an employee to travel without further authorization under certain specified conditions; i.e., travel to specific geographical

area(s), for specific purpose(s), subject to trip cost ceilings, or for specific periods of time. Limited open authorizations may be provided for employees whose duties require frequent repetitive travel. Such authorizations, however, should be reviewed and revalidated at least quarterly and should include realistic limitations on purpose(s), geographic area(s), number of trip(s), trip duration, and costs.

(3) Trip-by-trip authorization. This type of authorization allows an individual or group of individuals to take one or more specific trips and shall include the specific purpose, itinerary, and estimated costs. Travel not covered in an unlimited or limited open authorization shall be separately authorized on a trip-by-trip basis.

(b) Levels of approval and requirements for special purpose travel. Due to the relatively high costs associated with certain kinds of travel, such travel shall be authorized only on a trip-by-trip basis and reviewed at a level of authority sufficient to provide policy approval. The types of travel covered by this requirement are listed in this paragraph (b). Authorization of travel for purposes other than those listed should be delegated to the lowest management level which has responsibility for both program accomplishment and obligation or commitment of funds.

(1) Conferences, meetings, and training sessions. Travel for conference and meeting attendance and training sessions shall be authorized on a trip-bytrip basis. When authorizing travel for conference and meeting attendance,

the approving official shall ensure that the number of attendees from the agency is necessary and justified. In addition, the need for conferences and meetings for which total travel and per diem estimates exceed $5,000 shall be certified by a level of authority sufficient to provide policy approval as designated by the head of the agency scheduling the conference or meeting.

(2) Foreign travel. Overseas and foreign travel for all employees shall be authorized on a trip-by-trip basis at as high an administrative level of authority as practical to provide policy approval. However, those employees whose duties require repetitive overseas and foreign travel or emergency overseas and foreign travel without advance notification may be issued limited or unlimited open authorizations, as appropriate, within the criteria of paragraphs (a) (1) and (2) of this section. In addition, U.S. Government representatives and attendees at international intergovernmental conferences must be accredited by the State Department.

(3) Change of official station/relocation. Travel and related entitlements for a change of official station or relocation determined to be in the interest of the Government, as provided in Chapter 302 of this title, shall be authorized on a move-by-move basis (trip-by-trip authorization). This also includes new appointees covered under §§ 302-1.2 and 302-1.11(a) of this title when issued authorizations for travel to their first duty station.

(c) Purpose(s) of travel. Each travel authorization and the associated travel voucher(s) (see § 301-11.5(g)) shall specify clearly the purpose(s) of the travel. To establish uniformity in the way that travel purposes are identified on the travel authorization and travel voucher, agencies shall adopt travel purpose categories that conform to the extent possible with the following travel purpose categories:

(1) Site visit. Travel to a particular site in order to personally perform operational or managerial activities (e.g., to oversee program activities, grant operations, or management activities for internal control purposes; carry out an audit, inspection, or repair activity; conduct negotiations;

provide instructions; or provide technical assistance).

(2) Information meeting. Travel to attend a meeting to discuss general agency operations, review status reports, or discuss topics of general interest. If a site visit was conducted as part of the same trip, consider the entire trip to be for the purpose of a site visit.

(3) Training attendance. Travel to receive training.

(4) Speech or presentation. Travel to make a speech or a presentation, deliver a paper, or otherwise take part in a formal program other than a training

course.

(5) Conference attendance. Travel to attend a conference, convention, seminar, or symposium for purposes of observation or education only, with no formal role in the proceedings.

(6) Relocation. Travel performed in connection with a transfer from one official duty station to another (same as a permanent change of station or PCS move). This includes new appointees when they are first authorized relocation allowances for reporting to their first duty station.

(7) Entitlement travel. Travel entitlements for which an employee (or dependent) may be eligible while serving at a duty station outside the continental United States; e.g., tour renewal agreement travel (for the purpose of taking leave between tours of duty) and educational travel. (This type of travel is normally performed in connection with a travel entitlement resulting from a change of station assignment or renewal of a tour of duty at duty stations located outside the continental United States.)

(8) Special mission travel. Travel to carry out a special agency mission; e.g., move noncombat military units, provide security to a person or a shipment (such as a diplomatic pouch), move witnesses from residence to other locations, and travel by Federal beneficiaries and other nonemployees. (9) Emergency travel. Travel to return an employee from a temporary assignment location at Government expense to his/her designated post of duty or home, or other alternate location, where he/she would normally be present to take care of the emergency

situation if the Government had not directed or assigned the employee to another location to perform official business.

(10) Other travel purposes. All travel performed for purposes which are not included in one of the other listed categories. Even though stated as "other travel purposes," the travel authorization and voucher should also detail a specific purpose.

(d) Cost estimates. Travel authorizations shall include estimates of the cost of the travel. Both unlimited and limited open authorizations shall also include an estimate of the travel costs to be incurred over the period covered by the authorization. Agencies shall use these estimates to obligate the funds necessary to carry out that particular travel to improve travel budgetary controls. (See Part 301-10 for provisions covering employee source of funds and travel advances.)

§ 301-1.6 Instructions/guidelines for travelers.

(a) Traveler's potential liability notice. Travelers are accountable for all transportation tickets, Government transportation requests (GTR's), or other transportation procurement documents received by them in connection with their official travel. Agencies shall provide written instructions to the traveler at the time an authorization is issued advising of agency administrative procedures for the control of and accountability for passenger transportation documents. If trips are canceled or itineraries changed after tickets (or GTR's) are issued to the traveler, the traveler is liable for the value of the tickets issued until all ticket coupons have been used for official travel purposes or all unused tickets or coupons are properly accounted for on the travel voucher. (See also § 301-11.5(c)(1).) A statement to this effect shall be incorporated on the travel authorization, or issued as a "Notice to Traveler" and attached to the ticket or GTR when issued to the traveler. (See § 301-3.5 for further provisions regarding unused passenger transportation documents.)

(b) Promotional materials received in connection with official travel from