[Senate Report 115-31]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 40
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 115-31
_______________________________________________________________________
MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ACT
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
to accompany
H.R. 274
TO PROVIDE FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE USE OF MODERN TRAVEL SERVICES BY
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TRAVELING ON OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
April 24, 2017.--Ordered to be printed
_________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2017
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
RAND PAUL, Kentucky JON TESTER, Montana
JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
STEVE DAINES, Montana KAMALA D. HARRIS, California
Christopher R. Hixon, Staff Director
Gabrielle D'Adamo Singer, Chief Counsel
Joshua P. McLeod, Professional Staff Member
Margaret E. Daum, Minority Staff Director
Stacia M. Cardille, Minority Chief Counsel
Katherine C. Sybenga, Minority Counsel
Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk
Calendar No. 40
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 115-31
======================================================================
MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ACT
_______
April 24, 2017.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Johnson, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 274]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, to which was referred the bill (H.R. 274) to provide
for reimbursement for the use of modern travel services by
Federal employees traveling on official Government business,
and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the
bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and Summary..............................................1
II. Background and Need for the Legislation..........................2
III. Legislative History..............................................2
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis......................................2
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................3
VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................3
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............4
I. Purpose and Summary
H.R. 274, the Modernizing Government Travel Act, requires
the General Services Administration (GSA) to allow Federal
employees traveling on official business to be reimbursed for
the use of a transportation network company or an innovative
mobility technology company the same as the employee would be
reimbursed for a traditional mode of transportation like a
train or taxi cab.
II. Background and the Need for Legislation
A Federal employee traveling on official business is
reimbursed for certain travel expenses through the Federal
Travel Regulation (FTR) by the General Services Administration
(GSA). The FTR interprets statutory and other policy
requirements to ensure official travel is efficient and
minimizes administrative costs, and that the policies are
communicated in a clear manner to Federal agencies and
employees.\1\ GSA has historically reimbursed Federal employees
for official travel on traditional modes of transportation like
a train or taxi cab.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\General Services Administration, Federal Travel Regulation (FTR)
(Jan 10, 2017), available at https://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104790
(last visited March 28, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recent innovation in the transportation sector has made
available additional transportation options, like innovative
mobility technology companies. These private ridesharing
services are examples of the innovative transportation services
that allow customers the option of sharing rides, and can
reduce the cost of travel. Until recently, Federal employees
have lacked certainty about whether they can access these
platforms for official travel.
Recognizing the need to expand the choices of
transportation for Federal employees, GSA issued a bulletin on
July 27, 2016, that provided guidance to Federal agencies
subject to the FTR that clarified that Federal employees can be
reimbursed for official business travel using transportation
network companies.\2\ This bill codifies and reinforces GSA's
existing policy to give certainty to agency officials regarding
what types of travel can be reimbursed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\General Services Administration, Federal Travel Regulation GSA
Bulletin FTR 16-05 (July 27, 2016), available at https://www.gsa.gov/
portal/mediaId/141218/fileName/FTR_ Bulletin_16-
05_Reimbursement_for_Use_of_Transportation_Network_Companies_While_on_Of
ficial_ Travel.action (last visited March 28, 2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Legislative History
Representative Seth Moulton introduced H.R. 274 on January
4, 2017. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives by
voice vote on January 10, 2017, and was referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The Committee considered H.R. 274 at a business meeting on
March 15, 2017. The Committee ordered the bill reported
favorably en bloc by voice vote. Members present for the vote
were Senators Johnson, Portman, Lankford, Daines, McCaskill,
Carper, Tester, Heitkamp, Peters, Hassan, and Harris.
IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported
Section 1. Short title
This section provides the bill's short title, the
``Modernizing Government Travel Act.''
Section 2. Federal employee reimbursement for use of modern travel
services
Subsection (a) states that GSA will prescribe regulations
to provide reimbursement for the use of a transportation
network company or innovative technology company by any Federal
employee traveling on official business.
Subsection (b) defines the terms ``innovative mobility
technology company and transportation network company''.
Section 3. Report on transportation costs
This section requires the GSA Administrator to report on
transportation costs for total agency payments for travel and
transportation of people, employee relocation, and analysis on
the total costs of transportation service by type. The report
shall be provided to the Director of the Office of Management
and Budget, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of
the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact
Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has
considered the regulatory impact of this bill and determined
that the bill will have no regulatory impact within the meaning
of the rules. The Committee agrees with the Congressional
Budget Office's statement that the bill contains no
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs
on state, local, or tribal governments.
VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
March 27, 2017.
Hon. Ron Johnson,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S.
Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 274, the
Modernizing Government Travel Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall.
Enclosure.
H.R. 274--Modernizing Government Travel Act
H.R. 274 would amend federal laws to allow federal
employees who use transportation network companies when
travelling on official business to be reimbursed for official
travel expenses obtained through such companies. Examples of
those companies would include Uber, Lyft, and bike-share
providers. Under the act the General Services Administration
(GSA) and agencies would provide annual reports on the cost of
government transportation.
GSA recently issued a bulletin that provides guidance for
agencies on using transportation network companies. In
addition, GSA has an online tool for travel reporting that
agencies can use to track their travel expenses. Because most
of the act's requirements are being implemented under current
law, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 274 would cost less
than $500,000.
Enacting H.R. 274 also could affect direct spending by
agencies not funded through annual appropriations; therefore,
pay-as-you-go procedures apply. CBO estimates, however, that
any net increase in spending by those agencies would be
negligible. Enacting H.R. 274 would not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 274 would not increase
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 274 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
H.R. 274 as reported are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in brackets, new matter is
printed in italic, and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
UNITED STATES CODE
* * * * * * *
TITLE 5--GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES
* * * * * * *
Subtitle III--Employees
* * * * * * *
Subpart D--Pay and Allowances
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 57--TRAVEL, TRANSPORTATION, AND SUBSISTENCE
* * * * * * *
Subchapter 1--Travel and Subsistence Expenses; Mileage Allowances
* * * * * * *
SEC. 5707. REGULATIONS AND REPORTS.
(a) * * *
(b) * * *
(c)
(1) Not later than November 30 of each year, the head
of each agency shall submit to the Administrator of
General Services, in a format prescribed by the
Administrator and approved by the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget--
(A) data on total agency payments for such
items as travel and transportation of people,
average costs and durations of trips, and
purposes of official travel;
(B) data on estimated total agency payments
for employee relocation; and
(C) an analysis of the total costs of
transportation service by type, and the total
number of trips utilizing each transportation
type for purposes of official travel.
(2) The Administrator of General Services shall make
the data submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) publicly
available upon receipt.
(3) Not later than January 31 of each year, the
Administrator of General Services shall submit to the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the
House of Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate--
(A) an analysis of the data submitted
pursuant to paragraph (1) for the agencies
listed in section 901(b) of title 31 and a
survey of such data for each other agency; and
(B) a description of any new regulations
promulgated or changes to existing regulations
authorized under this section.
* * * * * * *