§ 101-41.401 - Payment of transportation bills.

(a) Unless GSA's Office of Transportation Audits determines that a prepayment audit is necessary under 41 CFR 101-41.103(i), each agency or department shall pay any properly documented bill (claim) for freight passenger transportation charges that is not excepted by the provisions of § 101-41.604-2.

(b) Each military disbursing office and civilian paying office shall ensure during its administrative examination of carriers’ bills that the Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) identifier is entered on each Standard Form 1113, Public Voucher for Transportation Charges, and SF 1113-A, Memorandum Copy. If the code is omitted, the forms and all supporting papers shall be returned to the carrier unpaid with a request that the SCAC be added to the forms.

(c) Provisions of Public Law 77-560, 56 Stat. 306 (31 U.S.C. 3322, 3528) relieve certifying and disbursing officers of liability for overpayments made for transportation furnished for the account of the United States on GBL's and GTR's when such overpayments are due to the use of improper transportation rates or classifications or to the failure to deduct proper amounts under agreements. However, agencies are not relieved of responsibility for:

(1) Making an administrative determination that the transportation services for which payment is claimed were duly authorized, that such services represent a legal obligation under the appropriation or fund involved, that the carrier's bill is complete and supported with required documentation, and that all extensions and computations of charges are correct; and

(2) Establishing procedures and controls to prevent duplicate payments, to recover any duplicate payments that may be made, and to perform an annual review of the effectiveness of those procedures.

(3) Providing the carrier with notice of an apparent error, defect, or impropriety within 15 days of receipt of an invoice.

(d) Carrier bills deemed proper for payment as set forth in the foregoing paragraph shall be paid upon presentation and before confirmation of service satisfactorily performed, provided:

(1) For freight transportation (other than that excepted under § 101-41.312 of this part), the “Certificate of Carrier Billing” on the GBL has been properly executed by the carrier; and

(2) For passenger transportation, the proper ticket, coupon, or equivalent document covering the involved service has been furnished by the carrier in exchange for the GTR.

(e) For the purposes of determining whether interest penalties under the Prompt Payment Act, 31 U.S.C. 1801, are due, the date on which payment is due is 30 days after receipt of a proper carrier bill or claim.