§ 301-8.2 - Conditions warranting authorization or approval of actual expenses.

(a) Travel assignments involving special or unusual circumstances. Travel on an actual subsistence expense basis may be authorized or approved for travel assignments when the applicable maximum per diem rate (see § 301-7.3) is inadequate due to special or unusual circumstances. The maximum per diem rate, although generally adequate, may be insufficient for a particular travel assignment because the actual and necessary subsistence expenses are unusually high due to special duties or because subsistence costs have escalated due to special or unforeseen events. Since lodging costs constitute a major portion of the subsistence expenses, travel on an actual expense basis may be authorized or approved for travel when, due to special or unusual circumstances, the lodging costs absorb all or nearly all of the applicable maximum per diem allowance. Examples of travel assignments or situations that may warrant authorization or approval of actual and necessary expenses include but are not limited to the following:

(1) The employee attends a meeting, conference, or training session away from the official duty station where lodging and meals must be procured at a prearranged place (such as the hotel where the meeting, conference, or training session is being held) and the lodging costs incurred, because of these prearranged accommodations, absorb all or practically all of the applicable maximum per diem allowance;

(2) The travel is to an area where the applicable maximum per diem allowance is generally adequate but subsistence costs have escalated for short periods of time during special functions or events such as missile launching periods, international or national sports events, world's fairs, conventions, or natural disasters;

(3) Based on a situation described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, affordable lodging accommodations are not available or cannot be obtained within a reasonable commuting distance of the employee's temporary duty point and transportation costs to commute to and from the less expensive lodging facility consume most or all of the savings achieved from occupying less expensive lodging;

(4) The employee, because of special duties of the assignment, necessarily incurs unusually high expenses in the conduct of official business, such as to procure superior or extraordinary accommodations including a suite or other quarters for which the charge is well above that which he/she would normally have to pay for accommodations; or

(5) The employee necessarily incurs unusually high expenses incident to his/her assignment to accompany another employee in a situation as described in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.

(b) Situations requiring reimbursement for occasional lodging and/or meals. Although lodging and/or meals are furnished without cost (or at a nominal cost) for a particular assignment, the employee may necessarily incur expenses for occasional lodgings and/or meals. The agency may approve reimbursement of appropriate expenses incurred for occasional meals or lodging that are determined to be necessary and justified by the circumstances involved. The actual expense allowable for lodging or each meal may not exceed the applicable lodging or individual meal allowance provided in part 301-7, or 300 percent of those amounts if special or unusual circumstances are involved. If the travel is to a location where § 301-8.3(c) applies under special or unusual circumstances, the authorizing agency shall determine an appropriate limitation on the amount of reimbursement. Each agency shall establish necessary administrative procedures for travel under this paragraph.