Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§1591 Reimbursement for travel and transportation expenses when accompanying Members of Congress

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES › § 1591

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

A Secretary can pay back a civilian for actual travel and transportation costs when that civilian goes on official travel while accompanying a Member of Congress or a congressional employee. The payment can’t be higher than the approved congressional travel rate and is allowed only if the Secretary directs or approves the member’s travel. Member of Congress: Senator, Representative, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner. Congressional employee: someone who works for a Member or for Congress. Secretary concerned: includes the Secretary of Defense for Department of Defense civilian employees, except those in a military department.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §1591

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary concerned may authorize reimbursement to a civilian employee who is accompanying a Member of Congress or a congressional employee on official travel for actual travel and transportation expenses incurred for such travel.
(b)The allowance provided in subsection (a) may be paid—
(1)at a rate that does not exceed the rate approved for official congressional travel; and
(2)only when the travel of the member is directed or approved by the Secretary concerned.
(c)In this section:
(1)The term “Member of Congress” means a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
(2)The term “congressional employee” means an employee of a Member of Congress or an employee of Congress.
(3)The term “Secretary concerned” includes the Secretary of Defense with respect to civilian employees of the Department of Defense other than a military department.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title VI, § 617(c), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1097, as amended by Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title VI, § 631(f)(4)(B), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1465; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1076(a)(9), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1948, provided that: “Subsection (h) of section 474 of title 37, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), and section 1591 of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (b)), shall apply with respect to travel performed after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 4, 1987].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 1591

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73