Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73
§4109 Expenses of training
Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart C— - Employee Performance › Chapter CHAPTER 41— - TRAINING › § 4109
Summary
Agency leaders can use agency funds and follow their agency rules to pay part or all of an employee’s regular pay (but not overtime, holiday, or night differential pay) while the employee is assigned to training. The agency can also pay or repay necessary training costs, even if some government payment rules would normally block them. Covered costs include travel and per diem, moving or transporting household goods when cheaper than per diem, tuition and enrollment fees, library and lab services, books and supplies, and other training-related services or facilities. Membership fees are not paid unless they are a necessary cost for the training or are required to attend. The FAA Administrator and the Secretary of Defense may pay people training to be air traffic controllers at the basic pay rate for officially ordered or approved training hours over 40 in a workweek. A firefighter covered by section 5545b must receive basic pay and overtime for their regular tour of duty while in agency-approved training.
Full Legal Text
Title 5, §4109
Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The head of an agency, under the regulations prescribed under section 4118(a)(8) of this title and from appropriations or other funds available to the agency, may—
(1)pay all or a part of the pay (except overtime, holiday, or night differential pay) of an employee of the agency selected and assigned for training under this chapter, for the period of training; and
(2)pay, or reimburse the employee for, all or a part of the necessary expenses of the training, without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31, including among the expenses the necessary costs of—
(A)travel and per diem instead of subsistence under subchapter I of chapter 57 of this title or, in the case of commissioned officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, section 405 and 452 of title 37, and the Joint Travel Regulations for the Uniformed Services;
(B)transportation of immediate family, household goods and personal effects, packing, crating, temporarily storing, draying, and unpacking under section 5724 of this title or, in the case of commissioned officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, section 452 and 453(c) of title 37, and the Joint Travel Regulations for the Uniformed Services, when the estimated costs of transportation and related services are less than the estimated aggregate per diem payments for the period of training;
(C)tuition and matriculation fees;
(D)library and laboratory services;
(E)purchase or rental of books, materials, and supplies; and
(F)other services or facilities directly related to the training of the employee.
(b)The expenses of training do not include membership fees except to the extent that the fee is a necessary cost directly related to the training itself or that payment of the fee is a condition precedent to undergoing the training.
(c)Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1) of this section, the Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, may pay an individual training to be an air traffic controller of such Administration, and the Secretary of Defense may pay an individual training to be an air traffic controller of the Department of Defense, during the period of such training, at the applicable rate of basic pay for the hours of training officially ordered or approved in excess of forty hours in an administrative workweek.
(d)Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1), a firefighter who is subject to section 5545b of this title shall be paid basic pay and overtime pay for the firefighter’s regular tour of duty while attending agency sanctioned training.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 2309.July 7, 1958, Pub. L. 85–507, § 10, 72 Stat. 332. In subsection (a)(1) and (2), the words “training under this chapter” and “the training” are substituted for “training by, in, or through Government facilities or non-Government facilities under authority of this chapter” and “such training”, respectively. In subsection (a)(2)(A), the words “and the Standardized Government Travel
Regulations
” are omitted as included by the reference to “subchapter I of chapter 57 of this title”. In subsection (a)(2)(A) and (B), the words “section 404 and 405 of title 37” and “section 406 and 409 of title 37” are substituted for the references to “section 253 of title 37” on authority of section 12(b) of the Act of Sept. 7, 1962, Pub. L. 87–649, 76 Stat. 497. In subsection (a)(2)(B), the words “under section 5724 of this title” are substituted for “in accordance with section 73b–1 of this title, and Executive Order Numbered 9805, as amended” to reflect the codification of former section 73b–1 in this title and in view of the revocation of Executive Order No. 9805 by Executive Order No. 11012 of Mar. 27, 1962. The reference only to section 5724 is sufficient since that section contains the applicable substantive law, including the authority of the President to prescribe
Regulations
. Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 117–263, § 626(b)(1)(A), substituted “section 405 and 452” for “section 474 and 475”. Subsec. (a)(2)(B). Pub. L. 117–263, § 626(b)(1)(B), substituted “section 452 and 453(c)” for “section 476 and 479”. 2013—Subsec. (a)(2)(A), (B). Pub. L. 112–239, § 1076(a)(9), made technical amendment to directory language of Pub. L. 112–81, § 631(f)(4)(B). See 2011 Amendment note below. 2011—Subsec. (a)(2)(A), (B). Pub. L. 112–81, § 631(f)(4)(B), as amended by Pub. L. 112–239, § 1076(a)(9), substituted “474” for “404” and “475” for “405” in subpar. (A), and “476” for “406” and “479” for “409” in subpar. (B). 1998—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–277 added subsec. (d). 1992—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102–378 struck out subsec. (d) which made revolving fund referred to in section 1304(e)(1) of this title available for costs of education and related travel of participants in such program, for printing, and for entertainment expenses, and which required crediting of participation fees to revolving fund. 1984—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98–525 inserted “and the Secretary of Defense may pay an individual training to be an air traffic controller of the Department of Defense,”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 98–224 added subsec. (d). 1982—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 97–258 substituted “section 3324(a) and (b)” for “section 529”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 97–276 added subsec. (c). 1979—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 96–54 substituted “National Oceanic and Atmospheric” for “Environmental Science Services” in cls. (A) and (B). 1967—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 90–83 substituted “Environmental Science Services Administration” for “Coast and Geodetic Survey” in cls. (A) and (B). See
Historical and Revision Notes
under section 2101 of this title.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2013 Amendment Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1076(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1947, provided that the amendment made by section 1076(a)(9) is effective Dec. 31, 2011, and as if included in Pub. L. 112–81 as enacted.
Effective Date
of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(h) [title VI, § 628(e)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–480, 2681–521, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [enacting section 5545b of this title and amending this section and section 5542 and 8331 of this title] shall take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period which begins on or after October 1, 1998.”
Effective Date
of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–378 effective Oct. 1, 1991, see section 9(b)(3) of Pub. L. 102–378, set out as a note under section 6303 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1984 Amendment Pub. L. 98–525, title XV, § 1537(f), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2636, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section and section 5532, 5546a, 5547, and 8344 of this title] shall take effect on October 1, 1984.”
Effective Date
of 1982 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–276 effective on first day of first applicable pay period beginning after Oct. 2, 1982, see section 151(h)(2) of Pub. L. 97–276, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 5546a of this title.
Effective Date
of 1979 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–54 effective July 12, 1979, see section 2(b) of Pub. L. 96–54, set out as a note under section 305 of this title.
Executive Documents
Department of Homeland SecurityException from introductory provisions of subsec. (a) of this section of those elements of the Department of Homeland Security that are supervised by the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection through the Department’s Assistant Secretary for Information Analysis, see Ex. Ord. No. 13286, § 86, Feb. 28, 2003, 68 F.R. 10632, set out as a note under section 111 of Title 6, Domestic Security. Central Intelligence AgencyException of Central Intelligence Agency from certain introductory provisions of subsec. (a) of this section, see Ex. Ord. No. 10805, Feb. 18, 1959, 24 F.R. 1301, set out as a note under section 4102 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
5 U.S.C. § 4109
Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73