Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§5550b Compensatory time off for travel

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart D— - Pay and Allowances › Chapter CHAPTER 55— - PAY ADMINISTRATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - PREMIUM PAY › § 5550b

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Unpaid travel away from the duty station is treated as work for calculating compensatory time, despite sections 5542(b)(2) and 5544(a); such hours can’t be paid out if unused.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §5550b

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding any provision of section 5542(b)(2) or 5544(a), each hour spent by an employee in travel status away from the official duty station of the employee, that is not otherwise compensable, shall be treated as an hour of work or employment for purposes of calculating compensatory time off.
(b)An employee who has any hours treated as hours of work or employment for purposes of calculating compensatory time under subsection (a), shall not be entitled to payment for any such hours that are unused as compensatory time.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–181 substituted “any provision of section 5542(b)(2) or 5544(a),” for “section 5542(b)(2),”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 110–181 effective on the earlier of the

Effective Date

of any

Regulations

prescribed to carry out

Amendments

by section 1111 of Pub. L. 110–181 or the 90th day after Jan. 28, 2008, see section 1111(c) of Pub. L. 110–181, set out as a note under section 5541 of this title.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 108–411, title II, § 203(c), Oct. 30, 2004, 118 Stat. 2313, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [enacting this section] shall take effect on the earlier of— “(1) the

Effective Date

of any

Regulations

prescribed to carry out such

Amendments

or “(2) the 90th day after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 2004].” Compensatory Time Off for Travel for Department of Justice Attorneys Pub. L. 109–425, § 1, Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 2910, provided that: “(a) In General.—Attorneys employed by the Department of Justice (including assistant United States attorneys) shall be eligible for compensatory time off for travel under section 5550b of title 5, United States Code, without regard to any provision of section 115 of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 (as enacted into law by section 1000(a)(1) of Public Law 106–113 and reenacted by section 111 of the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2001 (as enacted into law by appendix B of Public Law 106–553) [set out as a note under section 5541 of this title]). “(b) Applicability.—Subsection (a) shall apply with respect to time spent in travel status on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 2006].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 5550b

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73