§5710 — Title 5 Government Organization and Employees | U.S. Code

Summary

An agency may run a test program that lets it pay travel costs instead of the usual payments, but only if the head of the General Services Administration (the Administrator) approves and thinks it is in the Government’s interest. The agency’s request must include an analysis of expected costs and benefits and clear rules for judging success. The tests must aim to save money or make things more efficient. Agencies can still run other kinds of tests. The Administrator must send a copy of any approved test to the right Congressional committees at least 30 days before it starts. The agency must report results to the Administrator and those committees within 3 months after the test ends. No more than 10 such tests can run at the same time. The authority to run these tests ends 7 years after the date of the enactment of the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998.

Title 5, §5710

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, under a test program which the Administrator of General Services determines to be in the interest of the Government and approves, an agency may pay through the proper disbursing official for a period not to exceed 24 months any necessary travel expenses in lieu of any payment otherwise authorized or required under this subchapter. An agency shall include in any request to the Administrator for approval of such a test program an analysis of the expected costs and benefits and a set of criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

(2)Any test program conducted under this section shall be designed to enhance cost savings or other efficiencies that accrue to the Government.

(3)Nothing in this section is intended to limit the authority of any agency to conduct test programs.

(b)The Administrator shall transmit a copy of any test program approved by the Administrator under this section to the appropriate committees of the Congress at least 30 days before the effective date of the program.

(c)An agency authorized to conduct a test program under subsection (a) shall provide to the Administrator and the appropriate committees of the Congress a report on the results of the program no later than 3 months after completion of the program.

(d)No more than 10 test programs under this section may be conducted simultaneously.

(e)The authority to conduct test programs under this section shall expire 7 years after the date of the enactment of the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998, referred to in subsec. (e), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 105–264, which was approved Oct. 19, 1998.

§5710 Authority for travel expenses test programs

Summary

Title 5, §5710

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

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