Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-102

§5751 Travel Expenses of Witnesses

Title 5 › PART III — EMPLOYEES › Subpart D — Pay and Allowances › CHAPTER 57 — TRAVEL, TRANSPORTATION, AND SUBSISTENCE › SUBCHAPTER IV — MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › § 5751

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a federal employee is called or assigned to testify or to give official records for the United States, they must be paid travel expenses under subchapter I. If the testimony is part of their job, their agency pays from its travel funds. If it is not part of their job, their agency can pay first and then get reimbursed by the agency that should cover the cost. If the employee testifies for a party other than the United States, they also get travel expenses unless the court, authority, or party that summoned them already pays. "Employee" means the person defined in section 2105, except people whose pay is handled by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §5751

Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Under such regulations as the Attorney General may prescribe, an employee as defined by section 2105 of this title (except an individual whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives) summoned, or assigned by his agency, to testify or produce official records on behalf of the United States is entitled to travel expenses under subchapter I of this chapter. If the case involves the activity in connection with which he is employed, the travel expenses are paid from the appropriation otherwise available for travel expenses of the employee under proper certification by a certifying official of the agency concerned. If the case does not involve its activity, the employing agency may advance or pay the travel expenses of the employee, and later obtain reimbursement from the agency properly chargeable with the travel expenses.
(b)An employee as defined by section 2105 of this title (except an individual whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives) summoned, or assigned by his agency, to testify in his official capacity or produce official records, on behalf of a party other than the United States, is entitled to travel expenses under subchapter I of this chapter, except to the extent that travel expenses are paid to the employee for his appearance by the court, authority, or party which caused him to be summoned.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–186 substituted “Chief Administrative Officer” for “Clerk” in subsecs. (a) and (b).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 5751

Title 5, Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102