Use of New Subsistence Code C, Conference Allowance

The General Services Administration (GSA) has issued Amendment 89 to the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) to provide more specific guidance governing conference planning. This amendment establishes a conference lodging allowance which grants an agency sponsoring a conference flexibility in negotiating lodging rates at the chosen conference location when it is not possible to obtain lodging facilities within the established lodging portion of the locality per diem rate. The conference lodging allowance is a maximum allowance of up to 25 percent greater, rounded to the next highest dollar, than the applicable locality lodging per diem rate. The meals and incidental expense (M&IE) portion of the locality per diem rate is not impacted.

Per the FTR, if the conference is sponsored by a Government agency, the agency sponsoring the conference is the approval authority for the conference lodging allowance. In this case, the conference allowance rate shall be allowable for all employees of any agency authorized to attend the conference. If the conference is not sponsored by a Government agency, the travel approving official of the Government traveler authorized to attend the conference may authorize the employee to be reimbursed for lodging expenses incurred up to the conference allowance rate.

To accommodate this FTR change, Subsistence Code C, Conference Allowance, has been developed for TRVL use. Effective February 7, 2000, agencies may begin to use Subsistence Code C to authorize conference travel on Form AD-202, Travel Authorization/Advance, when a conference lodging rate has been approved.

The conference lodging allowance is per diem and is claimed on Form AD-616, Travel Voucher (Temporary Duty Travel), as a per diem expenditure. (Refer to the instructions for claiming per diem in the Title II, Chapter 2, Section 1, Travel System procedure.)

Please refer questions about TRVL processing to Travel and Transportation Section personnel at 504-255-4878.

/s/

RONALD R. BERNHARD, Director
Financial Services Division