United States Department of Agriculture
Research, Education and Economics

ARS * CSREES * ERS * NASS

Bulletin

Introduction

Over the past several months the Financial Management Division has noticed an increase in the number of travelers appearing on “aged” post audit travel listings. This increase indicates that post audit documentation, requested by NFC, is not being submitted or received in a timely manner. This Bulletin is a reminder to travelers and travel processing staff and helps clarify roles and responsibilities regarding the post payment audit process.

Background

Agencies that electronically enter travel vouchers into the TRVL System of the National Finance Center (NFC) are required to send the original travel voucher and supporting documentation to NFC when the voucher is selected for a post payment audit. Documents for post payment audits may be randomly selected as part of a statistical sample, or selected based on certain dollar levels. A post audit notification letter is electronically generated by NFC and mailed to the Originating Office Number (OON) address of record, with a copy forwarded to the home address of the employee. This letter identifies a particular travel voucher selected for a post audit and requests that the original travel voucher and receipts be forwarded to USDA, NFC, Travel Section-Post Audit, P.O. Box 60,800, New Orleans, Louisiana 70160; or via Federal Express to USDA, NFC, Travel Section-Post Audit, *13800 Old Gentilly Road* (correction made on 9/28/1999), New Orleans, Louisiana 70129.

NOTE: NFC's non-receipt of travel vouchers requested for post payment audits may result in
(1) billing the traveler for the total claim amount of the voucher, and/or (2) suspension of access to the NFC TRVL system by the submitting OON.

Responsible Persons

Traveler

• Upon receipt of a post audit notification letter, contacts the employee performing the office travel function to ensure that the original travel voucher, with copies of associated receipts, are forwarded to NFC.

Employee Performing the Office Travel Function

• Maintains originals of all transmitted transactions (travel authorizations and travel vouchers, including back page/worksheet, with original signatures of all parties), and supporting documents (receipts) in a central file for a period of six years. (See NFC's Title VI, Systems Access Manual, Chapter 6, Travel and Transportation, Section 1, “Travel Online Data Entry;” and the “General Records Schedule” maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration.)
  
  
• After making copies, forwards original voucher(s), with a copy of the back page, and copies of receipts to the NFC within 30 days of receipt of the post audit notification letter.

Chief, ARS-AFM Travel and Relocation Services Branch, Financial Management Division

• Reviews the *NFC report* (correction made on 9/28/1999) entitled, “Travel Vouchers Selected for Post Audit - Over 30 Days Old,” which lists travel vouchers that were requested for post payment audit but never received at NFC (according to NFC records).
  
  
• Provides a list of the travel vouchers that were requested for post payment audit but never received at NFC (according to NFC records) to the applicable ARS Area or headquarters office, ERS Budget Assistant, or NASS and CSREES Office Automation Clerk/Secretary.

ARS Area/Headquarters Office, ERS Budget Assistant, NASS or CSREES Secretary/Office Automation Clerk

• Forwards a list of the travel vouchers that were requested for post payment audit but never received at NFC (according to NFC records) to the applicable employee(s) performing the office travel function. If employee(s) performing the office travel function indicate that the original documentation was forwarded when requested, so notifies the NFC Travel Section and advises that original signatures will be affixed to copies of the documentation and sent to either the Post Audit regular mailing address or the Federal Express address (both are identified above).

Employee Performing the Office Travel Function

• When a list of travel vouchers that were requested for post payment audit but never received at NFC (according to NFC records) is received:
  
  
  • Pulls the original travel vouchers with the original signatures, makes a copy of the back page and all receipts, and forwards to either the Post Audit regular mailing address or the Federal Express address (both are identified above).
    
    
  • If the office records indicate that the originals were forwarded when requested, makes a copy of the file copy of the voucher, obtains original signatures, and follows the procedures for submitting post audit documents.
    

If you have questions please feel free to contact Linda Mahoney, Travel and Relocations Services Branch, Financial Management Division on 301-504-1307.

/s/

S. M. HELMRICH
Director
Financial Management Division