United States Department of Agriculture

Research, Education and Economics

ARS CSREES ERS NASS

Policies and Procedures

Title:	Delegations of Authority to Approve Travel

Number:	340.0

Date:	7/12/91

Originating Office:	Financial Management Division

Budget and Fiscal Services Branch

This Replaces:	350.2 Dated 6/30/80

Distribution:	Headquarters, Areas, and Locations

Table of Contents

1.	ABBREVIATIONS	3

2.	FORMS	3

3.	DEFINITIONS	3

4.	AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES	4

5.	POLICY	4

6.	DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY	5

7.	RESPONSIBILITIES	5

Associate Administrator; Deputy Administrator, NPS; Deputy Administrator, AM; and Director, FMD	5

Authorizing Officials	5

Supervisors	5

Travelers	6

TYPES OF TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS APPROVED BY POSITION TITLE	7

DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY	9

1.	ABBREVIATIONS

AAO	- Area Administrative Officer

ABFO	- Area Budget and Fiscal Officer

AM	- Administrative Management

ATR	- Agriculture Travel Regulations

CONUS	- Continental United States

FMD	- Financial Management Division

FTR	- Federal Travel Regulations

NFC	- National Finance Center

NPS	- National Program Staff

OCI	- Office of Cooperative Interactions

OFM	- Office of Finance and Management, USDA

PAO	- Procurement Assistance Officer

2.	FORMS

SF-1164 - Claim for Reimbursement for Expenditures on Official Business

3.	DEFINITIONS

Authorizing Officials are persons designated by this DIRECTIVE to approve official travel.

Continental United States (CONUS) is the contiguous 48 States and the District of Columbia.

Foreign Travel is travel outside the United States, except for areas included as nonforeign areas outside CONUS.

Nonforeign areas outside CONUS are the States of Alaska and Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and the possessions of the United States.

Travel Authorization Types

Type A -- Unlimited Open Travel. Holder may travel for any purpose without further authorization, except for foreign travel or a change of official station. Foreign travel or a change of official station require a Type C authorization. Type A authorizations are issued on a fiscal year basis. Only the Administrator, ARS, may travel under a Type A authorization.

Type N -- Nationwide Limited Open Travel. Holder may travel anywhere in the United States or nonforeign areas outside CONUS for frequent, specific, and repetitive travel of national importance. Type N authorizations must be issued on a quarterly basis. The Administrator, ARS, must approve positions eligible for Type N authorizations.

Type B -- Limited Open Travel. Holder may travel for frequent, specific, and repetitive travel within all States that comprise their area (e.g., Southern Plains Area - Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas) plus four additional States. Type B authorizations must be issued on a quarterly basis. The Administrator, ARS, must approve positions eligible for Type B authorizations. Type B authorizations may be issued by Area Directors on a case-by-case basis to those scientists/technicians within an Area who are required to travel on a recurring basis to field locations and plot sites on short notice.

Type C -- Trip-by-Trip Travel. Holder authorized to take specific trips on a case-by-case basis.

Type L -- Local Travel. This type of authorization permits an employee who does not have access to imprest funds to obtain reimbursement for local travel and other such expenses (e.g., mileage, tolls, parking, etc.) normally reimbursed on SF-1164. Local travel is generally defined as official travel performed within the confines of the employee's official duty station.

United States are the 50 States and the District of Columbia.

4.	AUTHORITIES AND REFERENCES

ATR 301-1

FTR 301-1

OFM letter dated January 10, 1991

5.	POLICY

It is ARS policy that:

Employees, when directed by appropriate officials, are authorized to perform official travel and to incur necessary travel expenses to carry out authorized temporary duty assignments according to provisions of applicable laws, FTR's, ATR's, and this DIRECTIVE.

Travel will be performed only when necessary to carry out authorized activities.

Employees will be reimbursed within limits prescribed by the ATR's and FTR's.

No one in ARS may authorize their own travel.

Only the Administrator, ARS, may travel under a Type A authorization.

6.	DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

Only the Administrator, ARS, is authorized to approve positions eligible for either a Type B or Type N travel authorization. Officials who are authorized to approve travel by this DIRECTIVE may issue these travel authorizations for the positions shown in Exhibit 1. Any additions to this list must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the Administrator.

Specific delegations to approve travel are shown in Exhibit 2 of this DIRECTIVE.

Delegations to approve travel authorizations may not be made below the Research Leader level within ARS.

7.	RESPONSIBILITIES

Associate Administrator; Deputy Administrator, NPS; Deputy Administrator, AM; and Director, FMD; may:

Act for the Administrator, ARS, to approve travel and expenses that can be authorized by the Administrator as indicated in Exhibit 2 of this DIRECTIVE.

Authorizing Officials will:

Approve travel for employees as delegated in this DIRECTIVE.

Determine that proposed travel is in the best interest of the Government.

Authorize itineraries which will most effectively serve mission needs at the least cost.

Approve the most economical modes of transportation consistent with services generally meeting acceptable standards.

To the maximum extent practicable, schedule employees' travel within their regular workweek.

Supervisors:

All travel vouchers must be approved by the traveler's supervisor or higher management authority. No one in ARS may approve their own travel voucher.

Travelers will:

Plan itineraries and modes of transportation which will most effectively serve mission needs at the least cost.

NOTE:	Costs incurred for lodging and other subsistence should be similar to those of a prudent person traveling on personal business.

Obtain authorization from an appropriate ARS official who has been delegated authority to approve travel, as listed in this DIRECTIVE, before commencing any official travel.

T. J. CLARK

Deputy Administrator

Administrative Management

Exhibits

1 Types of Travel Authorizations Approved by Position Title

2 Delegations of Authority

TYPES OF TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS APPROVED BY POSITION TITLE

A	Officials who are authorized to approve travel by this DIRECTIVE in Exhibit 2 may issue travel authorizations for the following positions:

Type of Travel

Authorization(s)

Position(s)	that can be issued

Associate Administrator	Type N, B, C, or L

Assistant Administrator, OCI	Type N, B, C, or L

Administrator's Staff Officers	Type N, B, C, or L

Deputy Administrators (AM and NPS)	Type N, B, C, or L

Associate Deputy Administrators	Type N, B, C, or L

National Program Leaders	Type N, B, C, or L

AM Division/Staff Directors	Type N, B, C, or L

Area Administrative Officers	Type N, B, C, or L

AAO's Functional Heads (ABFO, PAO, etc.)	Type B, C, or L

Area Directors	Type N, B, C, or L

Associate Area Directors	Type N, B, C, or L

Assistant Area Directors	Type N, B, C, or L

Deputy Area Directors	Type N, B, C, or L

Center Directors	Type N, B, C, or L

Lab Directors	Type B, C, or L

Research Leaders	Type B, C, or L

Scientists	Type C or L

All Others	Type C or L

B	Type B authorizations may be issued by Area Directors on a case-by-case basis to those scientists/technicians, within an Area, who are required to travel on a recurring basis to field locations and plot sites on short notice. These authorizations must be confined to specific locations and the limitations associated with Type B authorizations. Authorizations must be issued quarterly as needed to complete trips associated with research operations.

C	Other employees may be issued either Type B or Type N authorizations, as appropriate, when their particular positions require extensive and frequent travel. These situations must be requested in writing by the Area Director to FMD for approval by the Administrator.

D	Issue travel authorizations only if the employee is entitled to claim reimbursement of non-
local travel expenses (i.e., per diem or subsistence expenses). Payment of per diem or subsistence expenses will require a voucher be prepared and submitted to NFC to claim reimbursement.

E.	Do not issue a travel authorization to cover local travel expenses incurred at or near the official duty station for:

1	Training

2	Attendance at meetings

3	Site visits or plot work where no per diem or subsistence is involved.

F.	Direct employees to claim local transportation expenses, registration fees, and other miscellaneous expenses on an SF-1164 and claim payment through the imprest fund.

DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY

TO APPROVE OFFICIAL TRAVEL

Positions delegated to

Types of travel	approve travel

FOREIGN

1	International meetings on the Foreign	Administrator, ARS

Travel Plan.

2	All foreign travel for work-related	Administrator, ARS

research projects.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Area Directors

3	Travel which establishes a post of duty	Administrator, ARS

outside the United States.

4	Travel to or from an official station	Administrator, ARS

outside CONUS as follows:	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Area Directors

a Change of official station.

(See ARS DIRECTIVE 416.2 for

appointments to foreign posts of

duty.)

b	Reporting by appointee to first

duty station:

-	In CONUS, from a point outside

CONUS.

-	Outside CONUS. (See ARS

DIRECTIVE 416.2 for appointments

to foreign posts of duty.)

c	Leave between tours of duty.

d	Returning to CONUS for separation

from ARS.

e	Educational travel expenses of

dependents according to the

Standardized Regulations

(Government Civilian, Foreign

Areas) issued by the

Department of State.

5	The use of actual subsistence	Administrator, ARS

expenses for foreign travel.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Area Directors

6	Foreign travel within areas of	Administrator, ARS

assignment.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Area Directors

Center Directors

Lab Directors

Research Leaders

DOMESTIC AND NONFOREIGN

7	Nonforeign travel to attend	Administrator, ARS

international meetings.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Area Directors

8	Travel within CONUS to attend	Administrator, ARS

National scientific meetings.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Deputy Administrator, AM

Area Directors

(May be redelegated.)

9	Travel within CONUS for work-related	Administrator, ARS

temporary duty assignments.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Deputy Administrator, AM

Area Directors

AM Division Directors

Area Administrative Officers

Center Directors

Lab Directors

Research Leaders

10	Travel within CONUS to first duty	Administrator, ARS

station with the concurrence of the	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Personnel Division.	Deputy Administrator, AM

Area Directors

11	Travel within CONUS for changes of	Administrator, ARS

station.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Deputy Administrator, AM

Area Directors

AAO for AM Employees

12	Nonforeign work-related travel	Administrator, ARS

between CONUS, and Alaska, Hawaii,	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and	Area Directors

other U.S. territories and	(May be redelegated.)

possessions.

13	Travel within Alaska, Hawaii,	Administrator, ARS

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and	Deputy Administrator, NPS

other U.S. territories and	Area Directors

possessions.	Area Administrative Officers

Center Directors

Lab Directors

Research Leaders

14	Domestic travel for preemployment	Administrator, ARS

interviews.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Deputy Administrator, AM

Note: Contact Personnel Division	Area Directors

for information on positions

covered, documentation

required, and procedures for

obtaining approval.

See ARS DIRECTIVE 454.2.

15	Domestic travel of persons not	Administrator, ARS

holding Federal appointments.	Deputy Administrator, NPS

Deputy Administrator, AM

Area Directors

16	The use of actual subsistence	Administrator, ARS

expenses for travel within CONUS	Deputy Administrator, NPS

and nonforeign areas outside	Area Directors

CONUS.

TRAVEL USING NON-FEDERAL FUNDS

17	The use of non-Federal funds	Administrator, ARS

from foreign Governments, foreign	Deputy Administrator, NPS

organizations, private profit, and	Area Directors

nonprofit organizations.