DoD Directive 5154.29

SORT: 5154.29
DOCI: DODD 5154.29
DATE: 19930309
TITL: DODD 5154.29, DoD Pay and Allowances Policy and Procedures, March 9, 1993, ASD(FM&P)

Refs: (a) DoD Directive 5154.29, "DoD Pay and Allowances Committees," May 23, 1990 (hereby canceled)
(b) DoD 7000.14-R, "Military Pay, Policy, and Procedures," Volume 7, Part A (Department of Defense Military Pay and Allowances Entitlements Manual (DoDPM)) and Part B (Department of Defense Military Retired Pay Manual (DoDMRPM)), August 31, 1992
(c) Section 1001 of title 37, United States Code
(d) Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR), Volume 1, "Uniformed Service Members," current edition
(e) through (l), see enclosure 1

A. REISSUANCE AND PURPOSE

This Directive:

1. Reissues reference (a) to update policy and procedures, and to assign responsibilities governing per diem, travel and transportation allowances for members of the Uniformed Services and DoD civilian employees, and responsibilities governing policy approval and coordination of military pay and allowances and military retired pay.

2. Abolishes the Military Pay and Allowance Committee and transfers its responsibility to promulgate and maintain changes in reference (b) to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), subject to policy approval from the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management and Personnel) (ASD(FM&P)). Responsibility for policy formulation on personnel and compensation matters, and for ensuring uniform regulations are issued in accordance with reference (c), remains with the ASD(FM&P).

3. Continues to assign responsibility for reference (d) and the JTR (reference (e)) to the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee (PDTATAC), subject to the supervision of the ASD(FM&P), and authorizes the publication of such regulations.

4. Continues to ensure that uniform regulations are issued, as far as practicable, in accordance with statutory requirements of Chapter 7 of 37 U.S.C. (reference (f)), reference (c), and applicable laws and decisions of the U.S. Comptroller General (C.G.) for military pay and allowances and per diem, travel, and transportation allowances for the Uniformed Services.

5. Prescribes procedures for obtaining approval of the ASD(FM&P) for issuance of regulations on per diem, travel, and transportation allowances by Secretaries of the Military Departments in accordance with statutory requirements of reference (c).

6. Continues to ensure that uniform regulations are issued in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5702, 41 CFR 301-304, and E.O. 12561 (references (g) through (i)) on per diem, travel, and transportation allowances for DoD civilian employees.

7. Continues to authorize the PDTATAC to issue the JFTR (reference (d)), JTR (reference (e)), and related publications, subject to the supervision of the ASD(FM&P), in accordance with DoD 5025.1-M (reference (j)).

8. Authorizes the DFAS to issue the DoDPM and DoDMRPM (reference (b)), subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Department of Defense (C, DoD), in accordance with reference (j), with policy approval of the ASD(FM&P) on proposed changes to reference (b).

B. APPLICABILITY AND SCOPE

This Directive:

1. Applies to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Military Departments, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, and the Defense Agencies (hereafter referred to collectively as "the DoD Components"). The term "Military Services," as used herein, refers to the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps. The term "Uniformed Services" refers to the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

2. Does not apply to, but gives guidance to, the representatives of the non-DoD Uniformed Services serving in their capacity as PDTATAC members.

C. POLICY

It is DoD policy that the PDTATAC shall operate as follows:

1. Organization

a. The PDTATAC shall be composed of a Chair and a member from the Departments of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, Transportation, Health and Human Services, and Commerce. The ASD(FM&P), or designee, shall be the permanent Chair. The Secretary of each Military Department shall appoint a represent PDTATAC member. The Secretary concerned of each non-DoD Uniformed Service may appoint a representative at a similar level, or above, to be a PDTATAC member. The PDTATAC members shall designate an alternate to represent their Departments during their absences. The action of the alternate shallbe binding on the PDTATAC members and his or her Department. The PDTATAC will conduct operations in accordance with the PDTATAC Charter and the PDTATAC Organization and Functions Manual (references (k) and (l)).

b. Each PDTATAC member shall communicate to the PDTATAC Chair the views of the Uniformed Service represented and indicate concurrence or nonconcurrence for that Service. When the Secretary concerned of a non-DoDUniformed Service determines the implementation of an approved JFTR (reference (d)) change to be impracticable, a separate change solely applicable to that Service shall be published in reference (d) at the request of the Secretary concerned. For DoD civilian employee matters, only the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force members of PDTATAC shall provide input on issues.

2. Panels Advisory to the PDTATAC

a. A military advisory panel (MAP) and a civilian advisory panel (CAP) arehereby established. The MAP shall consist of a representative from each ofthe Unifo Services. These panels shall conduct operations in accordance with the PDTATAC Charter and the PDTATAC Organization and Functions Manual (references (k) and (l)).

b. The MAP and CAP shall generate and evaluate issues on per diem, travel,transportation, and station allowances. Only the MAP shall generate and evaluate issues on the variable housing allowance (VHA). Additionally, the MAP and CAP shall periodically assess the adequacy of current travel policy and regulations in providing fair and equitable treatment for uniformed and civilian personnel. They shall also develop proposed solutions for PDTATAC consideration.

3. Operations and Functions

a. The PDTATAC ensures that travel and transportation regulations are, as far as practicable, uniform for all the Uniformed Services in accordance with the travel and transportation allowances sections of Chapter 7 of 37 U.S.C. (most notably Section 411) (reference (f)), 37 U.S.C. 1001 (reference (c)), and 37 U.S.C. 403a, 5 U.S.C. 5702, 41 CFR 301-304 (Federal Travel Regulation), E.O. 12561, and the PDTATAC Charter (references (f) through (k)) for DoD civilian employees and members of the Uniformed Services.

b. The PDTATAC's responsibility in promulgating uniform regulations involves per diem, travel, and transportation allowances; station allowances (overseas housing allowance, interim housing allowance, temporary lodging allowance, and cost-of-living allowance); variable housing allowance; temporary lodging expense allowance; and DoD civilian employee entitlements.

c. The PDTATAC also ensures uniform application of per diem, travel, and transportation allowances to include the review and approval of regulations implementing JFTR and JTR (references (d) and (e)) entitlement provisions.

d. The PDTATAC shall consider and process questions submitted by the DoD Components, the Coast Guard, the PHS, and the NOAA on interpretation of references (d) and (e).

4. Coordination

a. The ASD(FM&P) has approval authority under reference (c) for regulations on per diem, travel, and transportation allowances prescribed by the Secretaries of the Military Departments, and acts as the Executive Agent for the non-DoD Uniformed Services, by approving promulgation of those regulations. The PDTATAC shall operate subject to the supervision of the ASD(FM&P). The ASD(FM&P) shall be responsible for coordination with the C, DoD and other concerned staff officials in the OSD.

b. Policy changes that increase or decrease allowances for substantial numbers of personnel, involve substantial expenditures of funds, revise methods of administering such entitlements, expand existing entitlements to new categories of recipients, create an entitlement from an existing discretionary authority or other matters specified by the ASD(FM&P) shall be referred to the ASD(FM&P) for approval and coordination with the C, DoD. The ASD(FM&P), or delegate, is the approving authority. The C, DoD shall review cost and/or benefit analyses prepared by the PDTATAC staff and as requested by the ASD(FM&P) on the impact of those changes. The C, DoD, may recommend alternative courses of action to the ASD(FM&P) based on financial considerations.

c. Non-policy matters, such as administrative or procedural issues, will be resolved under the PDTATAC Charter and the PDTATAC Organization and Functions Manual (references (k) and (l)).

5. Counsel

a. A legal counsel shall be provided on a part-time basis by the Army, theNavy, or the Air Force for not less than 1 year rotational tours.

b. The legal counsel shall review all proposed MAP, CAP, and PDTATAC items to determine their legal sufficiency before issuance. In addition, the counsel shall provide legal interpretations of JFTR and JTR (references (d) and (e)) provisions, relevant statutes, C.G. decisions, and legal guidance as requested by the PDTATAC, the PDTATAC staff, and panel members. The counsel shall attend PDTATAC and advisory panel meetings and perform other functions as requested by the Director.

c. All counsel functions performed under this Directive shall be subject to review by the General Counsel of the Department of Defense.

6. Staff. The PDTATAC shall be supported by a staff that shall carry out duties as assigned by the PDTATAC Chair. These duties may include the following:

a. Conducting cost and/or benefit analyses and special studies, as requested by the PDTATAC.
b. Consulting with such persons in the Department of Defense as necessary.
c. Processing requests for assistance or information from other GovernmentAgencies.
d. Conducting such field inspections, as required, for the effective and equitable operation of its areas of responsibility.

D. RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management and Personnel) shall:

a. Maintain PDTATAC policy guidance and supervision.

b. Coordinate appropriate PDTATAC matters in the OSD.

c. Provide personnel and compensation policy guidance to DFAS and exercisepolicy approval for all changes to DoD 7000.14-R (reference (b)). d. Coordinate all proposed changes to reference (b) on the impact on personnel and compensation policy with the Uniformed Services.

2. The Comptroller of the Department of Defense shall review cost and/or benefit analyses prepared by PDTATAC staff as requested by the ASD(FM&P) on the impact of proposed changes, and recommend alternative courses of action to the ASD(FM&P) based on financial considerations.

3. The Secretaries of the Uniformed Services shall prescribe per diem, travel, and transportation allowance regulations that are, as far as practicable, uniform for all of the Uniformed Services. In accordance with the procedures prescribed in this Directive, the Secretaries of the Military Departments have the additional responsibility of obtaining approval of the ASD(FM&P) when prescribing such regulations.

4. The Secretary of the Army, as the DoD Administrative Agent for the PDTATAC, shall provide all administrative support required by the PDTATAC, including civilian personnel, office facilities, funding, and administrative logistical support (except as noted in subsection D.5., below).

5. The Secretary of the Navy shall ensure that the printing services are provided for the JFTR, JTR (references (d) and (e)) and related publications.

6. The Director Defense Finance and Accounting Service, shall obtain policy approval of the ASD(FM&P) before publishing the DoDPM and DoDMRPM (reference (b)) and publishing any changes to these Manuals.

E. PROCEDURES

1. The PDTATAC, under the supervision of the ASD(FM&P), shall:

a. Establish fixed allowances that approximate necessary authorized expenses.

b. Provide equivalent entitlements to DoD civilian employees and members of the Uniformed Services when the requirement of travel and temporary duty are substantially the same for both.

c. Ensure that members of the Uniformed Services and DoD civilian employees are neither financially rewarded nor penalized as a result of travel and temporary duty assignments.

d. Review and approve all written guidance (including but not limited to Regulations, Manuals, Pamphlets, Directives and changes thereto) that implement references (d) and (e) entitlement provisions for members of the Uniformed Services and DoD civilian employees before their publication; process questions on entitlements; and ensure such regulations are uniform, as far as practicable, and legally sufficient.

e. Review all requests by the DoD Components to the C.G. of the United States for advance decisions on per diem, travel, and transportation allowances; overseas station allowances; and VHA. Requests by the DoD Components to the C.G. of the United States for decisions shall be submitted through the ASD(FM&P), except those from disbursing and certifying officers.

2. When a change to references (d) and (e) becomes effective before the publication of the printed change, an electronic message announcing the change shall be transmitted to the addressees designated by the OSD and the Secretaries of the Uniformed Services concerned.

F. EFFECTIVE DATE

This Directive is effective immediately.

William J. Perry Deputy Secretary of Defense

Enclosure References

REFERENCES, continued

(e) Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), Volume 2, "Department of Defense Civilian Personnel," current edition
(f) Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code
(g) Section 5702 of title 5, United States Code
(h) Title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapters 301-304, "Federal Travel Regulation," current edition
(i) Executive Order 12561, "Delegation of Functions," July 1, 1986
(j) DoD 5025.1-M, "DoD Directives System Procedures," December 1990, authorized by DoD Directive 5025.1, December 23, 1988
(k) Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee Charter, April 20, 1988 NOTE: Available from the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee, Hoffman Building I, Room 836, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22331-1300 END NOTE:
(l) Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee Organization and Functions Manual, November 9, 1988 NOTE: Available from the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee, Hoffman Building I, Room 836, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22331-1300 END NOTE: