I. In May 2002, GSA established the Governmentwide Per Diem Advisory Board (the Board) to review the federal per diem rate setting process and the governmentwide lodging program. The 13-member Board represented national travel industry association executives as well as representatives from both federal and state governments, and was subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Board provided GSA with 55 recommendations on the per diem and lodging programs. 14 of the recommendations were adopted for the Fiscal Year 2004 per diem rate setting process. GSA will continue to analyze the remaining recommendations for applicability and feasibility for the future. The report is available in text format at: http://www.gsa.gov/travelpolicy.

II. The Fiscal Year 2004 lodging per diem rates for the majority of the designated destinations will remain the same as Fiscal Year 2003, based on the following:

• According to a leading travel research company, the average daily rate (ADR) for the entire lodging industry is down 0.9 % for the period ending June 2003.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, the consumer price index (CPI) for lodging away from home is 1.2 % for the period ending June 2003.

III. Federal agencies requested that the following destinations be reviewed in accordance with Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) §301-11.26. Based on our analysis, the destinations shown below have been determined to be designated locations:

IV. Incidental Expenses (IE) Study

• The Board in consultation with an expert in tipping recommended an IE increase from $2 to $3. GSA has accepted this recommendation, which will be reflected in the Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) rates for all designated destinations, effective October 1, 2003.
• Incidental expenses are defined as:
  • Fees and tips given to porters, baggage carriers, bellhops, hotel maids, stewards or stewardesses and others on ships, and hotel servants in foreign countries.
  • Transportation between places of lodging or business and places where meals are taken, if suitable meals cannot be obtained at the TDY site.
  • Mailing cost associated with filing travel vouchers and payment of Government sponsored charge card billings.
• The new M&IE tiers are $31, $35, $39, $43, $47 and $51.

V. Standard CONUS Destinations

• The maximum per diem rate for all Standard CONUS destinations will be $86 ($55 for lodging and $31 for M&IE) effective October 1, 2003.

VI. Federal Premier Lodging Program (FPLP)

• Of the 95 FPLP locations:
  • 15 will increase
  • 8 will decrease
  • 72 will remain the same
• For a list of FPLP locations, participating properties, and updates on FPLP's expansion, please visit the fplp website.

VII. The following information pertains to either determining the applicable per diem rate, or requesting a per diem rate review:

1. Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as “all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries”.
2. Per diem localities with county definitions shall include “all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately).
3. When a military installation, Government-related facility (whether or not specifically named), or a designated destination are located partially within more than one county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation, facility, or designated destination will be the highest rate that applies.
4. Federal agencies may submit a request to GSA for review of the costs covered by per diem in a particular city or area where the standard CONUS rate applies when travel to that location is repetitive or on a continuing basis and travelers’ experiences indicate that the prescribed rate is inadequate. All non-standard CONUS localities will be reviewed on an annual basis by GSA to determine whether rates are adequate. Agencies should designate an individual responsible for reviewing, coordinating, and submitting to GSA any request for per diem rate adjustment. These requests should be forwarded (no later than February 27, 2004, for the city to be included in the annual review) to General Services Administration, Office of Governmentwide Policy, Attn: Travel Management Policy (MTT), Room G-219, Washington, DC 20405. Requests for rate adjustments shall include a city designation, a description of the surrounding location involved (county or other defined area), and a recommended rate supported by a statement explaining the circumstances that cause the existing rate to be inadequate. The request also must contain an estimate of the annual number of trips to the location, the average duration of such trips, and the primary purpose of travel to the location.
5. The standard CONUS rate of $86 ($55 for lodging and $31 for M&IE applies to all per diem localities in the State of North Dakota.

Note: Pertaining to the information cited in paragraph VII above, GSA recognizes that all locations are not incorporated cities, so the term “city” and “city limits” has been used as a general phrase to denote the commonly recognized local boundaries of the location cited.