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Week Ending August 4, 2006

S.2146 A bill to extend relocation expenses test programs for Federal employees.

The General Services Administration has been conducting relocation expense test programs for federal employees over the past four years and this bill will continue the tests for another four years.

On average 28,000 federal employees relocate each year at an estimated cost of $800 million. The travel and expense is regulated under the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). The GSA is attempting to improve the effectiveness and efficiency and provide the best value relocation services that would be applied government-wide.

Some expenses, such as transportation and per diem for travel to a new duty station, storage and residence transactions are reimbursable. Other expenses such as finding a home, temporary quarters and relocation services are reimbursable by the discretion of the GSA.

The average cost of $72,000 to relocate a border patrol agent coupled with the growing need to relocate hundreds of agents prompts the need for some cost cutting reform. The Border Patrol revised its approach by paying out a lump sum for the relocate and leaving the details of the move to the agent who is moving. The cost ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 for a multi-person household owning a home. Further reductions averaged around $17,000 per move.

Sponsor: Senator Susan Collins (ME)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent August 1, 2006

Cost to the taxpayers: “CBO estimates that implementing S. 2146 would reduce federal administrative expenses associated with employee reimbursement by about $15 million annually, assuming amounts provided in appropriation acts are correspondingly reduced”

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