113 HR 1804 IH: Foreign Travel Accountability Act U.S. House of Representatives 2013-04-26 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1804 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 26, 2013 Mr. Huelskamp introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress semiannual reports on the cost of foreign travel made by employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Foreign Travel Accountability Act.

2.

Semiannual reports to Congress on cost of foreign travel

(a)

In general

Subchapter I of chapter 5 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

518.

Semiannual reports to Congress on cost of foreign travel

(a)

Semiannual reports

Not later than June 30, 2014, and each 180-day period thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate a semiannual report on covered foreign travel made during the 180-day period covered by the report. (b)

Matters included

Each report under subsection (a) shall include the following: (1)With respect to each instance of covered foreign travel made during the period covered by the report— (A)the purpose of such travel; (B)the destination; (C)the name and title of each employee included on such travel; (D)the duration of such travel; and (E)the total cost to the Department of such travel. (2)The final costs to the Department with respect to all covered foreign travel made during the period covered by the report, including costs relating to— (A)transportation, including fares for travel by air, rail, bus, ferry, cruise ship, taxi, mass transit, or other mode of transportation; (B)expenses or reimbursements relating to operating and maintaining a car, including the costs of fuel and mileage; (C)passport and visa fees; (D)lodging; (E)per diem payments; (F)baggage charges; (G)computer rental fees; (H)rental of halls, auditoriums, or other spaces; (I)entertainment; and (J)contractors. (c)

Duplicative information

Each report under subsection (a) shall include the information described in subsection (b) regardless of whether such information is also included in a report under section 517 of this title. (d)

Covered foreign travel defined

In this section, the term covered foreign travel means travel made by an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including an employee who is stationed in a foreign country, on official business to a location outside of— (1)the several States; (2)the District of Columbia; (3)a territory, commonwealth, or possession of the United States; (4)Indian lands (as defined in section 4(4) of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2703(4))); or (5)the territorial waters of the United States.

. (b)

Clerical amendment

The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section 517 the following new item: 518. Semiannual reports to Congress on cost of foreign travel. .