[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 20, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5666-H5668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MODERNIZING GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ACT
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 5625) to provide for reimbursement for the use of
modern travel services by Federal employees traveling on official
Government business, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5625
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Modernizing Government
Travel Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL EMPLOYEE REIMBURSEMENT FOR USE OF MODERN
TRAVEL SERVICES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of General Services
shall prescribe regulations under section 5707 of title 5,
United States Code, to provide for the reimbursement for the
use of a transportation network company or innovative
mobility technology company by any Federal employee traveling
on official business
[[Page H5667]]
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of such title, except that
the Director of the Administrative Office of the United
States Courts shall prescribe such regulations with respect
to employees of the judicial branch of the Government.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Innovative mobility technology company.--The term
``innovative mobility technology company'' means an
organization, including a corporation, limited liability
company, partnership, sole proprietorship, or any other
entity, that applies technology to expand and enhance
available transportation choices, better manage demand for
transportation services, and provide alternatives to driving
alone.
(2) Transportation network company.--The term
``transportation network company'' means a corporation,
partnership, sole proprietorship, or other entity, that uses
a digital network to connect riders to drivers affiliated
with the entity in order for a driver to provide
transportation services to a rider.
SEC. 3. REPORT ON TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
Section 5707(c) of title 5, United States Code, is amended
to read as follows:
``(c)(1) Not later than November 31 of each year, the head
of each agency shall submit to the Administrator of the
General Services, in a format prescribed by the Administrator
and approved by the Director the Office of Management and
Budget--
``(A) data on total agency payments for such items as
travel and transportation of people, average costs and
durations of trips, and purposes of official travel;
``(B) data on estimated total agency payments for employee
relocation; and
``(C) an analysis of the total costs of transportation
service by type, and the total number of trips utilizing each
transportation type for purposes of official travel.
``(2) The Administrator of the General Services shall make
the data submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) publically
available upon receipt.
``(3) Not later than January 31 of each year, the
Administrator of the General Services shall submit to the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Government Affairs of the Senate--
``(A) an analysis of the data submitted pursuant to
paragraph (1) for the agencies listed in section 901(b) of
title 31 and a survey of such data for each other agency; and
``(B) a description of any new regulations promulgated or
changes to existing regulations authorized under this
section.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
General Leave
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
to include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Georgia?
There was no objection.
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 5625, the Modernizing Government
Travel Act, introduced by Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts.
Federal employees' options for transportation on official travel are
limited. In the modern shared economy, there are many new methods of
transportation that can help the Federal Government reduce the costs
associated with travel by Federal employees.
In order for the government to be good stewards of taxpayer funds, it
is important that it embrace innovation and the efficiencies that come
with it. The Modernizing Government Travel Act will help to ensure that
as new transportation services emerge, Federal employees can take
advantage of the efficiencies that these services bring.
This bill would provide a statutory framework for authority for
employees on official business to travel using transportation network
company services. By opening up a new market for transportation
services, H.R. 5625 will also help to spur new innovations, which will
bring potentially greater cost savings.
Embracing innovation is only one piece of ensuring taxpayer dollars
are well spent. We must also ensure that there is accountability for
travel expenses. H.R. 5625 will mandate that agencies report their
travel costs to the General Services Administration. H.R. 5625 will
also require that GSA publish that data for the American people to
review. GSA will be required to provide a report on agency official
travel costs to Congress in order to better inform future
transportation policy decisions.
I urge my colleagues to support this good government bill and help
promote innovation in the transportation sector by supporting H.R.
5625.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5625, the Modernizing
Government Travel Act, as amended. I thank Representative Moulton and
Representative Hurd for their work on this measure in particular.
H.R. 5625 would expand the transportation options for Federal
employees on official government travel. Specifically, the legislation
would require the General Services Administration to issue regulations
to allow Federal employees to be reimbursed for the use of ridesharing
services, such as Uber and Lyft. The bill also would allow for the use
of future technologies not yet known or available to be covered as
reimbursable travel expenses.
In addition, Federal agencies would be required to submit annually to
GSA detailed information on their travel costs, including breakdowns of
costs by transportation type. GSA would be required to submit annual
reports to Congress containing an analysis or survey of agencies'
travel costs, as well as implementation of the regulations.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5625.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton), who is the sponsor of the bill.
Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R.
5625, the Modernizing Government Travel Act. While we may not agree on
all things, I think there is consensus on both sides of the aisle that
the Federal Government has failed to keep pace with the technological
advances and innovation that have come to define the 21st century
economy. Despite the emergence of new technologies designed to improve
the way we travel, today some Federal employees are unable to be
reimbursed for using more cost-effective, innovative modes of
transportation when traveling on official business.
Innovative ridesharing services supported by mobile apps have
dramatically changed how we get from one place to another. Now, with
just a few taps on a smartphone, we can access a variety of new
transportation options like rideshare and bikeshare that complement
public transit, take more cars off our congested roads, and reduce fuel
emissions.
While the Government Services Administration allows agencies to
authorize the use of these transportation options by Federal employees,
it has not, nor is it required by law, to issue comprehensive guidance
across the Federal Government. Consequently, agencies and their
employees may be unaware that they have the transportation options
available to them for reimbursement.
H.R. 5625 would require the General Services Administration to
implement regulations to allow Federal employees to use transportation
options like rideshare and bikeshare for official travel. The GSA
administrator would be required to submit annual reports to Congress on
the implementation of these regulations and the resulting amount of
government savings.
I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd) for working with
me on this legislation, as well as Representatives Swalwell, Issa,
Meadows, and Bustos for their support. This is truly a bipartisan
effort that will increase the Federal Government's engagement in the
sharing economy while saving taxpayer dollars.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I just thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton) again for
this bill. I note that this is a truly bipartisan bill. I wish we had
more like them coming on this floor. It does show that bipartisanship
still lives. It is not dead in the House of Representatives. It
certainly was revived with this bill.
[[Page H5668]]
{time} 1515
This is a very good bill for reviving it. Look what it does. It keeps
up with rapidly changing technology, and what is particularly
gratifying about the bill is it says you don't have to come back to the
floor every time when technology changes, you can reimburse as
technology changes.
This will encourage Federal employees to look for the fastest,
cheapest way to get around the District of Columbia and the region.
Remember, these employees are all over the United States, but they are
particularly to be found in crowded regions like the national capital
area region. And I note that in this region Metro is being fixed. It
goes to show that we need all the diversity and means of travel we can
find, and I applaud this bill.
Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of
H.R. 5625, the Modernizing Government Travel Act.
This bill is an important step forward in bringing government
employees and federal regulations into the 21st century. Currently,
each agency has different policies on what transportation options are
available to federal employees for reimbursement. Thus, depending on
the agency, some federal employees are unable to be reimbursed for
official travel if they use ride-sharing or non-traditional forms of
transportation, such as bikeshare. Yet many of these platforms provide
cost-effective ways for our government employees to travel quickly and
efficiently.
H.R. 5625 would address this problem by requiring the General
Services Administration (GSA) to implement regulations to allow all
federal employees to be reimbursed for these modes of travel. I was
privileged to help in the drafting of H.R. 5625, and I want to thank
the sponsor, Congressman Seth Moulton, for introducing the bill and
working diligently to help move it to the Floor.
Last year, Congressman Darrell Issa and I co-founded the bipartisan
Congressional Sharing Economy Caucus. We started this caucus in order
to bring government attention to the benefits of the sharing economy
and to find ways for the federal government to support it, a growing
sector of our economy. The bill in front of us helps to encourage the
use of sharing economy technology, therefore saving taxpayers money,
and fits perfectly within the goals of the Sharing Economy Caucus.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5625 today.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5625, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. HUELSKAMP. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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