[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43772-43773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12467]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Maximum Per Diem Rates for the Continental United States (CONUS)

AGENCY:  Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services 
Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Notice of Per Diem Bulletin 07-1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 
continental United States (CONUS) per diem rates.

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SUMMARY:  The General Services Administration's (GSA's) annual per diem 
review has resulted in lodging and meal allowance changes for locations 
within the continental United States (CONUS) to provide for the 
reimbursement of Federal employees' expenses covered by per diem. Per 
Diem Bulletin 07-1 updates the maximum per diem amounts in existing per 
diem localities. The standard CONUS lodging rate of $60 is unchanged. 
The CONUS per diem rates prescribed in Bulletin 07-1 may be found at 
http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem. GSA based the lodging per diem rates on the 
average daily rate that the lodging industry reports. The use of such 
data in the per diem rate setting process enhances the Government's 
ability to obtain policy compliant lodging where it is needed. In 
addition to the annual lodging study, GSA identified 26 new or 
redefined non-standard areas (NSA's). In order to base its per diem 
recommendations for those areas on accurate meal cost data, GSA 
commissioned an out of cycle meal survey in each of the 26 areas. For a 
complete listing of pertinent information that must be submitted 
through a Federal executive agency for GSA to restudy a location if a 
CONUS or standard CONUS per diem rate is insufficient to meet necessary 
expenses, please review numbers 4 and 5 of our per diem Frequently 
Asked Questions at (www.gsa.gov/perdiemfaqs).

DATES: This notice is effective October 1, 2006, and applies for travel 
performed on or after October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  For clarification of content, contact 
Lois Mandell, Office of Governmentwide

[[Page 43773]]

Policy, Office of Travel, Transportation, and Asset Management, at 
(202) 501-2824, or by email at www.gsa.gov/perdiemquestions. Please 
cite Notice of Per Diem Bulletin 07-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    After an analysis of current data, GSA has determined that current 
lodging rates for certain localities do not adequately reflect the 
lodging economics in those areas. Except for two minor changes, GSA 
generally applied the FY 2006 methodology in developing the FY 2007 
rates. The two changes were:
     Excluded properties identified as below industry standard.
     Redefined property selections within NSA's based on 
updated charge card data, in addition to Federal Executive Board/
Federal Executive Agency input, to indicate actual Federal traveler 
destinations.
    A meals study was also conducted for 26 new or redefined NSA's.

B. Change in standard procedure

    GSA issues/publishes the CONUS per diem rates, formerly published 
in Appendix A to 41 CFR Chapter 301, solely on the internet at http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem. This process, implemented in 2003, ensures more 
timely changes in per diem rates established by GSA for Federal 
employees on official travel within CONUS. Notices published 
periodically in the Federal Register, such as this one, now constitute 
the only notification of revisions in CONUS per diem rates to agencies.

    Dated: July 19, 2006.
Becky Rhodes,
Deputy Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-12467 Filed 8-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-14-S