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Panoptic Enterprises' FEDERAL CONTRACTS DISPATCH

DATE: June 30, 2003

SUBJECT: Federal Travel Regulation (FTR); eTravel Service (eTS)

SOURCE: Federal Register, June 30, 2003, Vol. 68, No. 125, page 38661

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

ACTION: Proposed Rule

SYNOPSIS: GSA is proposing to amend the FTR to require agencies to submit plans and schedules for migrating to eTS no later than March 31, 2004, to begin implementing the eTS no later than December 31, 2004, and to complete migration to eTS for full agency-wide use by September 30, 2006.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The FTR is Chapters 300 through 304 of Title 41 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

For more on the notice of the availability of FedTrip, the first part of eTS, see the March 20, 2003, FEDERAL CONTRACTS DISPATCH "Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) Bulletin 2003-B1, eTravel Initiative."

For more on the notice of the creation of the eTravel initiative and GSA's intent to require agencies to use the system by the end of 2003, see the July 25, 2002, FEDERAL CONTRACTS DISPATCH "Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) Bulletin 26, eTravel Initiative."

DATES: Comments must by submitted no later than July 30, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to: General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (MVA), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4035, ATTN: Laurie Duarte, Washington, DC 20405; or by e-mail to: FTRCase.2003-303@gsa.gov. Cite "FTR Case 2003-303" in all correspondence related to this proposed rule.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Umeki Thorne, 202-208-7636.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: On July 25, 2002, GSA announced the creation of the eTravel Initiative and of its intent to require agencies to use the governmentwide, web-based, end-to-end travel management system by the end of 2003. The purpose of the eTravel Initiative is to establish a single portal that federal employees will use when making official business trips to obtain travel authorizations, make hotel and car rental reservations, and pay for airline tickets and other expenses. The system will work much like commercial web-based systems that the public uses to book business travel. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The eTravel Initiative is one of the Bush Administration's 25 "e-gov" initiatives that are intended to address performance gaps in existing government systems.)

On March 20, 2003, GSA notified agencies that "FedTrip" was available as the online booking service available governmentwide, and that it "should be agencies' first choice for making temporary duty travel arrangements...until the governmentwide, web-based end-to-end travel management service is available...Providing an online booking service is the initial phase of reengineering the entire travel process to realize significant cost savings to the government, to improve employees' productivity, and to provide a unified, simplified official travel process."

This proposed rule would require agencies to migrate to eTS, the replacement for FedTrip and agencies' travel management services for booking common carrier (air, rail, bus confirmations and seat assignments), lodging, and car rental reservations; fulfilling ticketing reservations; and providing basic management information on those activities. This proposed rule would define "eTS" as "the common governmentwide end-to-end travel management service that automates and consolidates the federal travel process in a web-centric environment, covering all aspects of travel planning, from authorization, reservations, expense reporting, and reimbursement" (proposed FTR 300-3.1, What do the following terms mean?).

To implement eTS, GSA is proposing to amend the FTR as follows:

• Definitions for "eTravel Program Management Office" (eTravel PMO)and "eTravel Service" would be added to FTR 300-3.1, What do the following terms mean?, and the definition of "travel management system" would be replaced with a new definition for "travel management service."
  
  
• FTR Part 301-50, Arranging for Travel Services, would be revised to incorporate the required use of eTS.
  
  
• FTR 301-52.3, Am I required to file a travel claim in a specific format and must the claim be signed?, would be revised to require the use of eTS for the filing of travel claims "as soon as your agency migrates to the eTS, and no later than September 30, 2006..."
  
  
• FTR 301-70.1, How must we administer the authorization and payment of travel expenses?, would be revised to require agencies to "require employees to use the eTS to process travel authorizations and claims of travel expenses once [the agency] migrate[s] to the eTS, and no later than September 30, 2006..."
  
  
• FTR Part 301-73, Travel Programs, would be amended as follows:
  
  
  • Paragraph (g) of FTR 301-73.1, What does the federal travel management program include?, would state, "The eTS will replace the functions performed by the travel authorization and claim system, the Travel Management Service (TMS) and Travel Management Reporting Systems...You must begin migration to the eTS no later than December 31, 2004, and must fully implement the eTS no later than September 30, 2006." Also, FTR 301-73.1 would include the following note: "Award of a task order to a vendor on the eTravel PMO eTS Master Contract for implementation services, authorization and travel claim services, and (if applicable) reservation and fulfillment services constitutes the beginning of eTS implementation for an agency. Agency-wide use of the eTS (accommodating FedTrip through September 30, 2004, and agency-contracted Travel Management Center support, if applicable) for all travel management processes and travel claim submission constitutes complete migration."
    
    
  • FTR 301-73.2, What are our responsibilities as participants in the federal travel management program?, would require agencies to:

          "(a) Designate an authorized representative to administer the program including leading your agency's implementation of the eTS;
          "(b) Ensure that you have internal policies and procedures in place to govern use of the program including a plan and timeline to begin eTS implementation no later than December 31, 2004, with agency-wide adoption of eTS completed no later than September 30, 2006;
          "(c) Establish a plan that will measure cost savings and management efficiencies through the use of the eTS once implemented. This plan must include your migration plan and schedule for eTS implementation which must be submitted by March 31, 2004 to the eTravel PMO, U.S. General Services Administration, 1 Crystal Park, Mail Stop 1AA, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 911, Arlington, VA 22202 for coordination and approval;
          "(d) Require employees to use the eTS in lieu of your Travel Management Service as soon as it becomes available in your agency, but no later than September 30, 2006; and
          "(e) Ensure that any agency-contracted travel agent services outside the eTS complement and support the eTS in an efficient and cost effective manner."

    In addition, FTR 301-73.2 would include the following note: "The eTravel Program Management Office (eTravel PMO) will provide agency migration planning tools and templates, coordinate migration planning meetings, and provide migration planning support beginning July 2003."
    
    
  • FTR 301-73.100, Must we require employees to use the eTravel Service?, would reiterate the implementation schedule, but would include the sentence: "The Department of Defense is not presently subject to this requirement." (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Department of Defense is not subject to the FTR, but has its own regulations: the Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR) for uniformed service personnel, and the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) for Defense civilian personnel.)
    
    
  • FTR 301-73.102 May we grant waivers to the use of the eTravel Service or the Travel Management Service?, would state, "Your agency head or his/her designee(s) has (have) the authority to grant waivers from the use of a Travel Management Service or the eTravel Service, on a case-by-case basis (i.e., you may not grant a waiver for your entire agency). Such waivers are limited to security reasons, necessity of disability accommodations or special needs..., or invitational travel."
    
    
  • FTR 301-73.103, May additional waivers be granted to the required use of the eTravel Service or the Travel Management Service?, states that GSA's Associate Administrator for the Office of Governmentwide Policy "may grant agency waivers, from the required use of the eTravel Service (eTS) or a Travel Management Service (TMS) only when (1) it is in the best interest of the United States Government; or (2) arranging travel services through a TMS or the eTS is impractical or imposes unreasonable burdens or costs on your agency."
    
    
  • FTR 301-73.104, What are the consequences of an employee not using the eTravel Service or the Travel Management Service?, would state, "If an employee does not use the eTravel Service (eTS) (when available) or your agency's designated Travel Management Service (TMS), he/she is responsible for any additional costs...resulting from the failure to use the eTS or your TMS. In addition, you [the agency] may take appropriate disciplinary actions."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Panoptic Enterprises at 703-451-5953 or by e-mail to Panoptic@FedGovContracts.com.

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