ARC Briefing December 2005

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ARC BriefingDecember 2005

• Presented by the
• DCP / DCCPS ARC

National Institutes of Health
DHHS
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AGENDA

• Welcome
• Travel
• Official Duty vs- Outside Activity
• Tax Exempt Form
• New Travel Information
• Recording In Kind Per Diem
• Phone Calls
• Travel Portal Page Useful Tools
• 2nd CR Approved
• Information for Employees
• Emergency Closure/Dismissal Procedures
• Verifying Home Address
• OHR Employee Benefits/Calendar of Events

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Welcome!

• ARC Briefings are held the 2nd Thursday of every
  month.
• From 230 to 330pm
• We encourage agenda submissions and active
  participation. If you have a topic for next
  months meeting, email Eric Graves in the DCP
  ARC.
• Previous meeting presentations may be downloaded
  at http//www3.cancer.gov/prevention/arc/presentat
  ions.html

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Travel
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Official Duty Activity w/Outside Organization VS
Outside Activity

• Official Duty Activity is based on official
  position, official responsibilities, or work done
  at NIH or other government position.
• Outside Activity (Paid or Unpaid) is based on
  general expertise, work from another employer, or
  government work which was finished and released
  to the public more than 12 months ago.
• NIH only has an interest in activities that
  require the employee to use his/her professional
  qualifications readily identified with his/her
  employment at NIH. An employee may decide to
  moonlight using skills that are not professional
  in nature and are not related to his/her NIH
  duties, such as working in a performing arts
  company, teaching aerobics or working in a retail
  outlet as a side occupation. An employee may
  engage in these types of activities without
  requesting approval.

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Request for Approval of Official Duty Activity

• The Official Duty Activity Request Form is used
  to request approval of certain activities which
  are outside your regular official duties, but
  will be performed as part of your official duty.
  A few examples are
• May talk about any of your work, whether
  published or non-public information, or done
  yesterday.
• You are representing NIH, on official duty time.
• You may use your NIH title and affiliation.
• Sponsored travel may be acceptable in certain
  circumstances (e.g., HHS-348).
• On travel orders as usual for official duty, if
  applicable.

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Outside Activity

• Submit completed HHS-520 Application and
  appropriate supplemental forms through your
  Administrative Officer for review and forwarding
  to the IC Ethics Coordinator for approval.
• Information/activity must not be related to your
  current government job, or else it must be 12
  months old and previously released to the public
  in some official manner (e.g., an official
  abstract, article, or speech).
• Activity does not conflict with your current job.
• You are representing your own personal views.
• You cannot use your NIH title or affiliation.
• No Government travel forms to process!
• You are on your own!

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New HHS Requirements Tax Exempt Form (Lodging)

• You should be aware that there are some states
  that grant tax exemption for lodging to travelers
  on official government business.
• The new rules require that travelers be more
  aggressive in seeking/obtaining tax exemptions
  for lodging must be informed about the tax
  exemption status of the location of the official
  travel, complete exempt form, inquire at the
  check-in desk on the status of exemption for
  Federal official travel, present a copy of travel
  order or show the government travel card.
  Precludes reimbursement for taxes if travelers
  fail to make that inquiry.
• In an effort to ensure that travelers are
  adhering to this new requirement. We ask that in
  addition to the travel folder you normally
  prepare for your files, that you create an
  additional folder to provide the traveler with
  and include the tax exempt form when applicable.
• This will save the travelers out-of-pocket
  expenses, in addition to the possibility of taxes
  being paid, even when they choose to pay for
  lodging exceeding the maximum government per diem
  allowance. Remember that travelers are only
  entitled to reimbursement of taxes on the maximum
  per diem rate. It also saves the government
  money, because thats an expense we wont have to
  pay or reimburse the traveler for.

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New HHS Requirements Tax Exempt Form (cont.)

• Only states that provide some form of tax
  exemption for federal employees on official
  business are listed on the NIH Portal Page.
• Those states have tax exempt forms available in
  PDF and Word format.
• Some state forms are more complex than others,
  but are generally easy to complete.
• Those states not listed either indicated no tax
  exemption, or did not respond to NIHs survey
  letter.
• For additional state tax source information, you
  may want to search the web for individual state
  revenue websites.

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New Travel Information

• If you went to the DCTD HHS-348 Training, DCP
  DCCPS are handling 2 situations differently.
• These 2 things are
• In Kind Meals while on Sponsored Travel
• Phone Calls while on Foreign Travel

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Recording In-Kind Per Diem Information

• In-Kind travel MUST always retain a dollar value
  for reporting
• Lodging - Retain dollar values and select
  In-Kind payment method option

Select the Override button to change payment
method for MIE
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Recording In-Kind Per Diem Information
MIE Cost Option Screens
Select Options button to change MIE payment
method
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Recording In-Kind Per Diem Information
In Kind meals will show up here
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New Travel Information Continued

• During the DCTD HHS-348 Training, they mentioned
  that a traveler must submit a memo to request
  approval for number of calls and the amount of
  calls to be authorized on a foreign travel order.
• Neither DCP nor DCCPS requires this memo.
• However, under comments for phone calls under
  expenses the breakdown needs to be stated.
• For example, 2 personal calls at 15/each, not to
  exceed 30.
• Additional Phone Call information
• IN THE PAST Travelers were required to lodge at
  least two nights before reimbursement for
  personal telephone calls while on travel.
• PRESENTLY Allows reasonable reimbursement
  starting first lodging night (receipts required)
  for limited telephone calls (not to exceed
  5/day) to travelers residence or dependent
  caretaker, provided Government telephone
  facilities and calling cards can not be used. No
  cell phone reimbursement.

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Travel Portal Page Useful Tools

• US County Lookup  tells you the county a meeting
  location is in to match to the State per diem
  rates
• Open Travel Documents quick lookup for status of
  documents youve worked on
• Policy Regulations
• Hotel Tax Percentage Rates links to tax rates
  for US States, also gives links to printable tax
  exempt forms for lodging
• Trip Details  need an itinerary?  W/record
  locator and travelers name, you can look it up
  here
• International Travel
• Forms

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Continuing Resolution (CR)

• OFM is authorizing our Travel Management Center,
  OMEGA, to release contract carrier, fully
  refundable tickets to travelers departing through
  Monday, December 19, 2005. The President has
  signed a Continuing Resolution (CR) which will
  cover travel through Saturday, December 17, 2005.
  
• To clarify, procurement of non-contract carrier
  airfare tickets may be authorized when properly
  justified during this CR period, however, as we
  approach the end of the period, discretion should
  be used in doing so. Therefore, travelers may
  pick up their tickets but must be advised that,
  absent an appropriations bill or CR extension
  beyond December 17, these tickets may not be
  used.
• Each Travel Authorization should continue to be
  annotated to read, "Pending Availability of FY 06
  Funds".

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Information for Employees
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Emergency closure/dismissal procedures

• If a weather-related or other emergency arises
  before the workday begins, the Office of
  Personnel Management (OPM) will provide an
  announcement regarding the operating status of
  the Federal Government to the media as early as
  possible.
• As soon as the status is determined,
• it will also be posted on OPMs web site at
  http//www.opm.gov/ and
• a recorded message will be provided by OPMs
  Office of Communications on 202-606-1900.

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Updating Your Home Address in MyPay

• The end of the year is around the corner!  This
  year, two W2s (one for pre-DFAS and one for
  post-DFAS) will be mailed to your home address of
  record.  
• You can also print your post-DFAS W2 using MyPay
  (https//mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx).  
• Please verify the accuracy of your home address
  by going to MyPay and selecting Correspondence
  Address. 
• If it is incorrect, please make the change and
  select Save.

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Benefits Calendar of Events
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OPEN DISCUSSION
Problems? Issues? Concerns? Anything youd like
to see on next months agenda? Do you have
something youd like to present? Just let us know!