340.2 - Permanent Change of Station

Issuance Number:   340.2

Subject:                      Permanent Change of Station

Issuance Date:          6/1/2022

Expiration Date:       5/29/2025

Responsible Office:  Office of Administration; Office of Accounting and Financial    Management

Instruction: This revises Survey Manual (SM) chapter 340.2, dated December 23, 2014 to comply with existing requirements and procedure.

Approving Official:   /s/ Holly Weyers

                                      Acting Associate Director for Administration

1.    Purpose and Scope.  This SM chapter provides references and describes applicability for an official change of station for all U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) employees.

2.    Authority. 

A.  41 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Chapter 302, Federal Travel Regulation – Relocation Allowances (dated July 1, 2020).

B.  Department of the Interior Permanent Change of Station Policy Handbook (policy effective October 2012) – contains the standards and procedures for relocation travel allowances.

3.    Definitions.

A.  Immediate Family.  For the purposes of this policy, immediate family means any of the following members of an employee’s household at the time the employee reports for duty at the new duty station:

(1)  The employee’s spouse.

(2)  Children of the employee or employee’s spouse who are unmarried and under 21 years of age or who, regardless of age, are physically or mentally incapable of self-support.

(3)  Dependent parents of the employee or the employee’s spouse.

(4)  Dependent siblings of the employee or employee’s spouse who are unmarried and under the age of 21 or who, regardless of age, are physically or mentally incapable of self-support.

4.    Eligibility.

A.  New appointees include individuals that are appointed to the first duty station or has had a break in Federal Service more than 12 months.

B.  Transferred employees include current federal employees or those who have been separated due to a reduction in force for less than 12 months

C.  The criteria for defining a new appointee versus transferred employee are provided in 41 C.F.R. § 302-3.1.  Allowable expenses are limited for new appointees. 

D.  Eligibility may be met when USGS determines that it is in the interest of the Department to transfer a current Government employee from one agency or duty station to another for permanent duty, and the new duty station is at least 50 miles or more distant from the employee’s current residence than the distance from the same residence and the old duty station.  For example, if the old duty station is 5 miles from the current residence, then the new duty station must be 55 miles from the same residence.  On a case-by-case basis and having considered the following criteria, the head of USGS (or designee) may authorize the reimbursement of relocation expenses of less than 50 miles when they determine that it is in the interest of the Department.  The following criteria also apply:

(1)  The one-way commuting pattern between the old and new official station increases by at least 10 miles but no more than 50 miles.

(2)  There is an increase in the commuting time to the new official station by at least 30 minutes one way.

(3)  A financial hardship is imposed due to increased commuting costs.

E.  Eligibility may be met for an employee performing travel in accordance with the overseas tour renewal agreement.

F.  Eligibility may be met for an employee returning to the place of residence after completion of a prescribed tour of duty for the purposes of separation from Government service or separation from the overseas assignment for reassignment to the same or different Government agency.

G.  Eligibility may be met for a student trainee assigned to any position upon completion of college work.

H.  Eligibility may be met for an employee’s “last move home” benefit upon separation from the Government and their immediate family in the event of the employee’s death prior to separation or after separation but prior to relocating.

I.  Eligibility may be met for a career appointee to the Senior Executive Service (SES) as defined in 5 U.S. Code 3132(a)(4), and for a prior SES appointee who is returning to the official residence for separation and who will be retaining SES retirement benefits.

J.  Eligibility may be met for an employee who is being assigned to a temporary duty station in connection with a long-term assignment.

5.    Relocation Entitlements.

A.  New appointees are entitled to the following:

(1)  En route transportation expenses for the employee and their immediate family for the actual trip from the old duty station to the new duty station to report for duty.

(2)  En route per diem for the employee only.

(3)  Transportation and storage of household goods.

(4)  Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA).

(5)  Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA).

B.  Transferring employees are entitled to the following:

(1)  En route transportation expenses for the employee and their immediate family for the actual trip from the old duty station to the new duty station to report for duty.

(2)  En route per diem for the employee and their immediate family.

(3)  Miscellaneous expense allowance.

(4)  Real estate transaction reimbursement (i.e., sell, buy, lease break).

(5)  Transportation and temporary storage of household goods.

(6)  Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA).

(7)  Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA).

(8)  Transferees may also be entitled, depending on individual circumstances, the office’s discretion, and what is authorized/documented on the travel authorization, to the following:

(a)  One house-hunting trip, up to 10 days.

(b)  Temporary quarters, up to 30 days.

(c)  Use of relocation service companies and the home marketing incentive.

C.  New appointees and transferees must coordinate with the Bureau Permanent Change of Station coordinator prior to incurring expenses.

D.  Employees have 1 year from the time they report to their new official duty station to incur all authorized relocation expenses.  Employees may request an extension of 1 year to incur relocation expenses under specific compelling reasons.

E.  Employees must serve the entire period of their signed service agreement (other than for reasons beyond your control and which must be accepted by USGS), otherwise the employee will have incurred a debt due to the Government and must reimburse all costs that USGS has paid towards your relocation expenses including withholding tax allowance (WTA) and relocation income tax (RIT) allowance.

F.  New appointees are not entitled to house-hunting trips, en route per diem for family, miscellaneous expense, temporary quarters, real estate expense reimbursement, home marketing incentive, or third-party relocation services.