Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the Government Travel Advisory Committee was formed so members from the public and private sector could provide input on the government’s per diem reimbursement rate, not its conference spending policies.
The General Services Administration announced this week it will convene a new committee to review the government’s travel regulations and policies.
The Governmentwide Travel Advisory Committee will consist of individuals from the travel industry, corporations and federal and local governments. According to GSA, the committee is another step toward bringing transparency to government travel regulations and policies.
GSA’s new committee — with members spanning from Deloitte to Lockheed Martin to hotel associations to visitors’ bureaus and the federal government — will review travel policies such as the federal per diem rate for the 2015 fiscal year. It will also make recommendations for incorporating industry best practices and sustainable practices into government travel policy.
GSA originally put out a call for committee members last December, after members of both the public and private sector asked to provide input on how the federal government set its per diem reimbursement rate.
The Office of Government Policy within GSA will house the new committee. The office helps federal agencies plan travel and set reimbursement rates for lodging and meals.
The committee’s first meeting takes place July 30.
