When federal employees speak, participate in a panel, or present at a conference or similar meeting in their official capacities, the waiver of a registration fee would no longer be considered a “payment in kind,” if such fees are waived for all speakers, panelists, or presenters, under proposed GSA rules.
The proposal in the August 15 Federal Register would change reporting requirements for agencies whose employees appear at such events and further would apply for the duration of the event even if the employee performs such duties on only one day.
GSA noted that under current Federal Travel Regulation policies, agencies may accept payment of travel expenses from a non-federal source for employees to attend such functions and that the employees “speak at these types of events to further the missions of their agencies as a necessary and customary part of their work activities.”
Travel expenses paid by a non-federal source, such as transportation, lodging expenses, or other costs associated with an employee’s work-related participation in such an event still will need to be reviewed under policies governing payments in kind.
