CHANGE IN REST AND RECUPERATION TRAVEL

UNCLAS STATE 053774 TO ALL MISSION EMPLOYEES FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: APER AMGT SUBJECT: CHANGE IN REST AND RECUPERATION TRAVEL ¶1. SUMMARY: A recent amendment to the Foreign Service Act of 1980 added language to Section 901(6)(B) to the Act regarding rest and recuperation travel. Therefore, The Director General for the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources is pleased to announce that the Department now has the authority to permit travel to U.S. territories for rest and recuperation without cost constructing transportation. END SUMMARY ¶2. Effective May 22, 2009, employees and their dependents may travel to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other U.S. territories including American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for rest and recuperation purposes without cost constructing transportation. ¶3. An employee and eligible family members may travel on rest and recuperation travel orders to the post's R and R designated relief point or to any city in the U.S. or its territories (as cited above),and post may authorize appropriate transportation costs by the most direct cost effective route between the two points. ¶4. There is no change to regulations regarding travel to other locations for R and R where cost-constructing is required. To recap, R and R travel to any location abroad other than the R and R designated relief point, or for a combination of travel to locations abroad and in the U.S., must be cost-constructed against the R and R designated point abroad. (Note: The R and R designated relief points for WHA posts are located in the U.S.) R and R travel to more than one city in the U.S. and/or its territories must be cost-constructed against the single city in the U.S. or U.S. territory cited on the travel authorization, where employees and eligible family members must stay a minimum of one night. Contract fares may not be used for cost- constructed travel. ¶5. Complete revised regulations including R and R designated points can be reviewed in 3 FAM 3720 and 3 FAH-1 H-3720. ¶6. Questions should be directed to HRTravelBenefits@state.gov. ¶7. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. CLINTON