MODIFICATION OF FLAT RATE PER DIEM REQUIREMENT FOR PERSONNEL ON LONG-TERM TEMPORARY DUTY ASSIGNMENTS.

SEC. 672. MODIFICATION OF FLAT RATE PER DIEM REQUIREMENT FOR PERSONNEL ON LONG-TERM TEMPORARY DUTY ASSIGNMENTS.(a) Modification of Flat Rate.—(1) In general.—The Secretary of Defense shall take such action as may be necessary to provide that, to the extent that regulations implementing travel and transportation authorities for military and civilian personnel of the Department of Defense impose a flat rate per diem for meals and incidental expenses for authorized travelers on long-term temporary duty assignments that is at a reduced rate compared to the per diem rate otherwise applicable, the Secretary concerned may waive the applicability of such reduced rate and pay such travelers actual expenses up to the full per diem rate for such travel in any case when the Secretary concerned determines that the reduced flat rate per diem for meals and incidental expenses is not sufficient under the circumstances of the temporary duty assignment.(2) Applicability.—The Secretary concerned may exercise the authority provided pursuant to paragraph (1) with respect to per diem payable for any day on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.(b) Delegation of Authority.—The authority pursuant to subsection (a) may be delegated by the Secretary concerned to an officer at the level of lieutenant general or vice admiral, or above. Such authority may not be delegated to an officer below that level.(c) Waiver of Collection of Receipts.—The Secretary concerned or an officer to whom the authority pursuant to subsection (a) is delegated pursuant to subsection (b) may waive any requirement for the submittal of receipts by travelers on long-term temporary duty assignments for the purpose of receiving the full per diem rate pursuant to subsection (a) if the Secretary concerned or officer, as described in subsection (b), personally certifies that requiring travelers to submit receipts for that purpose will negatively affect mission performance or create an undue administrative burden.(d) Secretary Concerned Defined.—In this section, the term “Secretary concerned” has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 37, United States Code.130 STAT. 2179