Per diem; employees traveling on official business

§ 5702. Per diem; employees traveling on official business (a) An employee, while traveling on official business away from his designated post of duty, is entitled to a per diem allowance prescribed by the agency concerned. For travel inside the continental United States, the per diem allowance may not exceed the rate of $16. For travel outside the continental United States, the per diem allowance may not exceed the rate established by the President or his designee, who may be the Director of the Bureau of the Budget or another officer of the Government of the United States, for the locality where the travel is performed. (b) Under regulations prescribed under section 5707 of this title, an employee who, while traveling on official business away from his designated post of duty, becomes incapacitated by illness or injury not due to his own misconduct is entitled to the per diem allowances, and transportation expenses to his designated post of duty. 80 Stat. 499 (c) Under regulations prescribed under section 5707 of this title, the head of the agency concerned may prescribe conditions under which an employee may be reimbursed for the actual and necessary expenses of the trip, not to exceed an amount named in the travel authorization, when the maximum per diem allowance would be much less than these expenses due to the unusual circumstances of the travel assignment. The amount named in the travel authorization may not exceed— (1) $30 for each day in a travel status inside the continental United States; or (2) the maximum per diem allowance plus $10 for each day in a travel status outside the continental United States. (d) This section does not apply to a justice or judge except to the extent provided by section 456 of title 28.