Board of Contract Appeals
                    General Services Administration
                         Washington, D.C. 20405
 
 
                         _____________________
 
                              June 7, 1999
                         _____________________
 
 
                            GSBCA 15010-RELO
 
 
                  In the Matter of CHARLES E. STEVENS
 
 
        Charles E. Stevens, Las Vegas, NV, Claimant.
 
        Brenda Barker, Manager, Accounts Receivable and Travel Team,
   Finance and  Accounting  Services,  Reclamation  Service  Center,
   Bureau  of Reclamation, Department  of the Interior,  Denver, CO,
   appearing for Department of the Interior.
 
   DeGRAFF, Board Judge.
 
        In August 1998, the Department of Interior (DoI), authorized
   Charles  E. Stevens  to transfer  from Colorado  to Nevada.   Mr.
   Stevens  told DoI  that he  wanted  to move  his household  goods
   himself.  Mr. Stevens s travel authorization listed three methods
   for moving household goods: commuted rate, actual expense (only),
   and actual  expense via [Government  Bill of Lading (GBL)].   The
   box next  to  actual expense  (only)  is marked on  Mr. Stevens s
   travel authorization.   DoI says that it has  determined that the
   commuted  rate method  is  not  a cost  effective  way of  moving
   household goods,  and so DoI  has not  used this method  for many
   years.  
 
        Mr. Stevens  moved his household  goods to  Nevada, and  DoI
   reimbursed him for his actual  expenses.  Mr. Stevens claims that
   DoI should  have reimbursed  him according  to the commuted  rate
   method. 
 
        The  Federal Travel Regulation  explains that when household
   goods  are moved  using the  GBL method, the  Government arranges
   with a  carrier to  move the  goods and  then pays  for the  move
   according to a contract  between the carrier and  the Government.
   When household  goods are moved  using the commuted  rate method,
   the employee is responsible for making arrangements for the move.
   The employee pays for the  move and the Government reimburses the
   employee according  to a schedule  of established rates.   41 CFR
   302-8.3 (1998).   Agencies are required to use  the commuted rate
   method when individual (as opposed to multiple or mass) transfers
   are  involved,  unless  the  cost  of using  the  GBL  method  is
   predetermined and  will result  in savings  to the  Government of
   $100 or  more.   41 CFR 302-8.3(c)(4)(i).   If an  agency decides
   that the GBL method will be used and the employee chooses to move
   himself,  the agency will  reimburse the employee  for his actual
   expenses, not to exceed the amount that it would have paid if the
   employee s household goods had  been moved in one lot  and on one
   GBL by  the lowest  cost carrier providing  the level  of service
   required.  41 CFR 101-40.203-2.  
 
 
        Mr. Stevens should be reimbursed  at the commuted rate.  The
   regulations required DoI to  authorize Mr. Stevens to  move using
   the commuted  rate method unless  it determined  that moving  his
   household goods using  the GBL method would result  in savings to
   the Government  of $100  or more.   Interior has  not established
   either that it made or could have made  this determination in Mr.
   Stevens s  case, or  that  there  is any  basis  for its  blanket
   determination that, in all cases, using the commuted rate  method
   is  not cost effective.  If the use  of the GBL method would have
   resulted  in a  cost savings  to the  Government and  if DoI  had
   authorized Mr. Stevens  to move using a  GBL, then he could  have
   chosen to move  his household goods himself, and  only then could
   DoI  have limited reimbursement to his actual costs.  Because DoI
   did not authorize  reimbursement according to the GBL method, the
   only method that  the regulations permit DoI to  use to reimburse
   Mr. Stevens is  the commuted rate method.   Lawrence M. Ribakoff,
   GSBCA 13892-RELO, 97-2 BCA   29,018.
 
        The claim is granted.
   __________________________________
 
                                      MARTHA H. DeGRAFF
                                      Board Judge