This may help:
Here is the link: https://public.afosi.amc.af.mil/RE/announcements.asp
PER DIEM, TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION ALLOWANCE COMMITTEE
HOFFMAN BUILDING 1, ROOM 836
2461 EISENHOWER AVENUE, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22331-1300
PDTATAC/vap 31 March 2006
UNIFORMED TRAVEL DETERMINATION
TO: SEE DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: MAP 18-06 -- BAH Rules for Reserve Members on Active Duty More than 30 Days
1. SYNOPSIS: Implement Section 610b of the FY06 NDAA. The NDAA changed the minimum number of days that a Reserve Component member must be called or ordered to active duty to receive the full housing allowance rate from “less than 140 days” to “over 30 days”. MAP Item 18-06 adopts that change and also changes the housing allowance rate location from the place duty is performed to the principal residence (where housing costs are actually incurred).
2. The Committee Chair has approved, for publication, the attached changes to the Joint Federal Travel Regulations, Volume 1 (JFTR), made in MAP 18-06.
3. These changes have been provided to DFAS for inclusion in DoDFMR, Volume 26.
4. This change is effective for Reserve Component members called/ordered to active duty for more than 30 days and who begin active duty on or after 6 January 2006.
//approved 04-03-06//
S. W. Westbrook
Director
Attachments:
Memo to DFAS
Uniformed E-Mail Distribution:
MAP Members GSA-3FT PMO-DTS
T&T Branch HRSIC GSA-OGP(MTT)
PER DIEM, TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION ALLOWANCE COMMITTEE
HOFFMAN BUILDING 1, ROOM 836
2461 EISENHOWER AVENUE, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22331-1300
PDTATAC 31 March 2006
MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTOR, DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE,
1931 JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAY, ARLINGTON, VA 22240
SUBJECT: Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Entitlement Rules for Reserve Members Performing Active Duty for More Than 30 Days
1. Section 610 of the FY06 NDAA lowers the threshold in 37 USC §403(g) for payment of locality-based housing allowances for Reserve Component members on active duty for other than a contingency from “less than 140 days” down to “over 30 days”. This memorandum provides guidance to implement the change which was effective starting 6 January 2006.
2. Current rules in DODFMR paragraph 570502, state the place where the duty is being performed is the member’s permanent station for BAH purposes and that the BAH rate is based on that location. If that rule is retained, moving the full rate payment threshold to 31 days creates a situation in which Reserve Component members performing active duty for more than 30 days, but less than 140 days, at an overseas location, receive no housing allowance. These members would no longer receive the Reserve Component rate since they were on active duty for more than 30 days nor would they receive OHA since they would not have a lease at the overseas TDY point. To prevent this inequity, the location to be used as the defining location for type and amount of housing allowance becomes the location at which the member’s housing costs are incurred, the location of the principal residence.
3. Rules for implementation of the 30 day active duty threshold for Reserve Component members are as follows:
Rule 1: Reserve Component (RC) members called or ordered to active duty for 30 or fewer days receive BAH at the RC rate (drop references to BAH II and use RC rate instead) (BAH-RC)(BAH-RC with dependents or BAH-RC without dependents).
Rule 2: RC members who are called or ordered to active duty for more than 30 days and begin to serve on active duty prior to 6 January 2006, even if their continuous service extends beyond 6 January 06. Pay BAH at the RC rate using the 139 day threshold.
Rule 3: RC members who are called or ordered to active duty for more than 30 days and begin to serve on active duty on or after 6 January 2006, to include RC members whose service is extended on or after 6 January 2006, through amended or modified orders, and the member serves more than 30 days from the date the orders are extended. - Pay BAH at the principal place of residence using the 31 day threshold. Reserve component members called to active duty for 140 or more days and authorized PCS HHG movement continue to receive housing allowances based on the PDS (duty location).
NOTE. BAH Geographic Location for RC members – The location to be used to determine the type and rate of housing allowance is the RC member's principal place of residence when called or ordered to active duty. However, this does not change the current rule of basing BAH on the duty location if the member receives PCS HHG transportation to the duty location.
4. Examples of application of the new rules are:
Example 1. Member lives in Dallas, receives an order dated 15 November 2005 to begin active duty on 3 January 2006 for 45 days at Atlanta.
Answer: Member is subject to the old rules and gets the BAH-RC rate (old BAH II).
Example 2. The same member receives an order extending the active duty period by 15 days. Extension order is dated 20 January 20096.
Answer: Still subject to old rules through 19 January but changes to new rules on 20 January. (BAH-RC rate through 19 January 2006, Dallas based BAH starting 20 January 2006).
Example 3. Member lives in Dallas, receives an order dated 15 November 2005 to begin active duty for 50 days on 8 January 2006 in Naples, Italy.
Answer: The member is under the new rules since active duty begins on or after 6 January 2006, also using the policy of basing the housing allowance on the location where housing expenses are borne (member's principal place of residence), the member receives Dallas BAH starting 8 January 2006.
Example 4. Member without dependents lives in Dallas, receives an order dated 15 November 2005 to begin active duty for 90 days on 8 January 2006 at Ft. Leavenworth where the member is assigned quarters in the barracks.
Answer: The member is under the new rules since active duty begins on or after 6 January 2006, also using the policy of basing the housing allowance on the location at which housing expenses are borne (member's principal place of residence). The fact that the member is assigned Government quarters at the duty location has no affect on the member’s BAH. The member is authorized BAH at the without-dependents rate for Dallas if the member maintains a residence in Dallas and continues to be responsible for rent or owns the residence.
5. Please modify the DoDFMR to implement these revised rules.
//approved 04-03-06//
S. W. Westbrook
Director