5 U.S.C. § 5724a — Relocation expenses of employees transferred or reemployedtransferred

(a) Under section 5738 regulations, the agency must pay the employee or the employee’s immediate family’s per diem, actual food-and-lodging costs, or both, for the family’s travel between the old and new official stations.

(b)(1) For a transfer between stations in the United States, the agency may pay: (A) transportation for the employee and spouse to look for permanent housing at the new station; and (B) either per diem, actual food-and-lodging costs, or both, or a subsistence amount capped by the Administrator of General Services. (2) These expenses may be allowed for only one round trip for each station change.

(c)(1) The agency may pay the employee’s and immediate family’s actual food-and-lodging costs for up to 60 days while they occupy temporary quarters at a new United States station, or may pay a subsistence amount capped by the Administrator instead of actual costs. (2) The agency head or designee may add up to 60 more days if compelling reasons require continued temporary housing. (3) Regulations implementing actual-cost payments must set daily per-person rates and amounts.

(d)(1) For a United States-to-United States transfer, the agency must pay required employee costs for selling the old residence or settling an unexpired lease and buying a residence at the new station. (2) For a transfer from a foreign duty post to a United States station other than the station from which the employee left for the foreign tour, the agency must pay required costs of selling or settling the lease of the residence at the old United States station and buying a residence at the new United States station. (3) The sale, lease settlement, or purchase must occur after official notice that the employee will return to a different United States station. (4) Brokerage fees and other reimbursed costs cannot exceed customary local charges. (5) Losses on selling the residence are not reimbursed. (6) The rule applies whether title or the lease is in the employee’s name, jointly with an immediate-family member, or only in that family member’s name. (7) Reimbursement for the old residence’s sale cannot exceed 10 percent of its sale price; reimbursement for the new residence’s purchase cannot exceed 5 percent of its purchase price. (8) The agency may pay property-management-service costs instead of sale costs under paragraph (1) or (2) when it finds the transfer advantageous and cost-effective.

(e) For a transfer to a foreign duty post, the agency may pay property-management-service costs. Payment ends when the employee returns to a United States official station.

(f)(1) An employee reimbursed under subsections (a) through (e) or section 5724(a) is entitled to miscellaneous expenses of up to two weeks’ basic pay if the employee has an immediate family, or up to one week’s basic pay otherwise. (2) The amount cannot exceed the amount calculated at the maximum rate payable for a GS-13 position.

(g) A former employee separated because of a reduction in force or transfer of function who is rehired within one year, through a nontemporary appointment at a different geographic location, may receive the expenses under sections 5724, 5725, 5726(b), and 5727 and the benefits under subsections (a) through (f), as if transferred without a break in service from the separation location to the reemployment location.

(h) Subsistence payments under this section, including payments instead of per diem or actual costs, cannot exceed the maximum allowed by regulations implementing section 5702.