August 12, 1999

BULLETIN NO. 99-05

TO THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT:   Rescissions of Administrative and Travel Expenses

1. Purpose. This Bulletin provides guidance on the rescission of amounts for nondefense administrative and travel expenses required by Sections 102 and 202 of the Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee and Emergency Oil and Gas Guaranteed Loan Act of 1999 (H.R. 1664). This bulletin will take effect upon enactment of H.R. 1664. It is being issued in anticipation of enactment to permit orderly planning by agencies.

2. Background and coverage. Sections 101 and 202 of H.R. 1664 (Attachment A) rescind $270 million of the funds available to Executive Branch agencies in the "nondefense category" in FY 1999. The Act specifies that the rescissions are to be "taken only from administrative and travel accounts ... on a pro-rata basis from funds available to every Federal agency, department, and office." The bill also requires that, "Within 30 days of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate a listing of the amounts by account of the reductions ...."

3. Required actions. Agencies will be separately provided with their pro-rata rescission amount in the format of Attachment B by their OMB representative. Agencies have the discretion to determine the allocation of their required rescission amount by budget account and within accounts, provided that the reduction is applied only to administrative and travel expenses in the following object classes: 21.0, 22.0, 23.1, 23.2, 23.3, 24.0, 25.1, 25.3, 26.0.

Each agency must report the budget account(s) in which the rescission is applied in the format of Attachment B. This report should be submitted to the OMB representative with primary budget responsibility for the agency no later than c.o.b. Wednesday, August 25, 1999.

4. Contact. Questions regarding this Bulletin should be directed to the relevant agency's OMB representative.

Jacob J. Lew
Director

Attachments

Attachment A

FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIVE AND TRAVEL EXPENSES

(RESCISSIONS)