Uber, but for feds
Recently introduced legislation would open the world of modern transportation apps to federal reimbursement.
A new bill would allow federal employees to expense Uber and other app-powered transportation options. Photo credit: Jeramey Lende / Shutterstock.com
A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants feds to be able to use ride-hailing and -sharing services for official government travel.
The Modernizing Government Travel Act, introduced July 5, would allow federal employees to seek reimbursement for using services such as Uber and Lyft, which connect riders with drivers via mobile apps.
The legislation also covers carpooling, bike sharing and similar services.
Crafting the specific regulations would fall to the General Services Administration, with the Administrative Office of the United States Courts responsible for developing regulations for judicial branch agencies.
GSA would also be tasked with reporting annually to Congress on any savings generated by the new rules.
The bill is sponsored by freshman Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). Reps. Will Hurd (R-Texas), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) are among its five co-sponsors.
The bill has been referred to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on which Hurd and Meadows serve.
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