3 FAM 3250
OFFICIAL RESIDENCE EXPENSES
(CT:PER-944; 05-15-2019)
(Office of Origin: HR/ER/WLD)
3 FAM 3251 GENERAL INFORMATION
3 FAM 3251.1 Scope
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Official residence expenses (ORE) are intended to
defray unusual expenses incidental to the operation and maintenance of official
residences in which principal representatives can properly represent the United
States abroad by:
(1) Extending official (as distinct from personal)
hospitality to foreign dignitaries and important visitors;
(2) Receiving official deputations and callers; and
(3) Holding requisite and appropriate ceremonies
smoothly and with dignity.
b. Payment of official residence expenses is intended
to keep the official residences staffed and in operation to the extent
necessary, even during intervals between the departure of a principal representative
because of recall, transfer, or some other reason and his or her return or the
arrival of his or her successor.
c. Reimbursement of official residence expenses should
not be considered to be a gratuity, allowance, or other compensation.
3 FAM 3251.2 Authority
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
The authorities cited for this subchapter are:
(1) 5 U.S.C. 5913;
(2) 22 U.S.C. 287e, 22 U.S.C. 287e-1, 22 U.S.C. 287;
(3) The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
(VCDR), Article 33; and
(4) Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR),
Chapter 400.
3 FAM 3251.3 Definitions
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
Principal representativesenior
official of the U.S. Government serving in a foreign country who has been
designated by the Secretary of State.
Official residencethe residence designated by the head of
the agency for occupancy by a principal representative of an agency. The term
official residence includes the building and grounds:
(1) Purchased or leased by the U.S. Government and
assigned to a principal representative; or
(2) Leased or owned by a principal representative, or
by a member of his or her family, and occupied by the principal representative
as his or her residence.
Household staffthe person
employed by a principal representative to perform household duties at an
official residence. ORE household staff are not employees of the U.S.
Government.
Staff maintenancethe board,
lodging, clothing, local transportation, medical and dental care, social
security and other assessments, gratuities, burial expenses, and so forth,
which are required in accordance with local law or custom to be provided to
household staff by the principal representative in addition to wages.
Transportation costs and training described in DSSR 451 also are considered to
be a part of staffs maintenance.
3 FAM 3252 DESIGNATION OF PRINCIPAL
REPRESENTATIVE AND OFFICIAL RESIDENCE
3 FAM 3252.1 Principal
Representative
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. The Secretary of State will designate the positions
whose incumbents shall be considered principal representatives.
b. Officers holding the following positions or ranks
are designated as principal representatives:
(1) Chiefs and deputy chiefs of diplomatic missions,
and principal officers in charge of consulates general and consulates;
(2) Directors of USAID missions, USAID
representatives, and USAID affairs officers;
(3) Minister-Counselors of the Department of Commerce,
provided funding is available;
(4) Officials acting temporarily for all of the above
officials; and
(5) Such other positions for any agency that are
specifically designated by the Director, Office of Allowances, (A/OPR/ALS) in
the Department of State.
3 FAM 3252.2 Official Residence
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. The appropriate regional bureaus in the Department
of State and USAID; the Bureau of International Organization Affairs in the
Department of State; the Director, Office of Personnel (M/P) in the U.S. Agency
for Global Media (USAGM); and the
Director, Office of Foreign Service Personnel in the Department of Commerce
shall determine which residences at a post shall be designated as official
residences for occupancy by principal representatives. These offices may
redelegate this authority to:
(1) State: Chiefs of mission or charge d' affaires,
a.i. (ad interim);
(2) USAID: Directors or acting directors of USAID
missions, USAID representatives or acting USAID representatives;
(3) USAGM: To the ranking USAGM representative in the
country;
(4) Commerce: Regional directors, Office of
International
Operations; and
(5) USDA: Deputy Administrator/Foreign Agriculture
Affairs.
b. When a principal representative is expected to be
absent from his or her post for a period in excess of 30 consecutive calendar
days, the head of the agency may, in addition, designate as temporary official
residence, the residence of the employee acting for the principal
representative.
c. Information for official residence expenses during
absence of principal representative can be found in DSSR 430.
3 FAM 3253 HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES
3 FAM 3253.1 Amount of Usual
Household Expenses
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
The amount of usual household expenses (accounted for on
an annual calendar year basis) that must be borne personally by a principal
representative regardless of rank or grade is three and one-half percent (3.5%)
of his or her salary. Refer to DSSR 040-paragraph l, for definition of salary.
3 FAM 3253.2 Usual Household Expenses
Less Than Three and One-Half Percent
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
Should the total annual household and maintenance expenses
(including any expenses identified in DSSR 451-453 or 3 FAM 3255.1
through 3255.5) not be paid through other funding sources such as described in DSSR
450 or 3 FAM
3255, (e.g. contracts for gardening services) total less than three and
one-half percent of salary, the principal representative may pay the cost of
such expenses and not seek any reimbursement under ORE.
3 FAM 3254 ELECTION OF OFFICIAL
RESIDENCE EXPENSE
(CT:PER-944; 05-15-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Upon arrival at post, the principal representative
is responsible to contribute the three and one-half percent of his or her
salary when reimbursement of ORE is sought.
b. If the principal representative chooses not to
contribute the three and one-half percent of his or her salary when ORE costs
are less than the contribution, then he or she must make this election upon
arrival at the post and annually on January 1 each following year and may not
change this election during the year. The election not to contribute the
three and one-half percent of salary and not to seek reimbursement under ORE expenses
must remain in effect through the calendar year ending December 31.
c. Refer to 3 FAH-1 H-3250
for further information, guidance, and procedures.
3 FAM 3255 ALLOWABLE EXPENDITURES
3 FAM 3255.1 Limitation on
Household Staff
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
The following offices or officials shall determine the
limitation to be placed on the total number of household staff that may be
employed, at U.S. Government expense, in official residences of principal
representatives in their respective areas:
(1) Department of State regional bureaus and the
Bureau of International Organization Affairs;
(2) USAGM the Director shall determine such
limitation;
(3) USDA Deputy Administrator/Foreign Agriculture
Affairs; and
(4) Department of Commerce Office of Planning, USFCS.
3 FAM 3255.2 Household Staff
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
Allowable expenses for the household staff include the
following:
(1) Wages and maintenance of household staff;
(2) Transportation of household staff between the post
and alternate seat of government;
(3) Transportation of household staff between the
residence post and another post of assignment if the principal representative
is designated as a principal representative at both posts concurrently; and
(4) Protocol and/or English language training when
such training is reasonable and necessary.
3 FAM 3255.3 Funding
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Within allotted funds, official residence expenses
(ORE) may be charged for expenses described in DSSR 451-453 or 3 FAM 3255.1 - 3255.5. Reimbursement from the allotment
used for official residence expenses may be made to principal representatives
for official residence expenses that exceed on an annual basis the applicable
amount of usual household expenses specified in DSSR 440 or 3 FAM 3253.1.
b. All expenses of operating an official residence are
not chargeable solely as an ORE. (See 3 FAH-1
H-3251.2. Funding From Other Sources.)
3 FAM 3255.4 Household Operation
and Maintenance
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Household operation and maintenance of residence
include the following:
(1) The rent, installation, repair, upkeep and removal
of furnishings, equipment, and appliances;
(2) The purchase of services such as those required to
renovate and decorate the premises for use as an official residence (e.g.
painting, minor landscaping, repair structures);
(3) General house cleaning, dry cleaning, laundry,
trash removal, gardening services, and window washing; and
(4) Telephone and/or fax, basic Internet service,
basic cable television, basic satellite television connection where cable
television is not readily available, and other available communication media
required for official use.
b. Enhanced services or additional extensions of the
Internet, cable, or satellite television will be considered a personal expense
not covered by the ORE contribution and will be paid by the principal.
Principal representatives assigned to official residences, their employees and
their guests, are expected to pay for personal usage of equipment that results
in additional costs (e.g. long distance phone calls).
3 FAM 3255.5 Expendable Household
Supplies and Small Appliances
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Purchases should be limited to no more than six
months operating requirements for items which are normally consumed in use or
lose their identity such as cleaning items, paper, light bulbs, linen, nails,
and wire.
b. Supplies which are of insufficient value (less than
$250) that justifies maintenance of property accountability records, such as
electrical equipment, kitchenware, plumbing supplies, and tools. Posts are
encouraged to directly procure items for use by the official residence to
maximize purchasing power. All items acquired with U.S. Government funds
become property of the U.S. Government.
3 FAM 3255.6 Salary, Leave and
Benefits
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
Guidelines for establishing salary, leave and benefits for
household staff are found in 3 FAH-1 H-3250.
3 FAM 3256 PROHIBITIONS
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
The following expenses may not be reimbursed from or
charged to the ORE account:
(1) Expenditures which are properly borne by
representation allowance funds (such as ORE staff overtime, extra waiters for
official functions or other allowable items under DSSR 320);
(2) Expenditures properly borne by any other
appropriation as specified by acts of Congress or by internal agency
regulations;
(3) Expenditures prohibited by law;
(4) Wages and maintenance of household staff who
provide personalized services or are commonly employed by most employees at
post who do not have official residence responsibilities (such as chauffeur,
personal maid, personal secretary, nursemaid, or governess); and
(5) Transportation of household staff for purposes
other than delineated by DSSR 451, unless transportation is incorporated into
the wage contract due to lack of available qualified personnel at the post and
approved by head of the agency.
3 FAM 3257 PAYMENT
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Permanent and part-time staff employed under ORE are
employees of the principal representative, not of the U.S. Government. Thus,
the principal representative (or household manager) will disburse the pay to
these employees. In the absence of the ambassador the charge d affairs should
arrange for payment.
b. Official residence expenses authorized under DSSR
400 or 3 FAM
3250 must be accounted for on an annual calendar year basis and paid or
reimbursed monthly based on the annual amount calculated. Refer to 4 FAM 442.2.
Each agency should establish policies and procedures in order to ensure an
employee pays the appropriate amount.
3 FAM 3258 PROCEDURES, GUIDELINES, and
additional information
(CT:PER-921; 09-14-2018)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corp-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Procedures, guidelines, and additional information
concerning ORE are found in 3 FAH-1 H-3250.
b. Additional ORE information can be obtained from the
Department of State OpenNet and other Internet websites:
(1) Office of Allowances (DSSR).
(2) The Office of Directives Management.
(a) Intranet; and
(b) Internet; and
(3) United States Code: 5 U.S.C. 5913 and 22 U.S.C.
287e.
3 FAM 3259 UNASSIGNED