Executive Order Bans “Federally Funded Travel to Conferences and other Non-Essential Purposes” and Justification Must be Made Public for Travel

On February 26, 2025, an Executive Order (EO) was issued that was designed to ‘cut costs to save taxpayers money and “ensure Government Spending is transparent and Government employees are accountable to the American public.” Other directives in that Order will be covered in other updates, but this update covers Federal Employees’ Travel and Public Justification of Traveling on Federal Funds. In essence, the EO requires a system of approval for conferences and other non-essential travel and the approval mandates justification for the federally expended funds for travel to “conferences and other non-essential purposes.” Rather than putting the burden on taxpayers or media outlets to track these costs or submit a Freedom of Information Act request, the justifications are required to be made public unless prohibited by law. Here are the details:

Section 3(e) of the Executive Order (EO) is titled “Non-Essential Travel Justification” and directs the following action:

·       Each Agency Head shall, with assistance from the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, build a technological system within each agency that centrally records approval for federally funded travel for conferences and other non-essential purposes.  

·       Once an agency’s system is in place, the Agency Head shall prohibit agency employees from engaging in federally funded travel for conferences or other non-essential purposes unless the travel-approving official has submitted a brief, written justification for the federally funded travel within such system. 

·      Each DOGE Team Lead shall, to the extent consistent with law, provide the Administrator with a monthly informational report listing each agency’s justifications for non-essential travel.

·       Such justifications shall be posted publicly unless prohibited by law or unless the Agency Head grants an exemption from this requirement.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency-cost-efficiency-initiative/