Board of Contract Appeals

                 General Services Administration

                      Washington, D.C. 20405







                           ____________



                          April 4, 2005

                           ____________





                         GSBCA 16586-RELO





                 In the Matter of ANGELA Y. HICKS





     Angela Y. Hicks, Sterling, VA, Claimant.



     Randall M. Christopherson, Director, Denver Finance Center, Small Business

Administration, Denver, CO, appearing for Small Business Administration.



GOODMAN, Board Judge.



     Claimant, Angela Y. Hicks, is an employee of the Small Business Administration. 

She has asked this Board to review the agency's denial of reimbursement of costs incurred

during her permanent change of station (PCS) transfer.



                       Factual Background



     Claimant was issued travel orders dated December 29, 2003, for a PCS transfer from

Dallas, Texas, to Herndon, Virginia.  The orders authorized reimbursement of relocation

expenses.  Claimant decided to have her father travel with her, as she was traveling with her

young son in an automobile through winter weather.  Before she moved in January 2004, she

asked the agency relocation specialist whether she could be compensated for expenses that

would be incurred by having her father, who did not live with her, accompany her during her

travel.  She was informed that the agency would not reimburse her for her father's travel

expenses.



     Claimant accomplished her PCS travel with her son and father.  She submitted a claim

for reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by her father, including air fare for his return

to Dallas.



                           Discussion

                                

     The Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) authorizes reimbursement of relocation travel

expenses incurred by an employee and his or her "immediate family members."  41 CFR 302-

4.100 (2003).  "Immediate family" is defined as:



     Any of the following named members of the employee's household at the time

     he/she reports for duty at the new permanent duty station or performs

     authorized travel involving family members: . . . 



          (c) dependent parents . . .  of the employee.



Id. 300-3.1.



     Claimant's father did not live with her before she was transferred.  The airline ticket

attached to claimant's travel voucher indicates that her father returned to Dallas five days

after claimant's arrival at the new duty station.  There is no evidence that he was her

dependent.  Claimant's father is therefore not an "immediate family" member as defined by

the FTR, and claimant is not entitled to travel expenses incurred by her father during her PCS

move.



                             Decision



     The claim is denied.









                                   ___________________________________

                                   ALLAN H. GOODMAN

                                   Board Judge