Limit Official Travels Abroad to Urgent Cases

The President issues Executive Order No. 339 by virtue of powers vested by law.
The Order declares that Executive Department officials should remain available to manage their offices efficiently and respond immediately to matters requiring their attention.
The Order is grounded on the Government’s policy of observing restraint in the utilization of resources, including restraint in expenditure for official travel abroad.
The Order directs restraint specifically through limits tied to urgency and necessity.

The Order applies to all department secretaries.
The Order applies to all undersecretaries.
The Order applies to all assistant secretaries.
The Order applies to other government officials of equivalent rank in the Executive Department.
The Order covers these officials when undertaking official travels abroad.

The Order requires limiting official travel abroad to those that are urgent and absolutely necessary.
Compliance is anchored on the rule “as provided under Executive Order No. 559 dated September 12, 1979.”
The standard applies to all proposed official travels abroad of the covered officials.

Proposed official travel abroad must be submitted to the Office of the President for decision.
Submission must be made at least ten (10) days before the scheduled departure.
The Office of the President’s decision is required before the travel proceeds.

Invitations from foreign governments or from international agencies/organizations must be forwarded first to the Office of the President.
The invitations must be forwarded for evaluation prior to being accepted.
Acceptance of such invitations is conditioned on the required forwarding and evaluation process.

All executive orders and similar issuances that are in conflict or inconsistent with Executive Order No. 339 are repealed and/or modified accordingly.
This repeal/modification applies to prior inconsistent rules governing official travel abroad by covered officials.