Background
Tiffany Buford sought reimbursement of relocation expenses from the Air Force. On June 7, 2024, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals denied her claim.
Buford previously appealed that decision, but the Federal Circuit dismissed because its jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(10) does not extend to Board decisions involving civilian federal employees’ travel claims under 31 U.S.C. § 3702(a)(3). She then filed this second appeal from the same Board decision and responded to the court’s order directing her to show why the appeal should not be dismissed.
The Court’s Holding
In a nonprecedential per curiam order, the Federal Circuit dismissed the appeal. The court held that Buford’s response did not establish any basis to depart from its jurisdictional ruling in her first appeal.
The court also directed the clerk not to docket any further appeals by Buford from the same Board decision. Each side was ordered to bear its own costs.
Key Takeaways
- The Federal Circuit lacks jurisdiction to review a Civilian Board of Contract Appeals decision on a civilian federal employee’s travel claim under 31 U.S.C. § 3702(a)(3).
- A second appeal from the same Board decision did not provide a basis to revisit the court’s prior jurisdictional ruling.
- The court barred the docketing of any further appeals from that Board decision.
Why It Matters
The order reinforces the statutory limit on the Federal Circuit’s review of Board decisions involving civilian federal employee travel and relocation claims. It also shows that repeated attempts to appeal the same decision after a jurisdictional dismissal may result in a filing restriction directed to that decision.