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United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 6610 (118th)

Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

6 December 2023

Last action

20 March 2024 · Introduced

Status

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Sponsors

Rep. Issa, Darrell [R-CA-48], Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27], Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Davidson, Warren [R-OH-8], Jenniffer González-Colón, Bradley Schneider, Rep. Collins, Mike [R-GA-10], Katie Porter, Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Alma Adams, Derrick Van Orden, Brandon Williams, Richard Hudson, Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7], Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25], Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6], Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3], Lloyd Smucker, Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6], Colin Allred, Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37], Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7], Michael Turner, Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20], Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE], Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1]

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

27 May 2025

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act This bill addresses issues related to the passport issuance process, including by providing the Department of State with emergency hiring authorities. Under this bill, the State Department may hire additional personal services contractors to meet the exigent needs of the Bureau of Consular Affairs from FY2024 through FY2026. The State Department may have up to 100 such positions at any given time, and such positions may not be for longer than two years. Furthermore, the bureau must award or expand contracts to implement certain information technology (IT) programs. Specifically, these contracts shall be to (1) provide a digital dashboard to congressional offices to track individual passport applications; (2) establish a program to provide automated messages and notifications to passport applicants, such as notifications of application errors; (3) establish a mobile application to allow passport applicants to communicate with the State Department and submit documents; (4) expand the online passport renewal system to also accommodate routine first-time adult passport applications; and (5) provide rules-based tools to screen online passport renewal applications with no changed biographical information against commercial databases. The bureau must also solicit the private sector for proposals about commercially available technologies that may improve the passport issuance process. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must report to Congress a comprehensive review of the passport issuance process, including opportunities to enhance the process. The bureau must periodically report to Congress on its progress in implementing the GAO's recommendations.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 6 December 2023

    Introduced

    Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 6 December 2023

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 6 December 2023

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  4. 13 December 2023

    Vote

    Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 46 - 0.

    Source: Committee

  5. 13 December 2023

    Committee

    Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

    Source: Committee

  6. 19 March 2024

    Passed

    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

    Source: Floor

  7. 19 March 2024

    Passed

    On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1198-1200)

    Source: Floor

  8. 19 March 2024

    Passed

    Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1198-1200)

    Source: Floor

  9. 19 March 2024

    Floor

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6610.

    Source: Floor

  10. 19 March 2024

    Floor

    Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1198-1201)

    Source: Floor

  11. 19 March 2024

    Floor

    Mrs. Wagner moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

    Source: Floor

  12. 20 March 2024

    Introduced

    Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

7 official files

Referred in Senate (text)

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Sponsors

Related records

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Sources

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