23754 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 82 / Wednesday, April 29, 2015 / Proposed Rules 

payments within 10 days after such 

payments become due, there will be 

added to such unpaid benefits an 

amount equal to 20 percent thereof, 

which must be paid to the claimant at 

the same time as, but in addition to, 

such benefits, unless review of the order 

making such award is sought as 

provided in section 21 of the LHWCA 

and an order staying payments has been 

issued. 

(b) If, on account of an operator’s or 

other employer’s failure to pay benefits 

as provided in paragraph (a) of this 

section, benefit payments are made by 

the fund, the eligible claimant will 

nevertheless be entitled to receive such 

additional compensation to which he or 

she may be eligible under paragraph (a), 

with respect to all amounts paid by the 

fund on behalf of such operator or other 

employer. 

(c) The fund may not be held liable 

for payments of additional 

compensation under any circumstances. 

Signed at Washington, DC, this 20th day of 

April, 2015. 

Leonard J. Howie III, 

Director, Office of Workers’ Compensation 

Programs. 

[FR Doc. 2015–09573 Filed 4–28–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–CR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

22 CFR Parts 22 and 51 

[Public Notice: 9111] 

RIN 1400–AD76 

Proposed Elimination of Visa Page 

Insert Service for U.S. Passport Book 

Holders 

AGENCY: Department of State. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: Currently, all U.S. passport 

book applicants may apply for either a 

28-page or 52-page passport book at no 

extra charge. U.S. passport book holders 

may then apply for additional visa pages 

while the passport book is still valid. 

The Department of State proposes 

eliminating the option to add visa pages 

in passports beginning January 1, 2016. 

To help mitigate the need for visa page 

inserts, the Department began issuing 

the larger 52-page passport book in 

October 2014 to all overseas U.S. 

passport applicants at no extra cost. U.S. 

passport applicants applying 

domestically can still obtain the 52-page 

passport book at no extra charge by 

requesting it on the application form. 

The elimination of visa page inserts 

coincides with the Department’s 

anticipated rollout of the Next 

Generation Passport in 2016. The Next 

Generation Passport incorporates new 

security features designed to protect the 

integrity of U.S. passport books against 

fraud and misuse. An interagency 

working group determined that the 

addition of visa page inserts could 

reduce the effectiveness of these new 

security features. If this change is 

implemented, the fee for this service 

will be removed from the Schedule of 

Fees for Consular Services. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before June 29, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may 

submit comments by any of the 

following methods: 

• Visit the Regulations.gov Web site 

at: http://www.regulations.gov/

index.cfm and search the RIN 1400– 

AD76 or docket number DOS–2015– 

0017. 

• Mail (paper, disk, or CD–ROM): 

U.S. Department of State, Office of 

Passport Services, Bureau of Consular 

Affairs (CA/PPT), Attn: CA/PPT/IA, 

44132 Mercure Circle, P.O. Box 1227, 

Sterling, Virginia 20166–1227. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael Holly, Office of Passport 

Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs; 

202–485–6373: PassportRules@

state.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Department proposes eliminating 

the visa page insert service for regular 

fee passport book holders beginning 

January 1, 2016. The expected effective 

date of this rule coincides with when 

the Department expects to begin issuing 

an updated version of the Next 

Generation Passport book. The 

Department routinely updates the 

technology used to produce U.S. 

passport books so that U.S. passport 

books use the most current anti-fraud 

and anti-counterfeit measures. The Next 

Generation Passport, which is the next 

update of the U.S. passport book, will 

contain a polycarbonate data-page and 

will be personalized with laser 

engraving. This passport will also 

employ conical laser perforation of the 

passport number through the data and 

visa pages; display a general artwork 

upgrade and new security features 

including watermark, security artwork, 

optical variable security devices, tactile 

features, and optically variable inks. 

The primary reason for eliminating visa 

page inserts is to protect the integrity of 

the Next Generation Passport books. 

In 2012, an interagency working 

group tasked with overseeing the 

development and deployment of Next 

Generation Passport books found that 

visa page inserts could compromise the 

effectiveness of security features of the 

new passport books that are intended to 

provide greater protections against fraud 

and misuse. To maximize the 

effectiveness of the Next Generation 

Passport that is expected to be issued to 

the general public in 2016, the 

Department considered whether visa 

page inserts could be phased out at the 

time that the Department begins to issue 

the new passport books. 

As part of this study, the Department 

considered the extent of the public’s 

usage of visa page inserts, costs to the 

Department of eliminating the service, 

and whether any inconvenience to the 

public could be minimized. A study of 

a sample of visa page insert applications 

revealed that a significant majority of 

those applying for visa page inserts had 

them added to 28-page passport books, 

rather than to the larger 52-page books. 

A set of visa page inserts is 24 pages. 

Accordingly, a 52-page passport book is 

the same size as a 28-page book with a 

set of extra visa pages. The Department 

determined that the demand for 

additional visa pages would be 

substantially reduced by issuing only 

the larger 52-page passport books to 

overseas U.S. passport applicants. 

Accordingly, the Department has begun 

issuing the 52-page book to overseas 

applicants, who are the most likely to 

apply for extra visa pages, at no 

additional cost. This should further 

reduce the already limited demand for 

visa page inserts, thus making the rule’s 

impact on the public very minimal. 

Individuals who apply for U.S. 

passports within the United States will 

continue to have the option to request 

a 52-page passport at no additional 

charge. 

Each version of the Next Generation 

Passport book contains two fewer pages 

total, but the same number of visa pages 

as the passport books currently in 

circulation. Accordingly, after the 

Department begins issuing the Next 

Generation Passport book, all domestic 

passport book applicants will still have 

the option to choose between a 26-page 

passport book and a larger 50-page 

passport book, but the larger 50-page 

passport books will be automatically 

issued to people applying overseas. 

The Department believes the limited 

demand for visa page inserts is 

outweighed by the importance of 

ensuring that the Next Generation 

Passport provides the maximum 

protection against fraud and misuse. 

Furthermore, the Department must 

monitor unused inventories of passport 

products, and the elimination of visa 

page inserts would facilitate more 

secure inventory controls. Accordingly, 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 82 / Wednesday, April 29, 2015 / Proposed Rules 23755 

the Department proposes eliminating 

visa page inserts in passport books 

issued to the general public beginning 

January 1, 2016, 

If this change is implemented, the fee 

for additional visa pages will be 

removed from the Schedule of Fees for 

Consular Services of the Department of 

State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs 

(‘‘Schedule of Fees’’ or ‘‘Schedule’’). 

What is the authority for this action? 

The Secretary of State is authorized to 

issue U.S. passports under 22 U.S.C. 

211a. The Department of State, Bureau 

of Consular Affairs, administers the U.S. 

passport issuance program and manages 

the consular sections of all U.S. 

consulates and embassies overseas. The 

Department of State derives the 

authority to eliminate visa page inserts 

from its statutory authority to issue U.S. 

passports and manage the U.S. passport 

issuance program. 

When will the department of state 

implement this proposed rule? 

The Department intends to implement 

this proposed rule on January 1, 2016. 

Regulatory Findings 

Administrative Procedure Act 

The Department is publishing this 

rule as a proposed rule, with a 60-day 

provision for public comments. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

The Department, in accordance with 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 

605(b), has reviewed this rule and, by 

approving it, certifies that the proposed 

rule, if promulgated, will not have a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities as 

defined in 5 U.S.C. 601(6). This rule 

eliminates the extra visa page insert 

service for U.S. passport book holders. 

Approximately 170,000 passport book 

holders applied for visa page inserts 

during Fiscal Year 2013. Only 

individuals, and no small entities, apply 

for visa page inserts. 

Unfunded Mandates Act of 1995 

This rule will not result in the 

expenditure by state, local, and tribal 

governments, in the aggregate, or by the 

private sector, of $1 million or more in 

any year and it will not significantly or 

uniquely affect small governments. 

Therefore, no actions were deemed 

necessary under the provisions of the 

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 

1995, 2 U.S.C. 1501–1504. 

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement 

Fairness Act of 1996 

This rule is not a major rule as 

defined by section 804 of the Small 

Business Regulatory Enforcement 

Fairness Act of 1996, since it will not 

result in an annual impact on the 

economy of $100 million or more. See 

5 U.S.C. 804(2). 

Executive Order 12866 

This rule is not economically 

significant under Executive Order 

12866, section 3(f)(1), because it will not 

have an annual impact on the economy 

of $100 million or more. This rule has 

been submitted to the Office of 

Management and Budget for review. 

The Department expects the proposed 

rule’s impact on the public to be 

minimal because of the already low 

demand for visa page inserts and steps 

taken by the Department to reduce that 

demand even further. In Fiscal Year 

2013, the Department processed only 

170,000 requests for additional visa 

pages. By comparison, the Department 

issued more than 12 million passports 

during the same time period, and there 

are more than 122 million passports in 

circulation. The Department estimates 

that 97 percent of renewed U.S. passport 

books will use less than 18 visa pages, 

which is a strong indication that current 

book sizes (28 pages and 52 pages) meet 

the needs of U.S. travelers. 

The Department of State does not 

anticipate that demand for passport 

services affected by this rule will change 

significantly because of the elimination 

of visa page inserts, and welcomes 

public comment on that expectation. 

Executive Order 13132 

This rule will not have substantial 

direct effects on the states, on the 

relationship between the national 

government and the states, or on the 

distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government. Therefore, in 

accordance with section 6 of Executive 

Order 13132, the Department has 

determined that this rule does not have 

sufficient federalism implications to 

require consultations or warrant the 

preparation of a federalism summary 

impact statement. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This rule does not impose or alter any 

reporting or record-keeping 

requirements under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act. 

List of Subjects in 22 CFR Parts 22 and 

51 

Consular services, fees, passports and 

visas. 

Accordingly, for the reasons stated in 

the preamble, 22 CFR parts 22 and 51 

are proposed to be amended as follows: 

PART 22—[AMENDED] 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 22 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1101 note, 1153 note, 

1183a note, 1351, 1351 note, 1714, 1714 note; 

10 U.S.C. 2602(c); 11 U.S.C. 1157 note; 22 

U.S.C. 214, 214 note, 1475e, 2504(a), 4201, 

4206, 4215, 4219, 6551; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 

Executive Order 10,718,22 FR 4632; 

Executive Order 11,295,31 FR 10603. 

■ 2. Amend the table in § 22.1 to revise 

item 2c to read as follows: 

§ 22.1 Schedule of Fees for Consular 

Services. 

* * * * * 

Item No. Fee 

PAssport and Citizenship Services 

* * * * * 

2. * * * 

(c) [RESERVED].

* * * * * 

PART 51—[AMENDED] 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 51 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1101 note, 1153 note, 

1183a note, 1351, 1351 note, 1714,1714 note; 

10 U.S.C. 2602 (c); 11 U.S.C. 1157 note; 22 

U.S.C. 214, 214 note, 1475e, 2504(a), 

4201,4206,4215, 4219,6551; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 

Executive Order 10,718,22 FR4632; Executive 

Order 11,295,31 FR 10603. 

■ 4. In § 51.20 revise paragraph (a) to 

read as follows: 

§ 51.20 General. 

(a) An application for a passport, a 

replacement passport, or other passport 

related service must be completed using 

the forms the Department prescribes. 

* * * * * 

■ 5. In § 51.56, revise paragraph (a) to 

read as follows: 

§ 51.56 Expedited passport processing. 

(a) Within the United States, an 

applicant for a passport service 

(including issuance or the replacement 

of a passport) may request expedited 

processing. The Department may 

decline to accept the request. 

* * * * * 

Dated: April 8, 2015. 

Michele T. Bond, 

Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, 

Acting. 

[FR Doc. 2015–09719 Filed 4–28–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–06–P 

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