H. R. 5009—777 
renewal applications, in sufficient volume to be able to 
accommodate most applications by the date that is 4 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(E) First-time applicants shall continue to verify their 
applications in-person subject to the requirements of sec-
tion 1 of title IX of the Act of June 15, 1917 (22 U.S.C. 
213). 
(F) To meet the objectives described in subparagraphs 
(D) and (E), the Secretary may, to the maximum extent 
practicable, make use of commercially available technology 
solutions, including entering into contracts or agreements 
as appropriate for the expansion and maintenance of the 
online passport renewal system to accommodate the 
functionality described in such subparagraphs. 
(G) In expanding the online passport renewal system 
pursuant to subparagraph (D), the following services should 
be included or otherwise accounted for: 
(i) A user-friendly internet website or portal to 
facilitate 
internet-based 
submission 
of 
passport 
applications by adults. 
(ii) To the extent possible, remote document 
verification tools and infrastructure to allow for a pass-
port transaction to be completed entirely remotely. 
(iii) To the extent possible, information technology 
infrastructure not already maintained by the Depart-
ment. 
(H)(i) The Secretary shall take all reasonable steps 
to implement additional rules-based tools to adjudicate 
passport renewals while maintaining human passport 
authorizing officers involved in the adjudication and 
issuance processes and should strongly consider commer-
cially available technology solutions, 
(ii) The tools described in clause (i) shall be fully oper-
ational within 4 years of the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
(iii) The Chief Information Officer shall ensure that 
the use of the tools do not make passport adjudication 
more vulnerable to cyberattack. 
(iv) The Secretary shall ensure that the tools described 
in clause (i) are implemented consistent with the mainte-
nance of standards appropriate to ensuring the integrity 
of the United States passport. 
(I) In carrying out the requirements of this subsection, 
the Secretary shall consult with the Chief Information 
Officer of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, or other technical 
officer of the Department as appropriate, to ensure tech-
nical feasibility and specifications, cybersecurity require-
ments, compatibility with existing Department information 
technology infrastructure, and the feasibility of timelines 
from a technical standpoint. 
(J) The Secretary shall ensure the scalability and long- 
term viability and upgradability of any information tech-
nology systems developed or procured pursuant to this 
subsection. 
(3) INTERIM ACTION PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary,
H. R. 5009—778 
in consultation with the Chief Information Officer, shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees an 
action plan on how the Bureau plans to complete the mod-
ernization described in this subsection in conjunction with 
other related, ongoing steps to modernize the passport 
issuance process. 
(B) ELEMENTS.—The action plan required by subpara-
graph (A) shall include the following elements: 
(i) Progress made on implementing the information 
technology solutions described in paragraph (2) within 
specified timelines, and additional steps planned. 
(ii) The expected cost and timeline for implementa-
tion of the information technology solutions described 
in paragraph (2). 
(iii) An evaluation of the information technology 
solutions described in paragraph (2) to determine 
whether the full implementation of such solutions will 
require additional funding or authorities, including 
budget estimates and a description of such authorities, 
as appropriate. 
(iv) Efforts to ensure world-class cybersecurity 
standards for protection of passport applicant data and 
the passport issuance process infrastructure, particu-
larly such infrastructure involved in adjudication of 
passport applications. 
(v) Other specific planned steps that the Bureau 
will take to achieve the criteria described in subsection 
(a). 
(4) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Chief Information Officer, shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report on the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Progress on each information technology solution 
described in paragraph (2). 
(B) Additional information technology solutions the 
Bureau intends to adopt. 
(C) Changes in the cost for implementation of the 
steps described in the action plan, if applicable. 
(5) FORM.—The plans and report required by this sub-
section shall be submitted in an unclassified form and may 
include a classified annex, if necessary. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR PASSPORT ISSUANCE.—Nothing 
in this section may be construed as an offer to procure a service 
or services or as a guarantee of a contract for such services. 
SEC. 7509. SEAN AND DAVID GOLDMAN INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUC-
TION PREVENTION AND RETURN ACT OF 2014 ACT AMEND-
MENTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3 of the Sean and David Goldman 
International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 
(22 U.S.C. 9101) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by 
striking ‘‘ ‘abduction case’ means a’’ and inserting ‘‘abduc-
tion case means— 
‘‘(A) a’’;
H. R. 5009—779 
(B) by striking ‘‘(A) has been reported’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(i) has been reported’’; 
(C) in clause (i) (as so designated), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(D) by striking ‘‘(B) meets the criteria’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(ii) meets the criteria’’; 
(E) in clause (ii) (as so designated), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(F) by adding at the end the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(B) includes any case reported involving an application 
filed with the Central Authority of the United States or 
directly with the foreign central authority by a parent 
seeking rights of access or return.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘16’’ and inserting ‘‘18’’. 
(b) ACTION IN THE CASE OF ABDUCTED CHILDREN WHO REACH 
THE AGE OF 16.—Section 201 of the Sean and David Goldman 
International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 
(22 U.S.C. 9121) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(d) ACTION IN THE CASE OF ABDUCTED CHILDREN WHO REACH 
THE AGE OF 16.—When an individual who is an abducted child 
attains 16 years of age, a consular officer from a United States 
diplomatic mission in the country in which such individual resides 
shall, until either the left-behind parent seeking assistance or the 
individual (after attaining 18 years of age) requests the officer 
to cease, annually attempt to contact such individual, through wel-
fare and whereabout visits and by engaging other agencies and 
foreign counterparts as necessary, to provide information, as rel-
evant, on rights and privileges as a United States citizen, such 
as passports, and any eligible benefits from left-behind parent, 
such as G.I. educational and health benefits and to obtain a verified 
location of such individual.’’. 
(c) STUDY ON INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION.— 
Section 202 of the Sean and David Goldman International Child 
Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 (22 U.S.C. 9122) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(h) STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION.— 
‘‘(1) STUDY REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of State, 
subject to the availability of funds, shall seek to enter into 
an agreement with an appropriate university, research institu-
tion, or nongovernmental organization to study and publish 
a report on the impact to abducted children and left-behind 
parents as a result of international parental child abduction. 
‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of State shall consult 
with the appropriate congressional committees on the goals 
of the study and report required under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is author-
ized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2025 and 2026 to carry out the study required under paragraph 
(1).’’.
H. R. 5009—780 
TITLE LXXVI—UNITED STATES AGENCY 
FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
SEC. 7601. PERSONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT AUTHORITY FOR THE 
UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOP-
MENT. 
Section 636(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2396(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(17) employing individuals or organizations, by contract, 
for services abroad for purposes of this Act and title II of 
the Food for Peace Act, and individuals employed by contract 
to perform such services shall not by virtue of such employment 
be considered to be employees of the United States Government 
(except that the Administrator of the United States Agency 
for International Development may determine the applicability 
to such individuals of section 5 of the State Department Basic 
Authorities Act of 1965 (22 U.S.C. 2672) regarding tort claims 
when such claims arise in foreign countries in connection with 
United States operations abroad, and of any other law adminis-
tered by the Administrator concerning the employment of such 
individuals abroad), and such contracts are authorized to be 
negotiated, the terms of the contracts to be prescribed, and 
the work to be performed, where necessary, without regard 
to such statutory provisions as relate to the negotiation, 
making, and performance of contracts and performance of work 
in the United States.’’. 
SEC. 7602. CRISIS OPERATIONS AND DISASTER SURGE STAFFING. 
Section 625 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2385) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(k) CRISIS OPERATIONS AND DISASTER SURGE STAFFING.—(1) 
The United States Agency for International Development is author-
ized to appoint personnel in the excepted service using funds author-
ized to be appropriated or otherwise made available under the 
heading ‘Transition Initiatives’ in an Act making appropriations 
for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Pro-
grams and to carry out the provisions of part I and chapter 4 
of part II of this Act of and section 509(b) of the Global Fragility 
Act of 2019 (title V of division J of Public Law 116–94) to prevent 
or respond to foreign crises. 
‘‘(2) Funds authorized to carry out such purposes may be made 
available for the operating expenses and administrative costs of 
such personnel and may remain attributed to any minimum funding 
requirement for which they were originally made available. 
‘‘(3) The Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development shall coordinate with the Office of Personnel 
Management on implementation of the appointment authority 
under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(4) Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 years, the Administrator 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees, the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the