H. R. 5009—773 
Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a report that includes each of the following: 
(1) The number of relevant cases opened and investigated 
by the Diplomatic Security Service as a result of the additional 
authorities granted by the amendments made by this section. 
(2) The percentage of the cases opened and investigated 
by the Diplomatic Security Service as a result of the additional 
authorities granted by the amendments made by this section 
that were referred for further action, including prosecution. 
(3) An assessment of the efficacy of the authorities granted 
by the amendments made by this section and whether such 
authorities are sufficient to meaningfully contribute to Depart-
ment and broader United States Government efforts to pros-
ecute and prevent, where applicable, human trafficking and 
transnational violations of chapter 77 of title 18, United States 
Code. 
(4) An assessment of whether the resources of the Diplo-
matic Security Service are sufficient to effectively carry out 
the objectives of this section. 
(d) SUNSET.—This section and the amendments made by sub-
section (b) shall terminate on the date that is three years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and the provisions of law 
amended by such amendments shall be restored as if such amend-
ments had not been enacted. 
(e) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee 
on Judiciary, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
Judiciary, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives. 
SEC. 7502. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION FOR SERIOUS SECURITY 
INCIDENTS. 
Section 301(a) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and 
Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4833(a)), is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs 
(3) and (4), respectively; 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(2) INITIAL CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary 
shall notify the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representa-
tives, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, and 
the Speaker and minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives not later than 8 days after a possible Serious Security 
Incident has been identified by the Department. Such notifica-
tion shall include a preliminary description of the incident, 
of an incident described in paragraph (1), including any known 
individuals involved, when and where the incident took place, 
and the next steps in the investigation.’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (4), as redesignated by paragraph (1) 
of this section, by striking ‘‘paragraph (2)’’ and inserting ‘‘para-
graph (3)’’.
H. R. 5009—774 
SEC. 7503. NOTIFICATIONS REGARDING SECURITY DECISIONS AT DIP-
LOMATIC POSTS. 
Section 103(c) of section 103 of the Omnibus Diplomatic Secu-
rity and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4802(c)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subpara-
graphs (A) and (B), respectively; 
(2) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) The Sec-
retary’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(2) The Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate 
congressional committees within 10 days of any decision to 
retain authority over or approve decisions at an overseas post, 
including the movement of personnel.’’. 
SEC. 7504. SECURITY CLEARANCE SUSPENSION PAY FLEXIBILITIES. 
Section 610(c)(6) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
4010(c)(6)) is amended by striking ‘‘paragraph 1(B)’’ and inserting 
‘‘this subsection’’. 
SEC. 7505. MODIFICATION TO NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR 
SECURITY CLEARANCE SUSPENSIONS AND REVOCATIONS. 
Section 6710(a) of the Department of State Authorization Act 
of 2023 (division F of Public Law 118–31; 22 U.S.C. 2651a note) 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as subpara-
graphs (A) and (B), respectively, and moving such subpara-
graphs, as so redesignated, 2 ems to the right; 
(2) by striking ‘‘IN GENERAL.—With respect’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘NOTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (B), as redesignated by paragraph 
(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘revocation on’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘or revocation’’ and inserting ‘‘revocation on— 
‘‘(A) the present employment status of the covered 
official and whether the job duties of the covered official 
have changed since such suspension or revocation; 
‘‘(B) the basis for such suspension or revocation, 
including a complete description; 
‘‘(C) the investigation of the covered official and the 
results of such investigation; and 
‘‘(D) any negative fallout or impacts for the Department 
of State, the United States Government, or national secu-
rity of the United States as a result of the actions for 
which the security clearance was suspended or revoked.’’; 
and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(2) SUBMISSION
TO
INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEES.—To the 
extent the basis for any suspension or revocation of a security 
clearance is premised on the unauthorized release of intel-
ligence (as defined by section 3(1) of the National Security 
Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(1)), the Select Committee on Intel-
ligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence of the House of Representatives shall be an 
appropriate congressional committee for the purposes of this 
section.’’.
H. R. 5009—775 
SEC. 7506. PASSPORT AUTOMATION MODERNIZATION. 
The Act entitled ‘‘An Act to regulate the issue and validity 
of passports, and for other purposes’’, approved July 3, 1926 (44 
Stat. 887, 22 U.S.C. 211a), is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘and through the use of Department of 
State electronic systems,’’ after ‘‘the insular possessions of the 
United States,’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘person’’ and inserting ‘‘entity’’. 
SEC. 7507. PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE, COURIER SERVICES, AND EXPIRA-
TION DATES. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE ADDITIONAL PERSONS TO SERVE 
AS PASSPORT AGENTS.—Section 6109(b) of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (22 U.S.C. 213a(b)) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(6) A United States citizen who, as determined by the 
Secretary, is employed by and provides services through a 
reputable, established company or institution and is commis-
sioned or appointed as a notary or notary public or otherwise 
authorized to perform a notarization under the laws of a State, 
district, or territorial government.’’. 
(b) IMPROVEMENTS RELATED TO HAND-CARRY COURIER SERVICES 
FOR PASSPORT APPLICATIONS AND PASSPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall take such steps as 
may be necessary to— 
(A) facilitate an increase in the number of companies 
certified to provide hand-carry courier services; 
(B) increase the daily maximum number of applications 
for United States passports, by type, that such companies 
may submit to a passport agency of the Department (com-
monly referred to as ‘‘meeting slots’’) as part of the hand- 
carry courier services of such company; and 
(C) facilitate citizens’ awareness of the tools applicants 
may use to locate companies certified to provide hand- 
carry courier services, including adding contact information 
in the form of a weblink, phone number, or physical office 
address to the online list of registered courier companies. 
(2) HAND-CARRY COURIER SERVICE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘hand-carry courier service’’ includes— 
(A) the transport of applications for United States pass-
ports to a passport agency of the Department for processing; 
and 
(B) the retrieval of newly issued United States pass-
ports for delivery, directly or indirectly, to the passport 
holder. 
(c) REVISION TO DATE OF EXPIRATION OF UNITED STATES PASS-
PORTS.—The Secretary may take such actions as may be necessary 
to provide for the date of expiration of each United States passport 
issued or renewed on or after the date that is 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act to be the same date as 
the date of birth of the applicant or holder of the passport.
H. R. 5009—776 
SEC. 7508. PASSPORT SYSTEM REFORM AND BACKLOG PREVENTION. 
(a) STANDARDS FOR PASSPORT ISSUANCE PROCESS.—In admin-
istering and modernizing the passport issuance process, the Sec-
retary shall evaluate the performance of such process against the 
following criteria: 
(1) To maintain a service standard of processing a routine 
new or renewal adult passport application from document 
submission until mailing of final documents in an expeditious 
and reliable timeframe. 
(2) To maintain low passport fees and surcharges. 
(3) To ensure world-class technical, security, and cybersecu-
rity standards for United States passports and the passport 
issuance process. 
(4) To minimize typographical, clerical, or picture-based 
errors. 
(5) To provide a streamlined customer experience for pass-
port applicants. 
(6) To provide reasonably convenient passport services to 
United States citizens and nationals living a significant dis-
tance from a passport agency, particularly residents in a signifi-
cant population center more than a 5-hour drive from a passport 
agency. 
(b) ENHANCED
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
SOLUTIONS
TO 
IMPROVE THE PASSPORT ISSUANCE PROCESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to implement 
the information technology solutions described in paragraph 
(2) in accordance with the timelines described in such para-
graph. 
(2) ENHANCED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AND 
TIMELINES DESCRIBED.—The enhanced information technology 
solutions and timelines described in this paragraph are the 
following: 
(A) Consistent with the Bureau’s modernization plans 
and timelines, and subject to the availability of funds, 
the Secretary shall seek to enter into contracts or agree-
ments as appropriate, for the establishment and mainte-
nance of a mobile application to allow for applicant commu-
nication with the Department, including document submis-
sion, application status tracking, virtual appointments, 
access to the notification of application errors, and allowing 
for passport holders to receive messages from the Depart-
ment and communicate emergencies to the Department. 
(B) The Secretary may provide each passport applicant 
with the option of whether to use the mobile application 
described in subparagraph (A) or another service of the 
Department. 
(C) As a condition for awarding any contracts described 
in subparagraph (A), any awardees shall demonstrate they 
can begin tests on the solution within one year of the 
award of the contract and complete implementation, 
including bug fixes, cybersecurity audits, and customer 
service testing, not later than 2 years after the award 
of the contract. 
(D) Consistent with existing law, the Secretary shall 
seek to expand the online passport renewal system, 
including to accept electronic document submission for first- 
time adult applications as applicable, in addition to adult