I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2745 
To refund passport processing fees and international travel costs as a result 
of unreasonable delays in passport application processing times, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 15, 2007 
Mr. COOPER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Home-
land Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To refund passport processing fees and international travel 
costs as a result of unreasonable delays in passport appli-
cation processing times, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Passport and Travel 
Cost Reimbursement Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Department of State has failed to an-
ticipate the increased level of demand for passports 
after implementing new Western Hemisphere Travel 
Initiative rules required by Congress. 
(2) This failure has cost United States citizens 
many thousands of dollars in unused or cancelled 
transportation, accommodation, and tour reserva-
tions. 
(3) The Department’s proposal to refund fees 
for failed expedited processing provides insufficient 
relief to citizens who lost large sums of money 
through no fault of their own. 
(4) The United States Government has an obli-
gation to deal honestly and fairly with all individuals 
who come into contact with it, and to remedy any 
hardship that arises as a result of its negligence. 
SEC. 3. REFUND OF PASSPORT PROCESSING FEES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall re-
fund to an eligible United States citizen the fee paid by 
such citizen in connection with a properly completed and 
submitted application for a United States passport if such 
citizen applied or applies for such passport at any time 
between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2007, and 
the time for processing of such passport with respect to 
such citizen took— 
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(1) 12 or more weeks in the case of a regular 
application; or 
(2) 3 or more weeks in the case of an expedited 
application. 
(b) APPLICATION FOR REFUND.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a refund under subsection (a), a United States cit-
izen shall submit to the Secretary an application for a re-
fund at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require. 
SEC. 4. REFUND OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COSTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall re-
fund to a United States citizen eligible for a refund of 
a passport processing fee under section 3 the cost incurred 
by such citizen for payment for an economy-class or com-
parable ticket, subject to subsection (b), on an inter-
national flight departing from a point in the United States 
if such flight was or is scheduled to depart at any time 
between January 23, 2007, and December 31, 2007, and 
if such citizen was or is unable to travel aboard such flight 
because such citizen was or is unable to timely acquire 
a passport and such citizen missed or cancelled such flight 
(b) REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF REFUND.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall reduce 
the travel cost refund under subsection (a) by an 
amount equal to the amount that the airline oper-
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ating the flight on which such citizen was scheduled 
to travel has refunded to such citizen as a result of 
such citizen’s inability to travel aboard such flight, 
in accordance with the refund policies of such air-
line. 
(2) BUSINESS-CLASS
OR
FIRST-CLASS
TICK-
ET.—A citizen who submits an application for a re-
fund under this section shall be limited to a refund 
in an amount equal to the cost of an economy-class 
or comparable ticket for the international flight on 
which such citizen was or is unable to travel, subject 
to any reduction under paragraph (1). 
(c) INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall request from 
airlines a list of United States citizens who paid for tickets 
for international travel with such airlines but who did not 
travel with such airlines during the time period specified 
in subsection (a). 
(d) APPLICATION FOR REFUND.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a refund under subsection (a), a United States cit-
izen shall submit to the Secretary an application for a re-
fund at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require. 
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SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN INDIVID-
UALS. 
The Secretary of State is authorized to provide to a 
United States citizen who is eligible for a refund under 
sections 3 and 4 assistance if the Secretary determines 
that such citizen has suffered an extraordinary financial 
hardship, such as any provable tour costs, as a result of 
a delay in passport application processing times and 
missed or cancelled international travel. 
SEC. 6. CERTIFICATION. 
The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Sec-
retary of State may not implement the plan required 
under section 7209(b) of the Intelligence Reform and Ter-
rorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108–458; 8 
U.S.C. 1185 note) with respect to the establishment of 
a single implementation date for sea and land borders 
until such time as such Secretaries have submitted to Con-
gress in writing a certification that the passport agencies 
of the Department of State are able to process applica-
tions for passports with minimal disruption to the travel 
plans of United States citizens. 
Æ 
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