Passport Backlog Elimination Act

Bill: 117-hr-4632
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11]
Introduced: 2021-07-22
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Congressional oversight

Department of State

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government studies and investigations

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Visas and passports

Worker safety and health
Latest action: action_date: 2021-08-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia and Nonproliferation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-07-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Passport Backlog Elimination Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of State to submit and implement a plan containing specified actionable strategies to eliminate the backlog of passport applications that is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4632 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 22, 2021 Mr. Connolly (for himself, Mr. Kinzinger , Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York , Mr. Burchett , Ms. Titus , and Mr. Courtney ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To require the Secretary of State to submit a plan to eliminate the backlog of passport applications due to the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Passport Backlog Elimination Act . 2. Plan to eliminate passport application backlog (a) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act or October 30, 2021, whichever is later, after consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, the Secretary of State shall submit to such committees a plan, including the actionable strategies described in subsection (b), to ensure the current backlog of passport applications due to the COVID–19 pandemic is eliminated in a timely manner in order to promote the national security and economic interests of the United States. (b) Actionable strategies The actionable strategies described in this subsection are to— (1) eliminate the backlog of at least 1.4 million passport applications; (2) establish a timeline for the elimination of such backlog; and (3) ensure— (A) that the expected processing time for— (i) routine passport applications is between six and eight weeks; (ii) expedited passport applications is between two to three weeks; and (iii) expedited passport applications for Federal Government personnel is not more than eight business days; (B) the safety of Department of State personnel and customers and compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and local health and social distancing guidelines; and (C) the ability for expedited service for applicants requiring a passport for purposes related to their employment. (c) Implementation Not later than 30 days after the submission of the plan required under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall begin implementation of the plan to eliminate the backlog of passport applications due to the COVID–19 pandemic. (d) Inspector General audit Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of State shall submit to Congress an audit on the elimination of the passport application backlog required by the plan required under subsection (a), and the Department’s actionable strategies described in subsection (b). (e) Application If by September 30, 2021, all passport applications received prior to June 15, 2021, have been processed and the Department of State has resumed accepting passport applications for routine and expedited processing, the provisions of this section shall not apply. (f) Definition In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.