Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/12/09/2019-26393/passports-clarification-of-previous-rule-relating-to-treatment-of-serious-tax-debt
Timestamp: 2020-01-19 20:06:04
Document Index: 108885138

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u200951', '§\u200951', '§\u200951', '§\u200951', 'art 51', '§\u200951']

Federal Register :: Passports; Clarification of Previous Rule Relating to Treatment of Serious Tax Debt
A Rule by the State Department on 12/09/2019
The effective date of this regulation is December 9, 2019.
84 FR 67184
67184-67186 (3 pages)
Public Notice: 10921
1400-AE90
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-26393 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-26393
On September 2, 2016, the Department published a final rule that implemented the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), codified at 22 U.S.C. 2714a (the 2016 Final Rule). See 81 FR 60608.[1]
The rulemaking incorporated statutory passport denial and revocation requirements for certain individuals who have been certified by the Secretary of the Treasury as having seriously delinquent tax debt or who submit passport applications without correct and valid Social Security numbers.
The 2016 Final Rule, as codified at 22 CFR 51.60(a)(3), led to an unintended result. That rule provided that applicants for a passport who are certified by the Secretary of the Treasury as having a seriously Start Printed Page 67185delinquent tax debt as described in 26 U.S.C. 7345 may not be issued a passport, except a passport for direct return to the United States. This is a too-narrow implementation of the law, since 22 U.S.C. 2714a(e)(1)(B) provides that not only may the Department issue a certified individual a passport valid for direct return to the United States, but the Department also has the discretion to issue passports without geographical limitation to such applicants if the Department finds that emergency circumstances or humanitarian reasons exist.
With respect to the current text of § 51.60, the modification in the rulemaking will remove the text of paragraph (a)(3) of § 51.60, and add it to a new paragraph (h)(2) of § 51.60, since paragraph (h) applies to situations where the Department must generally deny passport applications except for passports valid for direct return to the United States, but can exercise discretion to issue passports where it determines that emergency circumstances or humanitarian reasons exist. Paragraph (a)(3) is reserved. The chapeau of § 51.60(h), regarding notification by the Attorney General of violations of 18 U.S.C. 2423, is moved to a new paragraph (h)(1).
The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) provides that an agency is not required to conduct notice and comment rulemaking when the agency, for good cause, finds that the requirement is impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B). There is good cause here because this amendment simply aligns 22 CFR 51.60 with current law. It does not establish any substantive policy. Since this change is implementing current law, public comment on this change is unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. The APA also generally requires that regulations be published at least 30 days before their effective date, unless the agency has good cause to implement its regulations sooner (5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3)). Again, because this final rule aligns the Department's rules with federal law, there is good cause to make it effective on the day it is published.
The Department of State does not consider this rule to be an economically significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review. The Department has nevertheless reviewed the regulation to ensure its consistency with the regulatory philosophy and principles set forth in both Executive Order 12866 and Executive Order 13563, and certifies that the benefits of this regulation outweigh any cost to the public, which the Department assesses to be de minimis.
The Department has determined that this rulemaking will not have tribal implications, will not impose substantial direct compliance costs on tribal governments, and will not preempt tribal law. Accordingly, the requirements of Executive Order 13175 do not apply to this rulemaking.
This rule does not impose any new reporting or record keeping requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35.
Accordingly, for the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Department amends 22 CFR part 51 as follows:
2. Amend § 51.60 by removing and reserving paragraph (a)(3) and revising paragraph (h).
(2) The applicant is certified by the Secretary of the Treasury as having a Start Printed Page 67186seriously delinquent tax debt as described in 26 U.S.C. 7345.
1. See also a correction rule published on September 27, 2016, at 81 FR 66184.
[FR Doc. 2019-26393 Filed 12-6-19; 8:45 am]