North Miami-Dade News

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House Committee on Foreign Affairs has approved a bill introduced by Representative María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) that aims to reduce the waiting time for passports. The legislation, known as the "Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act" (H.R. 6610), received unanimous support during the review process.

According to Representative Salazar, the bill will revolutionize passport processing and improve services for Americans who need to travel abroad. She expressed frustration over the long waiting times for passport processing, especially in light of the ongoing pandemic. Salazar stated, "No excuse exists for forcing the American people to wait more than three months to obtain a passport. Our legislation will clean up this disaster in the Department of State and get this important government service back on track."

The H.R. 6610 bill includes several provisions to address the issues causing delays in passport processing while strengthening the processing capabilities of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs. The legislation aims to streamline the application and processing experience for U.S. travelers.

Key provisions of the "Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act" include:

- Establishing a service standard to process passport applications within 30 days of receiving the documents, while also creating a user-friendly experience.

- Allowing for increased hiring to address current and future delays.

- Mandating the expansion of the online passport renewal system to accommodate first-time adult passport applications.

- Requiring notification through text messages and emails regarding the status of passport applications.

- Expediting passport renewal by increasing the use of software in the passport adjudication process.

- Demanding a comprehensive review of the passport issuance system by the Government Accountability Office.

- Accelerating the adoption of commercially available technological solutions through increased collaboration between the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the private sector.

- Enhancing congressional oversight of the Department of State's modernization efforts.

Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), who co-sponsored the bill with Representative Salazar, emphasized the importance of addressing the failures within the passport system. He stated, "The collapse of the passport system represents a failure that disrupted and inconvenienced tens of millions of Americans who deserve much more from their government. This transformative approach will not only tackle many of the problems that caused the delay but also generate long-overdue modernizations that will fix the system for decades to come."

The full text of the bill can be found on the official government website.

Overall, the passage of the Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs is a significant step towards reducing the waiting time for passport processing. If enacted, this legislation will provide much-needed relief to American citizens who rely on passports for international travel.

Click this link to access more information: https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases/aprueba-comite-de-relaciones-exteriores-proyecto-de-ley-de-la-congresista