The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Dec. 13 voted unanimously to approve legislation that aims to speed up processing times for obtaining U.S. passports through a variety of actions including the application of commercially available technology.
The Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act, authored by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and responding to a stubborn passport application backlog during the coronavirus pandemic, now heads to the full House for further consideration.
The bill, Rep. Issa’s office said, would set a “service standard” for the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs to process passport applications within 30 days after receipt of necessary documents, and would mandate the creation of a “user-friendly experience.”
The measure also would provide the State Department with “surge hiring authorities” to deal with current and future application backlogs.
On the technology front, the bill would:
Require text and email notification system for application status and passport applications;
Accelerate the passport renewal process by increasing the use of software in passport adjudication;
Accelerate the adoption of commercially available technology solutions by increasing the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ collaboration with the private sector; and
Require a review of the passport issuance system by the Government Accountability Office.
“The collapse of the passport system represents a signature failure that upended and inconvenienced tens of millions of Americans who have the right to expect far more of their government,” said Rep. Issa in a statement. …read more…