This bill would make several changes to how U.S. passports are handled, including requiring new passport application warnings, extending the State Department's ability to charge additional fees, and allowing faster hiring for passport processing roles.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill would make several changes to how U.S. passports are handled, including requiring new passport application warnings, extending the State Department's ability to charge additional fees, and allowing faster hiring for passport processing roles.
Last updated: 12/29/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p>This bill requires various changes to the passport application process and addresses related issues.</p><p>The bill requires all U.S. regular passports to contain a written notice advising travelers (1) to check travel.state.gov for updated travel warnings, (2) to register with the Department of State prior to overseas travel, (3) that many countries deny entry to travelers whose passport expires within six months, and (4) to renew their passports within at least one year of the expiration date. </p><p>Further, the bill makes permanent existing State Department authority to assess a surcharge on the passport application fee to cover the costs of increased demand prompted by certain legal requirements. This authority currently expires on September 30, 2026. </p><p>For three years starting from this bill's enactment, the State Department may use direct hire authority to expedite the hiring of individuals into Passport and Visa Examining positions (Series 0967).</p><p>Finally, the bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress about passport processing wait times, agency plans for a public outreach campaign, and related information.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Requires new written notices on U.S. passports advising travelers about expiration dates, travel warnings, and registration requirements.
Extends the State Department's authority to charge additional fees to cover increased passport demand.
Allows the State Department to use direct hiring to expedite filling passport and visa examiner positions for 3 years.
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would primarily impact U.S. citizens who need to apply for or renew their passports. The new notices and fees could help improve passport processing efficiency, but may also lead to higher costs for travelers. The faster hiring provision could help reduce passport processing wait times.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Immigration
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5233, 119th Congress (2025). "Peace Corps Modernization Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5233
