Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007
Latest Action
Became Public Law No: 110-50.
Official Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on July 16, 2007. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007 - Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to authorize the Secretary of State to employ Foreign Service annuitants to assist in the processing of: (1) passport applications, including passport fraud investigations; and (2) visa applications at consular posts with a substantial application backlog. Authorizes the Secretary to waive salary and full-time employment pension restrictions through: (1) September 30, 2008, for consular-related employment; and (2) through September 30, 2009, for passport-related employment.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007 amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to allow the Secretary of State to hire retired Foreign Service employees to help process passport and visa applications, particularly in locations experiencing significant backlogs. The law authorizes waivers of salary and pension restrictions for these retirees for specified periods: through September 30, 2008, for consular-related work and through September 30, 2009, for passport-related work. This measure aims to reduce delays in passport and visa processing by utilizing experienced personnel.
This law enables the temporary rehiring of retired Foreign Service personnel to address passport and visa application backlogs by waiving certain employment and pension restrictions.
- Authorizes the Secretary of State to employ Foreign Service annuitants to assist with passport and visa application processing.
- Allows waivers of salary and full-time employment pension restrictions for these retirees through specified deadlines.
- Targets consular posts with substantial application backlogs to improve processing efficiency.
['U.S. Department of State', 'Foreign Service annuitants (retired personnel)', 'Applicants for U.S. passports and visas experiencing processing delays']
['Temporary waivers of salary and pension restrictions may raise administrative or budgetary challenges.', 'Effectiveness depends on timely implementation and management of rehired personnel.', 'Limited duration of waivers may affect continuity of backlog reduction efforts.']
The bill was introduced and passed during the 110th Congress and was signed into law on July 30, 2007. It responds to operational challenges faced by the Department of State in processing passport and visa applications, particularly addressing backlogs that had accumulated prior to enactment.
Hidden impact flags detected: 1
GovScope reviewed 1 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential improvement in passport and visa processing times may enhance international travel and commerce.', 'Temporary rehiring of retirees could affect workforce dynamics within the Department of State.', 'Use of experienced personnel may reduce errors or fraud in passport and visa processing.']
The bill provides a clear temporary authority for the Secretary of State to rehire retired Foreign Service personnel with waived pension and salary restrictions, which should be monitored for compliance with the specified time limits. Oversight should ensure that the rehiring effectively addresses backlogs without unintended budgetary or administrative consequences. The absence of full bill text limits detailed analysis of implementation mechanisms.
GovScope Intelligence Roadmap
Future bill intelligence will connect sponsors, committee referrals, related votes, campaign finance, disclosures, and stock trades into one legislative intelligence view.