[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2745 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2745

To refund passport processing fees and international travel costs as a 
result of unreasonable delays in passport application processing times, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2007

  Mr. Cooper introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To refund passport processing fees and international travel costs as a 
result of unreasonable delays in passport application processing times, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Passport and Travel Cost 
Reimbursement Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Department of State has failed to anticipate the 
        increased level of demand for passports after implementing new 
        Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative rules required by 
        Congress.
            (2) This failure has cost United States citizens many 
        thousands of dollars in unused or cancelled transportation, 
        accommodation, and tour reservations.
            (3) The Department's proposal to refund fees for failed 
        expedited processing provides insufficient relief to citizens 
        who lost large sums of money through no fault of their own.
            (4) The United States Government has an obligation to deal 
        honestly and fairly with all individuals who come into contact 
        with it, and to remedy any hardship that arises as a result of 
        its negligence.

SEC. 3. REFUND OF PASSPORT PROCESSING FEES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall refund to an eligible 
United States citizen the fee paid by such citizen in connection with a 
properly completed and submitted application for a United States 
passport if such citizen applied or applies for such passport at any 
time between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2007, and the time for 
processing of such passport with respect to such citizen took--
            (1) 12 or more weeks in the case of a regular application; 
        or
            (2) 3 or more weeks in the case of an expedited 
        application.
    (b) Application for Refund.--To be eligible to receive a refund 
under subsection (a), a United States citizen shall submit to the 
Secretary an application for a refund at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may require.

SEC. 4. REFUND OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COSTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall refund to a United 
States citizen eligible for a refund of a passport processing fee under 
section 3 the cost incurred by such citizen for payment for an economy-
class or comparable ticket, subject to subsection (b), on an 
international flight departing from a point in the United States if 
such flight was or is scheduled to depart at any time between January 
23, 2007, and December 31, 2007, and if such citizen was or is unable 
to travel aboard such flight because such citizen was or is unable to 
timely acquire a passport and such citizen missed or cancelled such 
flight
    (b) Reduction in Amount of Refund.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall reduce the travel cost 
        refund under subsection (a) by an amount equal to the amount 
        that the airline operating the flight on which such citizen was 
        scheduled to travel has refunded to such citizen as a result of 
        such citizen's inability to travel aboard such flight, in 
        accordance with the refund policies of such airline.
            (2) Business-class or first-class ticket.--A citizen who 
        submits an application for a refund under this section shall be 
        limited to a refund in an amount equal to the cost of an 
        economy-class or comparable ticket for the international flight 
        on which such citizen was or is unable to travel, subject to 
        any reduction under paragraph (1).
    (c) Information.--The Secretary shall request from airlines a list 
of United States citizens who paid for tickets for international travel 
with such airlines but who did not travel with such airlines during the 
time period specified in subsection (a).
    (d) Application for Refund.--To be eligible to receive a refund 
under subsection (a), a United States citizen shall submit to the 
Secretary an application for a refund at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may require.

SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.

    The Secretary of State is authorized to provide to a United States 
citizen who is eligible for a refund under sections 3 and 4 assistance 
if the Secretary determines that such citizen has suffered an 
extraordinary financial hardship, such as any provable tour costs, as a 
result of a delay in passport application processing times and missed 
or cancelled international travel.

SEC. 6. CERTIFICATION.

    The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State may 
not implement the plan required under section 7209(b) of the 
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 
108-458; 8 U.S.C. 1185 note) with respect to the establishment of a 
single implementation date for sea and land borders until such time as 
such Secretaries have submitted to Congress in writing a certification 
that the passport agencies of the Department of State are able to 
process applications for passports with minimal disruption to the 
travel plans of United States citizens.
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