[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 164 (Sunday, December 18, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H12182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               PASSPORT SERVICES ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 4501) to amend the Passport Act of June 4, 1920, to 
authorize the Secretary of State to establish and collect a surcharge 
to cover the costs of meeting the increased demand for passports as a 
result of actions taken to comply with section 7209(b) of the 
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4501

       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 Services 
     Enhancement Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF STATE TO ESTABLISH AND 
                   COLLECT A SURCHARGE TO COVER THE COSTS OF 
                   MEETING THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR PASSPORTS.

       Section 1 of the Passport Act of June 4, 1920 (22 U.S.C. 
     214) is amended--
       (1) in the first sentence, by striking ``There shall be 
     collected and paid'' and inserting ``(a) There shall be 
     collected and paid''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(b)(1) The Secretary of State may by regulation establish 
     and collect a surcharge on applicable fees for the filing of 
     each application for a passport in order to cover the costs 
     of meeting the increased demand for passports as a result of 
     actions taken to comply with section 7209(b) of the 
     Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 
     (Public Law 108-458; 8 U.S.C. 1185 note). Such surcharge 
     shall be in addition to the fees provided for in subsection 
     (a) and in addition to the surcharges or fees otherwise 
     authorized by law and shall be deposited as an offsetting 
     collection to the appropriate Department of State 
     appropriation, to remain available until expended for the 
     purposes of meeting such costs.
       ``(2) The authority to collect the surcharge provided under 
     paragraph (1) may not be exercised after September 30, 2010.
       ``(3) The Secretary of State shall ensure that, to the 
     extent practicable, the total cost of a passport application 
     during fiscal years 2006 and 2007, including the surcharge 
     authorized under paragraph (1), shall not exceed the cost of 
     the passport application as of December 1, 2005.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4501.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill represents a bipartisan and bicameral measure. 
We have worked with our colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee to draft a bill that will assist the State Department in 
meeting the ever-increasing demand for U.S. passports. The 9/11 bill 
required that Americans carry a passport when reentering the United 
States from travel to countries in the Western Hemisphere. This 
requirement is greatly increasing the demand for passport services.
  This bill, which has been approved by OMB, will allow the State 
Department to collect and retain a surcharge of approximately $5 to $8 
on each passport. Because the State Department expects there to be a 
decline in the actual cost of issuing each passport, there will not be 
an increase in the current price for issuing passports, which is now 
$97.
  Presently, the U.S. Treasury receives the revenues from fees charged 
for the issuance of a passport. As a result of this legislation, the 
State Department will keep part of the passport fee. The bill narrowly 
defines the uses permitted of the proceeds from this surcharge. It is 
for the cost of additional personnel, mailing and similar operational 
costs that are necessary to keep up with the increased passport 
workload. The authority for the Department to collect this surcharge 
will expire in the year 2010. Congress will be able to assess whether 
this surcharge continues to be necessary.
  This is an important measure that has been requested by the Secretary 
of State, and the text has been worked out between the majority and the 
minority of both the House International Relations Committee and the 
Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. I urge support for H.R. 4501, as 
amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure. The measure before us 
would amend the Passport Act of June 4, 1920, to authorize the 
Secretary of State to establish and collect a surcharge to cover the 
costs of meeting the increased demand for passports as a result of 
actions taken to comply with section 7209(b) of the Intelligence Reform 
and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
  Mr. Speaker, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act 
requires U.S. citizens to obtain and utilize passports when reentering 
the United States from other foreign jurisdictions within the Western 
Hemisphere. The Department of State, therefore, is facing a massive 
increase in demand for passports in anticipation of this new security 
requirement. Our Secretary of State estimates that demand could grow 
from less than 9 million applicants in fiscal year 2004 to over 17 
million a year by the end of fiscal year 2008.
  Mr. Speaker, the Department of State desperately needs the resources 
to increase its passport adjudication and production capabilities to 
meet this demand. Our measure will enable the State Department to 
collect the new surcharge from passport fees and provides the Secretary 
with the authority to use the proceeds from this surcharge to pay for 
the staff, equipment, and facilities she will need to meet this 
critical national security mandate.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this critical piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4501, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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