[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 134 (Tuesday, September 11, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S11406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        COST ESTIMATE OF S. 966

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, on June 27, 2007, the Committee on Foreign 
Relations ordered reported S. 966, the Passport Backlog Reduction Act 
of 2007. On July 30, the President signed the bill into law, Public Law 
110-50.
  At the time the committee filed its report, the cost estimate 
prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, CBO, was not available. It 
was recently provided to the committee by CBO. Therefore, I ask 
unanimous consent that a copy of the CBO estimate be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate


       Public Law 110-50--Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007

       Public Law 110-50 (formerly S. 966) grants the Department 
     of State additional flexibility in rehiring Foreign Service 
     annuitants on a temporary basis to reduce backlogs in visa 
     and passport processing. The new authority will expire in 
     2008 for visa backlogs and in 2009 for passport backlogs. CBO 
     estimates Public Law 110-50 will cost $2 million in 2008 and 
     $3 million over the 2008-2012 period, assuming the 
     availability of appropriated funds. The law does not affect 
     direct spending or receipts.
       Under previous law, Foreign Service retirees could work for 
     the department for up to six months, provided they didn't 
     reach a certain salary cap. According to information provided 
     by the department, about half the retirees hit the salary cap 
     before six months (at four months, on average). The 
     department is already in the process of hiring 55 retirees 
     and plans to hire an additional 250 retirees to work on visa 
     and passport backlogs. By providing a waiver for the salary 
     cap, Public Law 110-50 allows the department to retain some 
     of those retirees for an additional two months. Under this 
     law, CBO estimates that about 150 retirees will work an 
     additional two months in 2008 at a cost of $2 million, and 
     about 65 retirees will work an additional two months in 2009 
     at a cost of $1 million.
       Public Law 110-50 contains no intergovernmental or private-
     sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
     Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or 
     tribal governments.
       The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sunita D'Monte. 
     This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant 
     Director for Budget Analysis.

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