[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18067-18068]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 PASSPORT BACKLOG REDUCTION ACT OF 2007

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to Calendar No. 239, S. 966.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 966) to enable the Department of State to 
     respond to a critical shortage of passport processing 
     personnel, and for other purposes.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the bill which had been reported 
from the Committee on Foreign Relations, with an amendment, as follows:
  (The parts of the bill intended to be stricken are shown in boldface 
brackets and the parts of the bill intended to be inserted are shown in 
italics.)

                                 S. 966

       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 ``Department of State Crisis 
     Response Act of 2007''.

     [SEC. 2. REEMPLOYMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE ANNUITANTS.

       [Section 61(a) of the State Department Basic Authorities 
     Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2733(a)) is amended--
       [(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``To facilitate'' and 
     all that follows through ``, the Secretary'' and inserting 
     ``The Secretary''; and
       [(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``2008'' and inserting 
     ``2010''.

     [SEC. 3. REEMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN SERVICE ANNUITANTS.

       [Section 824(g) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
     U.S.C. 4064(g)) is amended--
       [(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``to facilitate'' and 
     all that follows through ``Afghanistan,''; and
       [(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``2008'' and inserting 
     ``2010''.]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Passport Backlog Reduction 
     Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. REEMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN SERVICE ANNUITANTS.

       Section 824(g) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
     U.S.C. 4064(g)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; or'' and inserting 
     a semicolon;
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; or''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph--
       ``(C)(i) to provide assistance to consular posts with a 
     substantial backlog of visa applications; or
       ``(ii) to provide assistance to meet the demand resulting 
     from the passport and travel document requirements set forth 
     in section 7209(b) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism 
     Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458; 8 U.S.C. 1185 
     note).'';
       (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(3) The authority of the Secretary to waive the 
     application of subsections (a) through (d) for an annuitant 
     pursuant to paragraph (1)(C) shall terminate on September 30, 
     2010.''.

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported amendment be considered agreed to, the bill, as 
amended, be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table; and that any statements relating to the matter be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendment was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 966), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 966

       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 Backlog Reduction 
     Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. REEMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN SERVICE ANNUITANTS.

       Section 824(g) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
     U.S.C. 4064(g)) is amended--

[[Page 18068]]

       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; or'' and inserting 
     a semicolon;
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; or''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph--
       ``(C)(i) to provide assistance to consular posts with a 
     substantial backlog of visa applications; or
       ``(ii) to provide assistance to meet the demand resulting 
     from the passport and travel document requirements set forth 
     in section 7209(b) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism 
     Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458; 8 U.S.C. 1185 
     note).'';
       (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(3) The authority of the Secretary to waive the 
     application of subsections (a) through (d) for an annuitant 
     pursuant to paragraph (1)(C) shall terminate on September 30, 
     2010.''.

                          ____________________