[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 164 (Thursday, August 22, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43310-43312]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21468]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

22 CFR Parts 50 and 51

[Public Notice 2419]


Bureau of Consular Affairs; Passport and Nationality Procedures--
Persons Authorized to Issue Passports and Adjudicate Nationality Abroad

AGENCY: Bureau of Consular Affairs, State.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This rule amends existing nationality and passport regulations 
to

[[Page 43311]]

allow designated U.S. citizen employees of the Department of State to 
grant, issue and verify U.S. passports and to adjudicate U.S. 
nationality claims in foreign countries. The extension of this 
responsibility to designated United States citizen Department of State 
employees will enable foreign service posts to provide more efficient 
passport, citizenship and nationality service to the public. Consular 
officers will be able to concentrate on managing consular resources, 
but will still provide passport and citizenship services to U.S. 
citizens as necessary. This rule also updates terminology relating to 
Consular Reports of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of 
America and clarifies the authority of consular Agents and others to 
administer the oath for passport purposes.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 22, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carmen A. DiPlacido, or Michael Meszaros, Overseas Citizens Services, 
Office of Policy, Review and Interagency Liaison, Department of State, 
202-647-3666.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary of State is authorized by 22 
U.S.C. 211a to issue passports, and to cause passports to be issued in 
foreign countries pursuant to rules prescribed by the President. The 
President's rulemaking authority was delegated to the Secretary of 
State in Executive Order No. 11295 (August 5, 1966) and is routinely 
exercised by the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs. 
Section 127(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 
1994-1995, Pub. L. 103-236 (Apr. 30, 1994), and Section 1(b) of Pub. L. 
103-415 (Oct. 25, 1994), amended 22 U.S.C. 211a to allow the Secretary 
of State to designate certain United States citizen employees of the 
Department of State stationed abroad to grant, issue and verify 
passports in foreign countries. (Until now, these passport and 
adjudicatory functions have been performed abroad only by diplomatic 
and consular officers.) The authority to designate was delegated to the 
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs in Delegation of 
Authority No. 214 (Sept. 20, 1994), and through these regulations will 
be further delegated to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Overseas 
Citizens Services.
    The authority to grant, issue and verify passports implicitly 
includes the authority to determine a passport applicant's U.S. 
nationality and U.S. citizenship. Persons designated under the new 
regulations will therefore generally determine claims to U.S. 
nationality/citizenship (acquisition and loss) made by persons abroad 
who apply for passports, registration as a U.S. citizen, cards of 
identity or other travel documents. Designated persons will also 
provide advice to consular officers with respect to issuance of 
Consular Reports of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of 
America (Consular Report of Birth Abroad).
    Persons designated by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Overseas 
Citizens Services must meet criteria relating to necessary training and 
experience before authorization to perform adjudication 
responsibilities. Consular officers will supervise all aspects of 
nationality adjudication performed by persons designated under the new 
regulations. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad will continue to be 
solely issued by the consular officer, however, because at present such 
documents are proof of citizenship under 22 U.S.C. section 2705 only 
when so issued. The new authority permitting other U.S. citizen 
employees to perform these functions will relieve consular officers of 
some of their ministerial functions, so that they may focus more effort 
on other demands of managing workloads at our overseas posts. Portions 
of 22 CFR part 50 and 22 CFR part 51 are being amended to reflect this 
new authority.
    The regulations also update the text of regulations relating to the 
issuance of Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United 
States of America. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad was formerly 
known as a registration of birth abroad. This outdated terminology is 
replaced where it occurs. In addition, for security and anti-fraud 
reasons, the regulation is being amended to limit the persons eligible 
to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad to the citizen's 
parent(s) and the citizen's legal guardian. See 22 CFR 50.5.
    The regulations (51.21) are also being amended to reflect that 
consular agents and overseas notarial officers may administer the oaths 
for passport purposes required by 22 U.S.C. 213, and for the Consular 
Report of Birth Abroad.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Section 553(b)(A), these rules are being 
promulgated without notice or comment because they are rules of agency 
organization and procedure. These regulations are not expected to have 
a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities 
under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 605(b). 
In addition, they will not impose information collection requirements 
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 
35. Nor do these final rules have federalism implications warranting 
the preparation of a Federalism Assessment in accordance with E.O. 
12612. These final rules have been reviewed as required by E.O. 12988. 
These rules are exempt from review under E.O. 12866 but have been 
reviewed and found to be consistent with the objectives thereof.

List of Subjects

22 CFR Part 50

    Citizenship and naturalization.

22 CFR Part 51

    Administrative practice and procedure, Passports and visas. 
Accordingly, 22 CFR parts 50 and 51 are amended as follows:

PART 50--NATIONALITY PROCEDURES

    1. The authority citation for part 50 is revised to read as 
follows:

    Authority: Sec. 4, 63 Stat. 111, as amended, secs. 104s, 360, 66 
Stat. 174, 273; 22 U.S.C. 211a, 22 U.S.C. 2658, 2705, 8 U.S.C. 1104, 
1503.

    2. Section 50.1 is amended by adding paragraph (g) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 50.1  Definitions.

* * * * *
    (g) Designated nationality examiner means a United States citizen 
employee of the Department of State assigned or employed abroad 
(permanently or temporarily) and designated by the Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of State for Overseas Citizen Services, to grant, issue and 
verify U.S. passports. A designated nationality examiner may adjudicate 
claims of acquisition and loss of United States nationality and 
citizenship as required for the purpose of providing passport and 
related services. The authority of designated nationality examiners 
shall include the authority to examine, adjudicate, approve and deny 
passport applications and applications for related services. The 
authority of designated nationality examiners shall expire upon 
termination of the employee's assignment for such duty and may also be 
terminated at any time by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Overseas 
Citizen Services.
    3. Section 50.2 is amended by revising ``registration of birth'' to 
read ``a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United 
States of America'' and by adding the following four sentences after 
the existing sentence:


Sec. 50.2  Determination of U.S. nationality of persons abroad.

    * * * Such determinations of nationality may be made abroad by a

[[Page 43312]]

consular officer or a designated nationality examiner. A designated 
nationality examiner may accept and approve/disapprove applications for 
registration and accept and approve/disapprove applications for 
passports and issue passports. Under the supervision of a consular 
officer, designated nationality examiners shall accept, adjudicate, 
disapprove and provisionally approve applications for the Consular 
Report of Birth Abroad. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad may only be 
issued by a consular officer, who will review a designated nationality 
examiner's provisional approval of an application for such report and 
issue the report if satisfied that the claim to nationality has been 
established.
    4. Section 50.3 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 50.3  Application for registration.

* * * * *
    (b) The applicant shall execute the registration form prescribed by 
the Department and shall submit the supporting evidence required by 
subpart C of part 51 of this chapter. A diplomatic or consular officer 
or a designated nationality examiner shall determine the period of time 
for which the registration will be valid.
    5. Section 50.5 is amended by revising the introductory text to 
read as follows:


Sec. 50.5  Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen 
of the United States of America.

    Upon application by the parent(s) or the child's legal guardian, a 
consular officer or designated nationality examiner may accept and 
adjudicate the application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a 
Citizen of the United States of America for a child born in their 
consular district. In specific instances, the Department may authorize 
consular officers and other designated employees to adjudicate the 
application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a child born 
outside his/her consular district. Under the supervision of a consular 
officer, designated nationality examiners shall accept, adjudicate, 
disapprove and provisionally approve applications for the Consular 
Report of Birth Abroad. The applicant shall be required to submit proof 
of the child's birth, identity and citizenship meeting the evidence 
requirements of subpart C of part 51 of this subchapter and shall 
include:
* * * * *
    6. Section 50.7 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 50.7  Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United 
States of America.

    (a) Upon application and the submission of satisfactory proof of 
birth, identity and nationality, and at the time of the reporting of 
the birth, the consular officer may issue to the parent or legal 
guardian, when approved and upon payment of a prescribed fee, a 
Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of 
America.
    (b) Amended and replacement Consular Reports of Birth Abroad of a 
Citizen of the United States of America may be issued by the Department 
of State's Passport Office upon written request and payment of the 
required fee.
    (c) When it reports a birth under Sec. 50.6, the Department shall 
furnish the Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United 
States of America to the parent or legal guardian upon application and 
payment of required fees.
    7. Section 50.8 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 50.8  Certification of Report of Birth Abroad of a United States 
Citizen.

    At any time subsequent to the issuance of a Consular Report of 
Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America, when 
requested and upon payment of the required fee, the Department of 
State's Passport Office may issue to the citizen, the citizen's parent 
or legal guardian a certificate entitled ``Certification of Report of 
Birth Abroad of a United States Citizen.''
    8. Section 50.9 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 50.9  Card of identity.

    When authorized by the Department, consular offices or designated 
nationality examiners may issue a card of identity for travel to the 
United States to nationals of the United States being deported from a 
foreign country, to nationals/citizens of the United States involved in 
a common disaster abroad, or to a returning national of the United 
States to whom passport services have been denied or withdrawn under 
the provisions of this part or parts 51 or 53 of this subchapter.
    9. The authority citation for part 51 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 22 U.S.C. 211a, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2658, 3926, 
sec. 122(d)(3), Pub. L. 98-164, 97 Stat. 1017; 31 U.S.C. 9701, E.O. 
11295, 36 FR 10603; 3 CFR, 1966-70 Comp., p. 570; Pub. L. 100-690, 
sec. 129, Pub. L. 102-138, 105 Stat. 661; sec. 503, Pub. L. 102-140, 
105 Stat. 820; Title V, Pub. L. 103-317, 108 Stat. 1724, unless 
otherwise noted.

    10. Section 51.1 is amended by adding paragraph (h) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 51.1  Definitions.

* * * * *
    (h) Designated nationality examiner means a person designated under 
Sec. 50.1(g) of this subchapter.
    11. Section 51.21 is amended by revising paragraph (b)(6) as 
follows:


Sec. 51.21  Execution of passport application.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (6) A diplomatic officer, a consular officer, an overseas 
nationality examiner, a consular agent or a notarial officer abroad; or
* * * * *
    Dated: July 25, 1996.
Mary A. Ryan,
Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-21468 Filed 8-21-96; 8:45 am]
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