[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 9, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 6757-6758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-02576]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

22 CFR Part 51

[Public Notice: 9360]
RIN 1400-AD83


Passports: Official Passports for Officials or Employees of 
State, Local, Tribal or Territorial Governments Traveling Abroad and 
Carrying Out Official Duties in Support of the U.S. Government

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State finalizes its amendment of the 
passport rules for issuance of an official passport to an official or 
employee of a state,

[[Page 6758]]

local, tribal, or territorial government traveling abroad to carry out 
official duties in support of the U.S. government.

DATES: Effective February 9, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alice Kottmyer, Attorney-Adviser, 
[email protected], 202-647-2318.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This rule was published as an interim rule 
on May 15, 2015 (80 FR 27856), with a 60-day period for public 
comments. No public comments were received.
    As explained in the interim final rule, 22 CFR 51.3(b) provides 
that an ``official passport'' may be issued to: An official or employee 
of the U.S. government traveling abroad to carry out official duties; 
spouses and family members of such persons; and, when authorized by the 
Department of State, U.S. government contractors traveling abroad to 
carry out official duties on behalf of the U.S. government.
    Increasingly, the federal government utilizes officials or 
employees of state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in 
support of federal activities, both domestically and overseas, such as 
the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force. When 
required to travel internationally in support of such federal 
activities, these individuals are not currently eligible for official 
passports. Issuance of an official passport to such individuals 
signifies to foreign governments that they are carrying out official 
duties in support of the U.S. government. The activities undertaken by 
these officials are often of pressing national security, law 
enforcement, or humanitarian importance and occur with little advance 
notice. It is in the U.S. government's interest to provide these 
individuals the travel documents necessary to allow them to travel in a 
timely manner.
    Under 22 U.S.C. 211a et seq., the Secretary of State has the 
authority to make rules for the granting and issuance of passports. The 
Department is amending section 51.3(b) of 22 CFR to authorize issuing 
official passports to an official or employee of a state, local, 
tribal, or territorial government traveling abroad to carry out 
official duties in support of the U.S. government.

Regulatory Findings

    The Regulatory Findings included in the interim final rule are 
incorporated herein.

List of Subjects in 22 CFR Part 51

    Passports.

    Accordingly, the interim rule amending 22 CFR part 51 which was 
published at 80 FR 27857 on May 15, 2015, is adopted as a final rule 
without change.

Patrick F. Kennedy,
Under Secretary for Management.
[FR Doc. 2016-02576 Filed 2-8-16; 8:45 am]
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