Democrats eye passport backlog with new legislation

A duo of Democrat lawmakers have introduced legislation that would implement new measures to clear passport application backlogs and reduce processing delays. 

The proposed legislation, called the PASSPORT Act, would streamline the passport application and renewal process by improving communication with current passport holders by notifying them one year in advance of the expiration of their passport. It would also ensure customers are aware of passport requirements at the time of booking international travel. 

It would also require the comptroller general to conduct a study into creating efficiencies in the State Department’s passport operations that could reduce processing lags and avoid backlogs. It also seeks to improve transparency and security around the documents needed to apply for passports.

The PASSPORT Act was introduced by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). 

“Every day, my office hears from constituents facing terrible delays with their passport applications. It’s clear that the State Department, despite their best efforts, is not meeting the increased demand post pandemic. Slow processing timelines have caused significant stress, imposed financial costs, and forced constituents to miss out on important events such as weddings, funerals, and long-awaited vacations,” Schiff said in a statement.  

“My legislation, the PASSPORT Act, will improve communication with U.S. citizens on passport issues and help the department avoid such backlogs in the future.”

The recent backlog of passport applications has led to a wave of calls to Congress to help push for new efforts to ease the process of needing documents for traveling overseas.  

Applications for new passports currently take up to 10 to 13 weeks, or 7 to 9 weeks for applications under the expedited process.