LaLota Votes to Modernize Passport Process, Prevent Backlog
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County) voted to help pass H.R. 6610, the bipartisan Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act, a bill he cosponsored. This bill would aim to reduce processing times for passports, which have been a problem for years, by deploying numerous tools to address the backlogs and bolster the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs’ processing capabilities to streamline the application and processing experience for American travelers.
"Since taking office, addressing passport issues and delays has been a primary focus for my casework team in our Hauppauge office. We've dedicated ourselves to relieving Long Islanders of unnecessary burdens caused by federal bureaucracy," stated LaLota. "The Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act represents significant progress in tackling the backlog and reducing bureaucratic hurdles. My team and I remain committed to empowering individuals by ensuring government serves them, not impedes them."
To read the full text of the bill, click HERE.
Background:
To date, LaLota’s constituent services team in Hauppauge has successfully completed over 800 passport cases for Suffolk County residents.
The Passport Issuance and Backlog Elimination Act will:
- Mandate the expansion of the Online Passport Renewal system to accommodate first-time adult passport applications;
- Mandate a text and email notification system for application status and passport applications;
- Accelerate the passport renewal process by increasing the use of software in passport adjudication;
- Require a top-to-bottom review of the passport issuance system by the Government Accountability Office;
- Accelerate the adoption of commercially available technology solutions by increasing the Bureau’s collaboration with the private sector; and
- Increase congressional oversight over State Department modernization efforts.
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