Authorizes the Department of State to expand certain passport application processing services and directs related changes. — Full text

Section 1. Authority of Secretary of State to designate additional persons eligible to serve as passport acceptance agents

Section 6109(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (22 U.S.C. 213a(b)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:

(6) A United States citizen who, as determined by the Secretary, is employed by and provides services through a reputable, established company or institution and is commissioned or appointed as a notary or notary public or otherwise authorized to perform a notarization under the laws of a State, district, or territorial government.

(a) In general

The Secretary of State shall take such actions as may be necessary to—

(1) facilitate an increase in the number of companies certified to provide hand-carry courier services; and

(2) increase the daily maximum number of applications for United States regular passports, by service type, that such companies may submit to a passport agency of the Department of State (commonly referred to as meeting slots) as part of the hand-carry courier services of such company.

(b) Hand-carry courier service defined

In this section, the term hand-carry courier service means—

(1) the transport of applications for United States passports to a passport agency of the Department of State for processing; and

(2) the retrieval of newly issued United States passports for delivery, directly or indirectly, to the passport holder.

Section 3. Date of expiration of United States passports

The Secretary of State shall take such actions as may be necessary to provide that each United States regular passport issued or renewed on or after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act expires on the same month and day of the month as the date of birth of the individual associated with such passport.