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HR 6997
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Community Passport Services Access Act

To amend the Passport Act of June 4, 1920, to authorize certain public libraries to collect and retain a fee for the execution of a passport application.

Introduced Jan 9, 2026

Latest action (Jan 9, 2026) Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Policy area
Issues
Foreign Policy

Summary

This bill authorizes public libraries to serve as passport acceptance facilities and to collect and retain the execution fee for passport applications they process. Public libraries organized as nonprofits, charitable organizations, or trusts must comply with State Department regulations to participate. The Secretary of State must authorize, within 30 days of enactment, any public library that previously served as a passport acceptance facility and was in compliance with department regulations. The Secretary must submit a report to Congress within 30 days documenting compliance or explaining any noncompliance. The bill updates federal law to recognize public libraries alongside state and local government officials and the U.S. Postal Service as authorized passport acceptance facilities.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to John Joyce’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • NULL $43,900
  • JWF INDUSTRIES $13,570
  • SMITH TRANSPORT, INC $13,200
  • NESL $13,200
  • MARTIN'S FAMOUS PASTRY SHOPPE, INC $12,400

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for John Joyce → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

  1. Jan 9, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. · house
  2. Jan 9, 2026 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 9, 2026

Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania (for himself, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Smucker, Mr. Bresnahan, and Ms. Scanlon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To amend the Passport Act of June 4, 1920, to authorize certain public libraries to collect and retain a fee for the execution of a passport application.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Community Passport Services Access Act”.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO COLLECT AND RETAIN EXECUTION FEE FOR PASSPORT APPLICATION.

(a) In General.—Subsection (a) of the Passport Act of June 4, 1920 (22 U.S.C. 214(a)), is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(4) The Secretary of State may authorize a public library, organized as a non-governmental organization, non- profit, charitable organization, or trust, to serve as a passport acceptance facility and to collect and retain the execution fee for a passport accepted by such public library, if such public library is in compliance with the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of State for the acceptance and execution of a passport application.”.

(b) Authorization of Prior Public Libraries Which Served as Passport Acceptance Facilities.—

(1) In general.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall authorize each public library to serve as a passport acceptance facility and to collect and retain an execution fee for a passport accepted by such library, if, before the date of the enactment of this Act, such public library—

(A) served as a passport acceptance facility; and

(B) was in compliance with the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of State for the acceptance and execution of a passport application.

(2) Report.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the relevant congressional committees which includes—

(A) documentation of compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1); or

(B) if such Secretary does not comply with paragraph (1), an explanation for such noncompliance.

(c) Conforming Amendment.—Subsection (a)(1) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 214(a)(1)) is amended—

(1) by striking “State officials or the United States Postal Service” and inserting “a State or local government, the United States Postal Service, or a public library which meet the requirements described in paragraph (4)”; and

(2) by striking “by such officials or by that Service.” and inserting “by such State or local government, Service, or public library.” <all>

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