Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007 (S. 966)

[manderson]

I wonder if there are any provisions in there that can indirectly help our backlogs as well? Text of bill: http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=22907

This has passed House and I was reading in Oh's site that President will sign it soon. Is it possible to throw in some indirect 485 backlog reduction provisions in there?

Oh's report:

07/17/2007: Passport Processing Meltdown to Receive Some Help from Retired Diplomats

• Currently, the department is receiving more than 1 million passport applications a month and holds a backlog of about 500,000 that have been pending more than 10 weeks, instead of the usual six to eight The Senate passed S. 966 bill late last month to allow State to rehire retired Foreign Service employees to staff overwhelmed passport processing centers across the country. Retirees now have little incentive to return because current law cuts their salaries by the amount of their pensions. The House yesterday agreed to the Senate bill and passed it yesterday which is likely to grant the State Department the flexibility to rehire retired and fully trained passport processors on a temporary basis to help existing processors manage the increased demand. The President is likely to sign the quickly. Read on (http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cf...dcn=todaysnews).

Probably I am jumping the gun here but if I am not, hope this post won't hurt IV's agenda.

[Meghna]

We will ask what iV can do...I guess everybody is frustrated enough.
We will support 1V
Does 1V has any plans...?