Description:
H.R. 2847 would authorize the Secretary of State to waive passport fees for family members who visit a service member undergoing medical treatment overseas. Waiving passport fees would reduce both collections remitted to the Treasury and those retained and spent by the Department of State without further appropriation; however, on the basis on information from the Department of Defense, CBO estimates that few people would be affected and those effects on revenues and direct spending would be insignificant. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2847 would, on net, increase the deficit by insignificant amounts over the 2020-2030 period. Passport renewal fees for adult applicants are $30 for the passport card, $110 for the passport book, and $140 for both. Roughly a quarter of the amount collected is recorded as revenues; the remaining amount is retained by the Department of State and spent on consular and border security programs without further appropriation. The department also retains and spends an optional $60 fee that it charges for expedited processing. Individuals who apply for their first passport or who are required to apply in person also pay a $35 fee which is either retained by the facility accepting the application (such as post offices or local government offices) or deposited in the Treasury as revenues when the application is made at a Department of State facility. Therefore, waiving passport fees would reduce both revenues and collections retained and spent by the department by an insignificant amount.
