Department of State October 28, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule adopts as final the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on March 26, 2021. This final rule adjusts the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (Schedule of Fees) by increasing the passport book security surcharge (PSS) from $60 to $80. This increase reflects increases in security-related costs for processing passports attributed to the PSS. Increases in security- related costs are largely due to a 37 percent increase in compensation costs for passport adjudicators and enhanced printing technology costs for the Next Generation (NextGen) passport book. Based on FY 2022 projections of 15.9 million passport products for which the PSS is included as part of the overall fee (passport books, and passport books and card combinations), the Department anticipates an additional $318 million in revenue. The Department retains all PSS revenue, and it is used to cover the costs associated with passport application processing that support enhanced border security. The adjustment will result in a more accurate alignment of the fees for consular services to the costs of providing the services.