Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007
Public Law 110-50 · S. 966 · 110th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jul 30, 2007 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Cosponsors (3): Sen. Norm Coleman, Sen. Chuck Hagel,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007 - Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to authorize the Secretary of State to employ Foreign Service annuitants to assist in the processing of: (1) passport applications, including passport fraud investigations; and (2) visa applications at consular posts with a substantial application backlog.
Authorizes the Secretary to waive salary and full-time employment pension restrictions through: (1) September 30, 2008, for consular-related employment; and (2) through September 30, 2009, for passport-related employment.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 2845Identical bill
Department of State Crisis Response Act of 2007
H.R. 2960Related bill
Department of State Crisis Response Act of 2007
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.
- Jul 30, 2007Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-50.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 24, 2007FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jul 19, 2007FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 18, 2007Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 17, 2007FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- Jul 16, 2007FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 966.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Watson moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 10, 2007FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- Jun 29, 2007FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 27, 2007CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 239.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Biden with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-109.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Mar 22, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.