H.R. 6707 · 115th Congress
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Improvement Act of 2018
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 115th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
GonzalezSponsor2 cosponsors · 2 D
2 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill establishes certain standards for U.S. passport applications.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Sep 5, 2018
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Improvement Act of 2018
This bill establishes certain standards for U.S. passport applications.
The Department of State shall adjudicate U.S. passport applications in an individualized, evidence-based manner based on an assessment of individual circumstances and evidence. An applicant's race, ethnicity, or ancestry may not be considered in such adjudicatory process.
The bill requires that:
- an applicant establish U.S. citizenship or nationality by a preponderance of the evidence, and
- a determination that an applicant has not met such evidentiary burden state in writing the reasons for the determination and be provided to the applicant in a timely manner.
A birth certificate signed by a person authorized under state law to sign such a document, or a previously-issued U.S. passport, shall constitute prima facie evidence of U.S. citizenship or nationality and, absent individualized evidence that a birth did not take place in the United States, shall satisfy the preponderance of the evidence standard.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Improvement Act of 2018
Latest action (Sep 5, 2018): Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Policy area: International Affairs · Origin: House · Introduced: Sep 5, 2018
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.