Passports: Proposed Rule Allowing Passport Applicants Eligible To Apply By Mail for Renewal of Passports the Additional Option To Apply On-Line

• Published date: 09 August 2021
• Citation: 86 FR 43458
• Record Number: 2021-16928
• Section: Proposed rules
• Court: State Department

43458

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 150 / Monday, August 9, 2021 / Proposed Rules

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

22 CFR Part 51

[Public Notice: 11457]

RIN 1400–AE68

Passports: Proposed Rule Allowing

Passport Applicants Eligible To Apply

By Mail for Renewal of Passports the

Additional Option To Apply On-Line

AGENCY

: Department of State.

ACTION

: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY

: Pursuant to Department

regulations, the renewal of a U.S.

passport must meet certain

requirements to qualify for submission

of an application by mail. The

Department proposes to amend this rule

by allowing qualified applicants the

option of submitting renewal

applications by mail or online via the

Department’s official website. This

amendment will provide more

flexibility for the renewal applicant,

improve the customer experience, and

eliminate the added burden, time, and

cost to the customer by providing the

on-line option as an alternative to the

mail in process.

DATES

: The Department of State will

accept comments until October 8, 2021.

ADDRESSES

: Interested parties may

submit comments to the Department by

any of the following methods:

•Visit the Regulations.govwebsite at:

http://www.regulations.gov and search

for the docket number DOS–2021–0016.

•Email:

PassportOfficeofAdjudicationGeneral@

state.gov. You must include RIN 1400–

AE68 in the subject line of your

message.

•Mail paper submissions: Office of

Adjudication, Passport Services, U.S.

Department of State, 44132 Mercure

Circle, P.O. Box 1243, Sterling, VA

20166–1243, ATTN: OPR.

•All comments should include the

commenter’s name, the organization the

commenter represents, if applicable,

and the commenter’s address. If the

Department is unable to read your

comment for any reason, and cannot

contact you for clarification, the

Department may not be able to consider

your comment. After the conclusion of

the comment period, the Department

will publish a Final rule (in which it

will address relevant comments) as

expeditiously as possible.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

:

Karen Pizza, Office of Adjudication,

Passport Services, (202) 485–8800, or

email

PassportOfficeofAdjudicationGeneral@

state.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

: Currently

when applying for a renewal of a U.S.

passport, applicants must meet certain

criteria to use the mail-in application

form. These mail-in applications are

processed through the Lockbox where

fees, applicant data, and photo images

are captured. The Lockbox transmits

this data and the physical applications

to a passport agency or center for further

processing.

The Department proposes to amend

22 CFR 51.21(b), (b)(2), (b)(3); and

51.8(a), (b), (c), (d) to allow eligible

applicants the option to apply on-line

via MyTravelGov, which can be found

on the Department’s official website.

Online Passport Renewal (OPR) refers to

the electronic capability for processing

renewal applications in a paperless

environment. Applicants must meet all

eligibility requirements for using OPR or

will be referred to the paper application

process. Applicants using OPR will

enter their application information and

upload their photos directly into the

OPR system, and submit their payment

through pay.gov. This process will

improve efficiency and accessibility by

offering online verification of renewal

eligibility, electronic photo upload, and

electronic payment. Applications

received through OPR will

automatically enter review queues at a

passport agency or center, thus

eliminating the physical application and

processing at the Lockbox. The new

OPR system will improve the customer

experience, reduce operational and

maintenance costs, and focus on data

quality, protection, and traceability. The

first release of the OPR system will

apply to persons in the United States,

with the intent for future releases

applying to persons abroad.

Regulatory Findings

Administrative Procedure Act

The Department is publishing this

rule as a proposed rule and is providing

60 days for public comments.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Department of State, in

accordance with the Regulatory

Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605(b)), has

reviewed this regulation and, by

approving it, certifies that this rule will

not have a significant economic impact

on a substantial number of small

entities. This rule gives greater

flexibility to applicants residing in the

United States, who are applying to

renew their U.S. passport.

Unfunded Mandates Act of 1995

This rule will not result in the

expenditure by State, local, and tribal

governments, in the aggregate, or by the

private sector, of $100 million or more

in any year and it will not significantly

or uniquely affect small governments.

Therefore, no actions were deemed

necessary under the provisions of the

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of

1995.

Congressional Review Act

This rule is not a major rule as

defined by the Congressional Review

Act. This rule will not result in an

annual effect on the economy of $100

million or more; a major increase in

costs or prices; or significant adverse

effects on competition, employment,

investment, productivity, innovation, or

on the ability of United States-based

companies to compete with foreign

based companies in domestic and

import markets.

Executive Order 12866

This rule is not a ‘‘significant

regulatory action’’ under Executive

Order 12866, section 3(f), Regulatory

Planning and Review. The Department

does not anticipate that demand for

passport services will change as a result

of this rule change.

Executive Orders 12372 and 13132—

Federalism

This regulation will not have

substantial direct effects on the States,

on the relationship between the national

government and the States, or on the

distribution of power and

responsibilities among the various

levels of government. Therefore, in

accordance with section 6 of Executive

Order 13132, it is determined that this

rule does not have sufficient federalism

implications to require consultations or

warrant the preparation of a federalism

summary impact statement. The

regulations implementing Executive

Order 12372 regarding

intergovernmental consultation on

Federal programs and activities do not

apply to this regulation.

Executive Order 13175—Consultation

With Tribal Governments

The Department has determined that

this rulemaking will not have tribal

implications, will not impose

substantial direct compliance costs on

Indian tribal governments, and will not

pre-empt tribal law. Accordingly, the

requirements of E.O. 13175 do not apply

to this proposed rule.

Paperwork Reduction Act

This rule does not impose any new

reporting or record-keeping

requirements subject to the Paperwork

Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:39 Aug 06, 2021 Jkt 253001 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\09AUP1.SGM 09AUP1

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1

43459

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 150 / Monday, August 9, 2021 / Proposed Rules

List of Subjects in 22 CFR Part 51

Passports.

Accordingly, for the reasons set forth

in the preamble, 22 CFR part 51 is

proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 51—PASSPORTS

■1. The authority citation for part 51

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1504; 18 U.S.C. 1621;

22 U.S.C. 211a, 212, 212b, 213, 213n (Pub. L.

106–113 Div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(7) [Div. A, Title

II, Sec. 236], 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–430);

214, 214a, 217a, 218, 2651a, 2671(d)(3), 2705,

2714, 2714a, 2721, & 3926; 26 U.S.C. 6039E;

31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 652(k) [Div. B, Title

V of Pub. L. 103–317, 108 Stat. 1760]; E.O.

11295, Aug. 6, 1966, FR 10603, 3 CFR, 1966–

1970 Comp., p. 570; Pub. L. 114–119, 130

Stat. 15; Sec. 1 of Pub. L. 109–210, 120 Stat.

319; Sec. 2 of Pub. L. 109–167, 119 Stat.

3578; Sec. 5 of Pub. L. 109–472, 120 Stat.

3554; Pub. L. 108–447, Div. B, Title IV, Dec.

8, 2004, 118 Stat. 2809; Pub. L. 108–458, 118

Stat. 3638, 3823 (Dec. 17, 2004).

■2. Section 51.8 is revised to read as

follows:

§ 51.8 Submission of currently valid

passport.

(a) When applying for a new passport

in person or by mail, an applicant must

submit for cancellation any currently

valid passport of the same type.

(b) When applying for a new passport

on-line, an applicant must have the

currently valid passport of the same

type available for cancellation via the

on-line process.

(c) If an applicant is unable to

produce a passport under paragraph (a)

or (b) of this section, he or she must

submit a signed statement in the form

prescribed by the Department setting

forth the circumstances regarding the

disposition of the passport.

(d) The Department may deny or limit

a passport if the applicant has failed to

provide a sufficient and credible

explanation for lost, stolen, altered or

mutilated passport(s) previously issued

to the applicant, after being given a

reasonable opportunity to do so.

■3. Section 51.21 is amended by

revising paragraph (b) subject heading

and paragraph (b)(2), and adding

paragraph (b)(3) to read as follows:

§ 51.21 Execution of passport application.

* * * * *

(b) Application by mail or on-line—

persons in the United States.

* * * * *

(2) A person in the United States who

previously has been issued a passport

valid for 10 years in their own name

may apply for a new passport by filling

out, signing, and submitting an on-line

application via the Department’s official

website if:

(i) The applicant’s most recently

issued passport of the same type was

issued when the applicant was 16 years

of age or older, and has one year or less

of validity remaining;

(ii) The application is submitted not

more than 15 years following the issue

date of the most recently issued

passport of the same type;

(iii) The first release of the OPR

system will require that the application

be submitted in the same name, sex

marker, date of birth, and place of birth

as the most recently issued passport of

the same type with the intent that future

releases will permit changes; and

(iv) The most recently issued passport

of the same type is available for

verification via the on-line process.

(3) The applicant must also provide

photographs as prescribed by the

Department and pay the applicable fees

prescribed in the Schedule of Fees for

Consular Services (22 CFR 22.1).

* * * * *

Rachel Arndt,

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of

Consular Affairs, Department of State.

[FR Doc. 2021–16928 Filed 8–6–21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4710–06–P

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AGENCY

40 CFR Part 52

[EPA–R07–OAR–2021–0474; FRL–8755–01–

R7]

Air Plan Approval; Missouri; Control of

Emissions From Batch Process

Operations

AGENCY

: Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA).

ACTION

: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY

: The Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) is proposing approval of

a State Implementation Plan (SIP)

revision submitted by Missouri on

January 19, 2021. Missouri requests that

the EPA approve into Missouri’s SIP

revisions to its rule related to control of

emissions from batch process

operations. These revisions update

references to the appropriate state rule

for New Source Performance

Regulations. These revisions are

administrative in nature and do not

reduce the stringency of the SIP or have

an adverse impact to air quality. The

EPA’s proposed approval of this rule

revision is being done in accordance

with the requirements of the Clean Air

Act (CAA).

DATES

: Comments must be received on

or before September 8, 2021.

ADDRESSES

: You may send comments,

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R07–

OAR–2021–0474 to https://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online

instructions for submitting comments.

Instructions: All submissions received

must include the Docket ID No. for this

rulemaking. Comments received will be

posted without change to https://

www.regulations.gov/, including any

personal information provided. For

detailed instructions on sending

comments and additional information

on the rulemaking process, see the

‘‘Written Comments’’ heading of the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

section of

this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

:

Robert F. Webber, Environmental

Protection Agency, Region 7 Office, Air

Permitting and Standards Branch, 11201

Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, Kansas

66219; telephone number: (913) 551–

7251; email address: webber.robert@

epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

:

Throughout this document ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’

and ‘‘our’’ refer to the EPA.

Table of Contents

I. Written Comments

II. What is being addressed in this document?

III. Have the requirements for approval of a

SIP revision been met?

IV. What action is the EPA proposing to take?

V. Incorporation by Reference

VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews

I. Written Comments

Submit your comments, identified by

Docket ID No. EPA–R07–OAR–2021–

0474, at https://www.regulations.gov.

Once submitted, comments cannot be

edited or removed from Regulations.gov.

The EPA may publish any comment

received to its public docket. Do not

submit electronically any information

you consider to be Confidential

Business Information (CBI) or other

information whose disclosure is

restricted by statute. Multimedia

submissions (audio, video, etc.) must be

accompanied by a written comment.

The written comment is considered the

official comment and should include

discussion of all points you wish to

make. The EPA will generally not

consider comments or comment

contents located outside of the primary

submission (i.e., on the web, cloud, or

other file sharing system). For

additional submission methods, the full

EPA public comment policy,

information about CBI or multimedia

submissions, and general guidance on

making effective comments, please visit

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:39 Aug 06, 2021 Jkt 253001 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\09AUP1.SGM 09AUP1

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1