Implementation of New Passport Denial Threshold

DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER

DCL-06-32

ATTACHMENT: (not available online)

DATE: October 5, 2006

TO: ALL STATE IV-D DIRECTORS

RE: Implementation of New Passport Denial Threshold

Dear Colleague:

This is a reminder that effective October 1, 2006, amendments to Section 7303 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 reduced the threshold amount that triggers eligibility for Passport Denial from $5,000 to $2,500. From that date forward, unless specifically excluded, a person certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the Secretary of State as being in arrears on child support payments by an amount exceeding $2,500 is ineligible to receive a United States passport.

For those States issuing their own Pre-Offset Notices, this change should be reflected in the notice beginning October 1, 2006.

The Passport Denial Program was implemented in June 1998 to deny passports to individuals who owe child support. Under the current Passport Denial Program and in cooperation with the Department of State, approximately 80 passports are denied daily. To date, States have voluntarily reported lump sum collections of over $75.6 million. It is estimated that the threshold reduction will increase Passport Denial collections by approximately $1.7 million annually.

To demonstrate the immediate benefits to your State, the Federal Collections and Enforcement team has provided data that reflects the number of obligors that have been added to the Passport Denial Program as a result of the threshold reduction. Attached is a breakdown by State indicating 1) the specific increase in obligors and arrearage as a direct result of the lowered threshold, and 2) the total number of obligors and arrearage currently certified for Passport Denial.

If you have any questions regarding the reduction of the Passport Denial threshold, please contact scollections@acf.hhs.gov.

Sincerely,

Margot Bean
Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement

cc: Regional Program Managers
ACF Regional Administrators
Federal Offset Coordinator