Unique passport identifiers for covered sex offenders

22 U.S.C. § 212b

• Title: 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
• Chapter: 4 — PASSPORTS

Text

(a) In general
Immediately after receiving a written determination from the Angel Watch Center that an individual is a covered sex offender, through the process developed for that purpose under section 21507 of title 34, the Secretary of State shall take appropriate action under subsection (b).
(b) Authority to use unique passport identifiers
Except as provided under paragraph (2), the Secretary of State shall not issue a passport to a covered sex offender unless the passport contains a unique identifier, and may revoke a passport previously issued without such an identifier of a covered sex offender.
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Secretary of State may reissue a passport that does not include a unique identifier if an individual described in subsection (a) reapplies for a passport and the Angel Watch Center provides a written determination, through the process developed for that purpose under section 21507 of title 34, to the Secretary of State that the individual is no longer required to register as a covered sex offender.
An individual may not be issued or reissued a passport without a unique identifier solely because the individual has moved or otherwise resides outside the United States.
(c) Defined terms
In this section—
(1) the term "covered sex offender" means an individual who—
(A) is a sex offender, as defined in section 21503(f) of title 34; and
(B) is currently required to register under the sex offender registration program of any jurisdiction;
(2) the term "unique identifier" means any visual designation affixed to a conspicuous location on the passport indicating that the individual is a covered sex offender; and
(3) the term "passport" means a passport book or passport card.
(d) Prohibition
The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General, and their agencies, officers, employees, and agents, shall not be liable to any person for any action taken under this section.
(e) Disclosure
In furtherance of this section, the Secretary of State may require a passport applicant to disclose that they are a registered sex offender.
(f) Effective date
This section shall take effect upon certification by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General, that the process developed and reported to the appropriate congressional committees under section 21507 of title 34 has been successfully implemented.

History

(Pub. L. 110–457, title II, §240, as added Pub. L. 114–119, §8, Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 24; amended Pub. L. 117–347, title III, §323(b), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6207.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments
2023—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 117–347 added par. (3).