The State Department on Wednesday proposed various Changes to its Passport Rules, including those governing the Revocation of Passports for Convicted Sex Offenders and Procedures for Rejecting Reports filed with a Consulate when Americans give Birth Abroad.
The proposed Rule cracks down on Sex Offenders, introducing New Restrictions on their Ability to Hold and Apply for a Passport, while also clarifying Procedures relating to the Revocation and Denial of Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, which are filed with U.S. Consulates.
The State Department it would begin Revoking Passports of Registered Child Sex Offenders and will require them to Apply for a New one that carries a "unique identifier" of their Status. Those applying for a Passport for the first time will not be issued one without the Identifier, which will be a Notice printed inside the Back Cover of the Passport Book that reads: "The bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor, and is a covered sex offender pursuant to (U.S. law)."
The changes come in response to last year's "International Megan's Law," which aims to Curb Child Exploitation and Child Sex Tourism, but also has been criticized by Civil Libertarians for being overly Broad and Targeting only one category of Convicted Felon.
The State Department, which issues U.S. Passports, said it will start notifying those affected as soon as it receives their Names from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security. That Agency is charged with Identifying Child Sex Offenders and is the Sole Agency that can Add or Remove someone from the List.
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