NORWICH, Conn. (AP) — The U.S. State Department has instructed select public libraries across the country to discontinue handling passport applications, interrupting a service that librarians highlight as a trusted and efficiently run resource for their communities over many years.
The federal agency overseeing U.S. passports started sending cease and desist notices to non-profit libraries in late autumn, notifying them that, effective Friday, they were no longer permitted to operate within the Passport Acceptance Facility program.
“Even now, we receive daily inquiries for this service,” stated Cathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut. The library, which provided passport services for 18 years, halted them in November following the directive. “Our community had grown accustomed to us providing this.”
According to a State Department spokesperson, the directive was issued because federal statutes and rules “explicitly forbid non-governmental entities” from collecting and keeping fees associated with passport applications. This change does not affect libraries managed by government bodies.
The spokesperson refrained from answering inquiries regarding the timing of this issue or the precise number of libraries affected by the cease and desist order. In an official statement, they noted, “passport services maintains more than 7,500 acceptance facilities across the nation, and the count of libraries deemed ineligible constitutes under one percent of our entire network.”
The American Library Association estimates that roughly 1,400 public libraries, predominantly non-profit, nationwide could potentially face impact, representing approximately 15% of all public libraries, contingent on their involvement in offering passport services.
Lawmakers from both Democratic and Republican parties, representing Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, are challenging this decision. They sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio this month, requesting an extension of the current program until Congress can establish a lasting resolution.
“At a time of escalating demand for passports, libraries stand out as highly accessible passport acceptance facilities, especially beneficial for working families and those living in rural areas,” the congressional members asserted.
The letter from legislators indicated that individuals might need to travel significant distances, lose unpaid work time, or simply opt out of obtaining a passport, particularly as demand rises due to Real ID mandates. Furthermore, should Republicans in Congress enact stringent new voting regulations, citizens might require their passport or birth certificate for registration. Increasingly, individuals concerned about immigration agents are also carrying passports to verify their citizenship.
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The lawmakers highlighted that this alteration is especially problematic for their states, where numerous public libraries are organized as nonprofit organizations. They warned that some libraries, which financially gain from passport processing fees, might be forced to reduce staff, curtail programs, or even cease operations if prevented from continuing passport services.
The organizational structure of public libraries varies by state. For instance, in Pennsylvania, 85% of public libraries function as non-profit organizations rather than municipal government departments. This figure stands at 56% in Maine, 54% in Rhode Island, 47% in New York, and 46% in Connecticut, as reported by the American Library Association.
Pennsylvania Representatives Madeleine Dean (Democrat) and John Joyce (Republican) have introduced bipartisan legislation. This bill aims to amend the Passport Act of 1920, enabling 501(c)(3) non-profit public libraries to keep operating as passport acceptance facilities. A corresponding bill is currently awaiting consideration in the Senate.
Dean, whose initial awareness of the policy shift came from a library in her district that had offered passport services for two decades, labeled the State Department’s legal interpretation “nonsense.”
According to the letter sent to Rubio, within Joyce’s rural, south-central Pennsylvania district, the Marysville-Rye Library stands as one of just two passport facilities catering to the 556-square-mile Perry County. Consequently, the county courthouse will now become the sole available alternative.
The State Department highlighted that 99% of the U.S. populace resides within a 20-mile radius of an approved passport processing site, which could include a post office, a county clerk’s office, or a government-operated library authorized to process in-person passport applications.
“If the discontinuation of an ineligible facility impacts passport services, we intend to locate new qualified program partners in the affected region,” stated the agency spokesperson.
However, Special explained that the Norwich post office frequently directed individuals to her library for passport needs, particularly if they required service beyond standard operating hours or had children requiring supervision and entertainment while parents completed forms. Additionally, library personnel provided assistance to applicants facing language barriers.
“Now, the entire responsibility falls on them, which is a significant challenge,” she remarked concerning the nearby post office. “Frankly, I’m unsure how they’re managing, given how popular this service was at our library.”