State Dept Passport Denial Program Begins 28 Years of Passive Enforcement

The State Department launched the federal passport denial program in January 1997 after PRWORA Section 370 took effect. For the next 28 years, enforcement operated passively: a parent's name would be checked against the HHS delinquency list only when that parent applied for a new passport or renewal. Parents who already held valid passports were not proactively targeted. The program collected child support but left a significant gap because non-custodial parents who avoided passport renewals could hold valid passports indefinitely while remaining on the delinquency list.