Clinton Signs PRWORA, Creating Passport Denial for Child Support Debt

President Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act on August 22, 1996. Section 370 of PRWORA authorized the Secretary of State to deny or revoke passports for parents certified by the Department of Health and Human Services as owing more than $5,000 in unpaid child support. The program took effect in 1997 when HHS and the State Department established the certification and notification process.