James V. Brown Library is pleased to share a positive update regarding federal legislation that would allow eligible nonprofit public libraries to continue serving as passport acceptance facilities.
The bipartisan Community Passport Services Access Act (S. 3733) was reported favorably and unanimously by the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on July 27, 2026. The legislation has now advanced to the full Senate for consideration.
Introduced by U.S. Senator John Fetterman, the bill would address the federal eligibility issue that affected nonprofit public libraries—including James V. Brown Library—and disrupted their ability to provide convenient passport services to their communities.
Although the bill has not yet become law, its unanimous advancement from committee represents meaningful progress. We appreciate Senator Fetterman’s recognition of the difficulties imposed on nonprofit public libraries and his continued support for restoring this important community service.