# FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2022

This bill gives the Secretary of State the power to refuse to issue a passport to, or revoke the passport of, any American who has helped, supported, or worked with a foreign terrorist organization. The government already maintains an official list of organizations it designates as foreign terrorist organizations, and this law lets the State Department use that list as the basis for blocking people from getting passports or taking away ones they already have.

Here's how it works in practice: If you're someone the State Department believes has aided a designated terrorist organization in any way—whether through money, materials, information, or other assistance—they can deny you a new passport or cancel one you currently hold. This effectively prevents you from traveling internationally, since you need a passport to leave the country. The law applies to any form of help, from direct involvement to indirect support, which gives the government fairly broad discretion in deciding who qualifies.

The bill does include some protections. If the State Department denies you a passport or revokes one you have, you get the right to request a hearing within 60 days to challenge the decision. Additionally, whenever the State Department makes one of these decisions, they have to report it to Congress within 30 days, so there's at least a record of these actions being taken. However, the law doesn't specify exactly what evidence the government needs to prove someone "aided" a terrorist organization, which means the standard for making these decisions could be interpreted pretty broadly.

FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2022

Duncan, Jeff

FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2022 This bill authorizes the Department of State to revoke or refuse to issue a passport for an individual who has aided an organization that the State Department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The individual may request a hearing with the State Department upon being notified of a revocation or refusal.