# Plain Language Summary: Passport Processing Efficiency Act

Right now, when you apply for a passport, you have a few options. You can go in person to a passport agency, mail in your application, or use a private courier service that charges you a fee to hand-deliver your application and pick up your finished passport. This bill says the government should prioritize processing applications from people who go in person or use the mail over applications that come through these private courier services. Essentially, if you use a private courier, your application goes to the back of the line compared to people handling it themselves.

The bill also requires the State Department to start tracking and reporting on how many slots they're giving to these private couriers at each passport agency, and whether those numbers are changing over time. They have to explain their reasoning for these decisions. Additionally, the government will now track any violations or complaints against these courier companies and publish that information online so people can see which couriers have problems.

For most people, this probably won't change much if you're already planning to go in person or mail your application—you might actually see faster processing since the government is deprioritizing the courier route. However, if you've been using a private courier service because it was convenient or faster, you should know that your application will now take longer relative to other methods. The bill also creates a new complaint system on the State Department's website where you can report problems with courier services, and the government will publicly share summaries of the most common and serious complaints they receive.