Passport Card Travel Enhancement Act of 2009

Passport Card Travel Enhancement Act of 2009 - Defines "passport card" as the document: (1) known as a passport card that is issued to a U.S. national on the same basis as a regular passport; and (2) that the Secretary of State began issuing in 2008.

Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State to permit a passport card issued to a U.S. citizen to serve as proof of identify and citizenship if such citizen is departing from or entering the United States through an airport of entry for travel that terminates or originates in: (1) Bermuda; (2) Canada; (3) a Caribbean country; or (4) Mexico.

Prohibits the Secretaries from increasing the passport card fee as a result of such requirement.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[S. 321 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 321

  To require the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of 
  State to accept passport cards at air ports of entry and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 26, 2009

 Mr. Voinovich (for himself, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of 
  State to accept passport cards at air ports of entry and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Passport Card Travel Enhancement Act 
of 2009''.

SEC. 2. PASSPORT CARD DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``passport card'' means the document--
            (1) known as a passport card that is issued to a national 
        of the United States on the same basis as a regular passport; 
        and
            (2) that the Secretary of State began issuing during 2008.

SEC. 3. PASSPORT CARDS FOR AIR TRAVEL.

    (a) Requirement To Accept Passport Cards for Air Travel.--
Notwithstanding any regulation issued by the Secretary of Homeland 
Security or the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
and the Secretary of State shall permit a passport card issued to a 
citizen of the United States to serve as proof of identity and 
citizenship of such citizen if such citizen is departing from or 
entering the United States through an air port of entry for travel that 
terminates or originates in--
            (1) Bermuda;
            (2) Canada;
            (3) a foreign country located in the Caribbean; or
            (4) Mexico.
    (b) Fees for Passport Cards.--Neither the Secretary of State or the 
Secretary of Homeland Security may increase, or propose an increase to, 
the fee for issuance of a passport card as a result of the requirements 
of subsection (a).
    (c) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall issue final regulations to implement this Act.
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