“To say the least, we are disappointed that we can no longer provide this service,” said Chris Warren, Director of DHCLS.
DOTHAN , Ala. - A popular public service has been suspended following a recent order by the U.S. State Department , and among those impacted are the Dothan Houston County Library System . In a statement sent out Tuesday afternoon, DHCLS announced that they will be suspending all passport processing services, effective immediately.
This suspension is in effect for all DHCLS facilities. “To say the least, we are disappointed that we can no longer provide this service,” said Chris Warren, Director of DHCLS. The suspension comes after a directive sent out by the State Department, which is now prohibiting any and all nonprofit public libraries from serving as passport acceptance facilities, with these facilities ordered to cease and desist as of Friday, February 13. A stricter interpretation of the 1920 Passport Act is cited as the reason for this order, with a State Department spokesperson telling the Associated Press last week that federal law and regulations “clearly prohibit non-governmental organizations” from collecting and retaining fees for a passport application. DHCLS is one of several dozens of public libraries across the United States that have acted as a Passport Acceptance Facility, and that now will have to end that service for now for the general public. Around 15% of public libraries in the country, or around 1,400, are non-profit and would be affected by this order. “For several years, our staff have taken pride in offering an efficient, customer-friendly passport experience, and our patrons have consistently told us how much they appreciate this,” Warren said. “Now residents of Dothan and Houston County have significantly fewer local options for applying for a passport.”DHCLS said that they will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as they are able about being able to reinstate these services in the future. Currently, a piece of bipartisan legislation — the Community Passport Services Access Act — is currently pending in Congress that would amend the law and restore these services for nonprofit public libraries. Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published. Available for FREE in theWoman wanted in Florida may be in the Dothan area
Dothan Library Dothan Houston County Library Dothan Houston County Library System DHCLS Dothan Passport Dothan Library Passport DHCLS Passport Passport Passport Processing US State Department State Department State Department Passport State Department Passport Processing Passport Act Community Passport Services Access Act Passport Services Access Act WTVY WTVY News 4 WTVY News4
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