The State Department is planning to expand revocations of passports of parents who owe a significant amount of child support. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The first group to be targeted will be passport holders who owe more than $100,000 in past-due child support, the officials told the outlet. One official said fewer than 500 people meet that threshold. Those individuals could retain their passports if they enter into a payment plan with the Department of Health and Human Services after being notified of a pending revocation.
The official added that lowering the past-due threshold in the future would significantly increase the number of parents subject to enforcement.
It remains unclear when any further changes would take effect or how many people might have their passports revoked as a result.
The State Department will soon begin revoking passports based on data shared by HHS. (iStock)
"It is simple: deadbeat parents need to pay their child support arrears," the statement added.
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Since the Passport Denial Program began with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, nearly $621 million in past-due child support payments have been made, including nine payments of more than $300,000, according to the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/state-department-passport-revocations-child-support-debt