Bennet Urges Department of State to Waive Fees for Reissuing Passports Lost In the Marshall Fire

Press Release

Date: Jan. 20, 2022
Location: Washington, DC

Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet wrote a letter to Rachel Arndt, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services, requesting that the Department of State waive fees for reissuing passports that were lost in the Marshall Fire.

"On December 30, 2021, the Marshall Fire devastated communities in the towns of Superior and Louisville and other parts of unincorporated Boulder County in Colorado, destroying or damaging nearly 1,300 homes and structures," wrote Bennet. "As families recover from losing their physical belongings, including government issued identification, I ask you to waive the fees required to reissue passports that were lost during the Marshall Fire to aid victims in their recovery."

Earlier this month, Bennet asked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to waive fees for replacing important documents, such as visas and green cards. On January 10, USCIS announced that it would waive fees associated with reissuing documents.

On January 12, 2022, USCIS released an alert that fee waivers, and other services, would be made available to victims of the Marshall Fire. Fire victims who have lost passports, military discharge papers, Medicare or social security cards in the fire can also contact Bennet's office for help obtaining replacements.

A full list of up-to-date resources available to victims of the Marshall Fire -- including mental and behavioral health care resources, free telehealth care resources, insurance information, how to replace lost documents, updated IRS deadlines, information on applying for FEMA assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration assistance, and disaster unemployment assistance -- is available HERE.

The text of the letter is available HERE and below.


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