U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 2714. Denial of passports to certain convicted drug traffickers

(a) Ineligibility for passport

(1) In general

A passport may not be issued to an individual who is convicted of an offense described in subsection (b) of this section during the period described in subsection (c) of this section if the individual used a passport or otherwise crossed an international border in committing the offense.

(2) Passport revocation

The Secretary of State shall revoke a passport previously issued to an individual who is ineligible to receive a passport under paragraph (1).

(b) Drug law offenses

(1) Felonies

Subsection (a) of this section applies with respect to any individual convicted of a Federal drug offense, or a State drug offense, if the offense is a felony.

(2) Certain misdemeanors

Subsection (a) of this section also applies with respect to an individual convicted of a Federal drug offense, or a State drug offense, if the offense is ^[1] misdemeanor, but only if the Secretary of State determines that subsection (a) of this section should apply with respect to that individual on account of that offense. This paragraph does not apply to an individual’s first conviction for a misdemeanor which involves only possession of a controlled substance.

Subsection (a) of this section applies during the period that the individual—

(1) is imprisoned, or is legally required to be imprisoned, as the result of the conviction for the offense described in subsection (b) of this section; or

(2) is on parole or other supervised release after having been imprisoned as the result of that conviction.

(d) Emergency and humanitarian exceptions

Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of State may issue a passport, in emergency circumstances or for humanitarian reasons, to an individual with respect to whom that subsection applies.

(e) Definitions

As used in this section—

(1) the term “controlled substance” has the same meaning as is provided in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802);

(2) the term “Federal drug offense” means a violation of—

(A) the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) or the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (21 U.S.C. 951 et seq.);

(B) any other Federal law involving controlled substances; or

(C) subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31 (commonly referred to as the “Bank Secrecy Act”), or section 1956 or section 1957 of title 18 (commonly referred to as the “Money Laundering Act”), if the Secretary of State determines that the violation is related to illicit production of or trafficking in a controlled substance;

(3) the term “felony” means a criminal offense punishable by death or imprisonment for more than one year;

(4) the term “imprisoned” means an individual is confined in or otherwise restricted to a jail-type institution, a half-way house, a treatment facility, or another institution, on a full or part-time basis, pursuant to the sentence imposed as the result of a conviction;

(5) the term “misdemeanor” means a criminal offense other than a felony;

(6) the term “State drug offense” means a violation of State law involving the manufacture, distribution, or possession of a controlled substance; and

(7) the term “State law” means the law of a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or a territory or possession of the United States.

[1] So in original. Probably should be followed by “a”.

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