Lawmakers Urge Feds to Allow Libraries to Keep Offering Passport Services

Nonprofit libraries face loss of revenue as federal government ends passport processing at local branches.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Lawmakers from both parties are calling on the federal government to allow nonprofit libraries to continue offering passport services beyond the upcoming deadline, which would force libraries to lose a significant revenue stream and likely cut programming.

Why it matters

The decision by the U.S. Department of State to end passport processing at nonprofit libraries will have a major financial impact on local libraries, which have come to rely on the fees from this service as an important part of their budgets. This could lead to reduced library programming and services for the community.

The details

The Lancaster Public Library, which is the only location in Lancaster City offering passport services, has been processing 10-12 passports per day on average, a significant source of revenue. The library's executive director says the loss of this $60,000 line item in the budget will "affect all the libraries in Lancaster that offer this service." Users of the library's passport services have praised the convenience and stress-free experience compared to crowded post office lines.

  • The U.S. Department of State has declared that nonprofit libraries can no longer offer passport services starting this Friday, February 16, 2026.
  • The Lancaster Public Library first learned of this decision back in November 2025, after the library's annual budget had already been set.

The players

Kathy Leader

The administrative manager at the Lancaster Public Library, who has been processing 10-12 passports per day on average at the library.

Lissa Holland

The executive director of the Lancaster Public Library, who says the loss of passport processing revenue will "affect all the libraries in Lancaster that offer this service."

Jacqueline Hernandez

A user of the Lancaster Public Library's passport services, who praised the convenience and stress-free experience compared to the post office.

Dave McCormick

A Pennsylvania senator who has joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging the White House to delay the decision and allow libraries to offer passport services through the end of 2026.

John Fetterman

A Pennsylvania senator who has joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging the White House to delay the decision and allow libraries to offer passport services through the end of 2026.

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What they’re saying

“Normally, I average maybe 6 to 8 passports a day, prior to this busy time. Right now, I'm averaging probably 10 to 12 a day.”

— Kathy Leader, Administrative Manager, Lancaster Public Library

“It was really kind of a shock for us. We did not know that there was even talk about getting rid of passport processing at nonprofit libraries.”

— Lissa Holland, Executive Director, Lancaster Public Library

“It was very convenient, close to home. In the past, the post office was very crowded with lines. So this was definitely much more convenient and definitely stress-free.”

— Jacqueline Hernandez

What’s next

A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Pennsylvania Senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman, as well as Susquehanna Valley congressmen Lloyd Smucker and John Joyce, have asked the White House to delay this decision and let libraries offer passport services through the end of 2026. As of writing, there's no word on a decision from Washington.

The takeaway

The federal government's decision to end passport processing at nonprofit libraries will have a significant financial impact on local libraries, potentially leading to reduced programming and services for their communities. This highlights the importance of these libraries as community hubs and the need for policymakers to consider the broader implications of such decisions on local institutions.