WASHINGTON—The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has achieved a milestone in the production of the Nation’s passport for the Department of State (DOS). GPO has produced 75 million electronic passports at its secure production facilities in Washington, D.C. and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. GPO first started producing electronic passports in 2005. The passport includes an integrated, secure chip and antenna. GPO has been responsible for passport production for DOS since the 1920s. Both of GPO’s passport production facilities are ISO 9001 certified. ISO is the International Organization for Standardization and the world’s largest developer of international standards used by government, business and new information technology companies and agencies. These globally recognized standards of excellence for production and quality processes assure customers that the agency or company meets their expectations.
“This is a significant accomplishment for GPO and one more step forward in our long history of producing the passport for the Department of State,” said Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks. “GPO is a leader in the production of secure credentials and I am proud our employees have contributed to strengthening the security of the passport and our Nation.”
“We appreciate GPO’s continued support of the Department and our efforts to modernize the U.S. passport. Passport issuance, a function of the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, is our most visible domestic public service program, and we look forward to continuing our healthy and collaborative relationship with GPO,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michael D. Kirby.
GPO is the Federal Government’s primary resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government in both digital and tangible formats. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies. In addition to publication sales, GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at no charge through GPO’s Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and through partnerships with approximately 1,220 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more information, please visit www.gpo.gov. Follow GPO on Facebook, Twitter, and on YouTube.
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