Eliminate passport book fees for Purple Heart and Medal of Honor recipients.

James R. Baird · Indiana · Republican

policy impact 0.45 specificity 0.92 extraction confidence 94%

Commitment kind: unknown. Promised action: not established. Promised outcome: not established. Deadline: unknown; not assumed expired.

Occurrences

and eliminate financial burdens for decorated veterans who apply for a passport

Baird said his legislation would eliminate financial burdens for decorated veterans applying for passports, with the release specifying passport book fee elimination for Purple Heart and Medal of Honor recipients.

Congressman Baird Applauds Passage of Four Priority Bills in House Foreign Affairs Committee | U.S. Congressman Jim Baird
primary · press_release · model gpt-5.5

Evidence

unverified · Source version 45191 · locator unknown

Baird said H.R.7398, the Passports for Purple Hearts and Medals of Honor Act, advanced from House Foreign Affairs and would eliminate passport book fees for Purple Heart and Medal of Honor recipients. He also said he hoped it would pass the full House soon.

Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Concrete same-term action: Baird backed legislation matching the promise and announced committee passage in July 2026, but his own statement shows the bill still awaited full House passage.

unresolved same_term A for effort

Congressman Baird Applauds Passage of Four Priority Bills in House Foreign Affairs Committee | U.S. Congressman Jim Baird
primary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 88%

unverified · Source version 45194 · locator unknown

The Office of the Law Revision Counsel version of 22 U.S.C. 214, current through laws in effect on July 30, 2026, lists passport-fee exemptions for federal official travel, American sailors, certain relatives visiting military graves or funerals, humanitarian or law-enforcement returns, and some disaster-relief contractors; it does not include Purple Heart or Medal of Honor recipients.

Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): Current federal law shortly before the August 15, 2026 refresh did not yet contain the promised exemption, so the benefit was not delivered by enactment or codified policy.

unresolved same_term

22 USC 214: Fees for execution and issuance of passports; persons excused from payment
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 93%

unverified · Source version 79428 · locator unknown

Text contains those laws in effect on September 28, 2026 ... (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), no passport fee shall be collected from- (A) an officer or employee of the United States proceeding abroad in the discharge of official duties, or from immediate family of such officer or employee; (B) an American sailor who requires a passport in connection with assigned duties aboard an American flag-vessel; (C) a widow, widower, child, parent, grandparent, brother, or sister of a deceased member of the Armed Forces proceeding abroad to visit the grave of such member or to attend a funeral or memorial service for such member; (D) an individual or individuals abroad, returning to the United States, when the Secretary determines that foregoing the collection of such fee is justified for humanitarian reasons or for law enforcement purposes; (E) at the discretion of the Secretary, an individual who-

Unverified model/legacy excerpt; not proof. AI summary (separate from source): The current official U.S. Code text, effective through September 28, 2026, still lists passport-fee exemptions without adding Purple Heart or Medal of Honor recipients, indicating the promised exemption has not been codified.

unresolved same_term

22 USC 214: Fees for execution and issuance of passports; persons excused from payment
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 94%

verified · Source version 79430 · locator 469

Mr. Levin (for himself, Mr. Baird, Mr. Peters, and Mrs. Radewagen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

Fetched verbatim passage. AI summary (separate from source): Official bill text confirms Baird was an original cosponsor of H.R. 7398, a bill matching the promise, but the quoted status is referral to committee rather than enactment.

unresolved same_term A for effort

H.R. 7398 Introduced in House (IH) - Passports for Purple Hearts and Medals of Honor Act
secondary · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 90%

Assessments

Public state: pending As of 2026-10-04 · verified · . Original AI recommendation (not independently established): unresolved. same_term A for effort

The verified commitment promised eliminating passport-related financial burdens for decorated veterans. Verified evidence shows Baird was listed among members introducing H.R. 7398, which was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, so there is documented same-term effort materially attributable to him. The verified passage does not show enactment or actual elimination of passport book fees, and no deadline has expired as of 2026-10-04; introducing a bill does not fulfill an outcome promise to eliminate fees.

provider codex_cli · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 90%

Public state: unverified As of unknown · legacy_unverified · . Original AI recommendation (not independently established): unresolved. same_term A for effort

Baird materially advanced legislation matching the promise: H.R.7398, the Passports for Purple Hearts and Medals of Honor Act, cleared the House Foreign Affairs Committee in July 2026. However, the promised passport book fee exemption had not been enacted or codified as of the cited July 30, 2026 federal law update, and the bill still awaited full House passage. Because Baird remains in federal office and the effort is pending, the promise is not delivered yet but remains unresolved rather than finally failed.

provider codex_cli · model gpt-5.5 · confidence 91%