Hatch Act Advisory Legal Opinion: The United States Office of Special Counsel (OSC) issued an advisory legal opinion regarding whether employees of Passport Services are allowed under the Hatch Act to write letters to Congress expressing concerns about the integrity of the passport issuance process. The advisory opinion was requested by NFFE Local 1998. The OSC summed up the request as follows: “Department of State employees would like to consider writing letters or personally visiting members of Congress to express your concerns about the passport issuance process”. In the opinion, the OSC stated that the “Hatch Act does not prohibit you or other Department of State employees from contacting members of Congress”. The OSC also noted that “the Hatch Act does not prohibit you from using official time to contact members of Congress about your concerns with the passport issuance process”. Click here for the OSC’s letter posted on the official OSC website (with the word “passport” and all names redacted): advisory legal opinion. Click here for the OSC’s letter posted on the NFFE Local 1998 website (this is the complete letter, nothing is redacted): complete advisory legal opinion. (January 24, 2007)