Family Dec Communication Plan

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Communication Plan

Members of a Family for the Purpose of Filing a CBP Family Declaration (CBP FORM 6059-B)

BACKGROUND:

On [DATE], CBP published a final rule that allows people “who are related by blood, marriage, domestic relationship or adoption” traveling as a family to the U.S. to file a single customs declaration, CBP Form 6059-B, for articles acquired abroad.

The rule expands the regulatory definition of “members of a family residing in one household” for incoming travelers to include people who “are related by blood, marriage, domestic relationship, or adoption.” This rule change adds “domestic relationships.”

The rule provides that by “domestic relationship,” CBP means foster children, stepchildren, half-siblings, legal wards, other dependents, and individuals with an in loco parentis or guardianship relationship, and also includes two adults who are in a committed relationship including, but not limited to, long-time companions and couples in civil unions or domestic partnerships, wherein the partners are financially interdependent and are not married to, or a partner of, anyone else.

A “domestic relationship” does not extend to roommates or other cohabitants not otherwise meeting the above definition.

This rulemaking does not alter the residency requirements for returning U.S. residents. To group their exemptions from customs duty and internal revenue tax, members of a family residing in one household must have lived together in one household at their last permanent residence and intend to live together in one household after their arrival into the U.S.

Unless an oral declaration is accepted, CBP requires a written declaration on a CBP Form 6059b for people arriving in the U.S. The form must be presented to the CBP officer who will inspect the passenger’s baggage. Arriving air and sea travelers generally must fill out the customs declaration, and most land border travelers may provide an oral declaration unless instructed otherwise by the CBP officer.

COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES:

• To support CBP in its efforts to increase efficiency by reducing the paperwork burden for travelers, carriers and CBP and streamlining traveler flows.

• To show the value to the audiences of the form changes.

AUDIENCES:

• Traveling public

• Carriers (air and cruise lines)

• Travel organizations/stakeholders

• News media (travel/tourism and general)

• CBP personnel

KEY MESSAGES:

• By expanding the definition of a family, CBP will reduce paperwork for travelers, carrier personnel, and CBP officers, thereby streamlining CBP inspection and facilitating passenger processing while protecting our borders.

• CBP expects this streamlining of passenger processing to save up to $2.8 million annually in personnel time.

• CBP understands the importance of processing arriving travelers as quickly as possible while maintaining the highest standards of security.

TALKING POINTS:

• CBP anticipates that by expanding the definition of “members of a family residing in one household,” CBP will reduce the number of declarations (CBP Form 6059-Bs), which will streamline CBP passenger processing and improve efficiency.

• This rule change adds to the definition of “members of a family residing in one household” to include “domestic relationship.”

• “Domestic relationship” includes foster children, stepchildren, half-siblings, legal wards, other dependents, and individuals with an in loco parentis or guardianship relationship. The definition also includes two adults in a committed relationship wherein the partners share financial assets and obligations, and are not married to, or a partner of, anyone else, including, but not limited to, long-time companions, and couples in civil unions or domestic partnerships.

• “Domestic relationship” does not extend to roommates or other cohabitants not otherwise meeting the above definition.

• For travelers who are returning U.S. residents to be considered members of a family for purposes of grouping their exemption from customs duty and internal revenue tax, individuals must have lived together in one household at their last permanent residence and intend to live together in one household in the U.S.

• This change will save up to $2.8 million in time annually. Time equals money. CBP officers will use less time reviewing one declaration versus several per household.

• Travelers will save time completing multiple forms per household.

• Carrier personnel will save time by stocking and distributing fewer paper forms.

• As with any joint declaration, verbal or written, the person making and/or signing the declaration will be held accountable for its validity.

• If family members are U.S. residents, regulations allow them a personal duty exemption of up to $800 per individual and up to $1,600 per family.

• If family members are visitors to the U.S., regulations allow them certain exemptions (gifts, tobacco, personal effects, etc,), and they will be able to file a single family declaration, but they do not have the same personal duty exemption of $800 (individual) and $1,600 (members of a family) that the regulations give to returning U.S. residents.

• Definitions:

• “Members of a family residing in one household” includes all persons who:

  • Are related by blood, marriage, domestic relationship, or adoption;

  • Lived together in one household at their last permanent residence, and

  • Intend to live in one household after their arrival into the United States.

CBP/DHS PLATFORMS:

Communications Channels
X	News Release		Fact Sheet		Leadership Guidance
X	Travel Update		Alert	X	Leadership Messages
	Media Advisory	X	Q&As (in PAG)		Internal Publications
X	Public Affairs Guidance (PAG)	X	Web site Content		Connect Content
X	Talking Points		Homepage Banner		Town Hall Meeting
	Statement		Videos		Stakeholder Meetings/Calls
	Press Conference		Blog		Stakeholder Message
	Media Exclusive/Advance	X	Tweets		Congressional Meeting
	Speaking Engagement		Tweets (Spanish)	X	Congressional Calls

External Stakeholders

• Emails and/or phone calls from CBP OPA with travel/tourism stakeholder groups, including air and cruise lines, on the day of the CBP news release or as soon as possible thereafter.

  • CBP will supply carriers with new customs declaration language for their passenger materials.

• Congressional Affairs staff will call or meet with members of Congress prior to the CBP news release.

• CBP OPA Customer Info Center will update online Q&As on customs declarations to reflect change, prior to the news release.

• CBP.gov will post a notice on the home page linking to the news release, on the day of the news release or as soon as possible thereafter.

  • CBP OPA will update customs declaration information online in “Know Before You Go” and other web content as notified by the OFO program office.

• CBP Media Division will distribute the news release nationally and tweet a link to the CBP news release, on the day of the news release or as soon as possible thereafter.

Internal Stakeholders

• CBP will announce the change at Office of Field Operations musters

  • CBP OPA and OFO will create muster talking points to distribute to field supervisors/leaders.

• CBP OPA will post a notice on CBPnet.

• CBP Visual Communications will post a notice on the headquarters and Office of Field Operations Information Display Systems.

• DHS will post a notice on DHS Connect that links to the CBP news release.

PERFORMANCE TARGETS AND MEASURES:

Output	Outcome
Web stories published News releases/Readouts published Media interviews Social media Stakeholder Outreach conducted	Web hits News stories broadcast or printed Accuracy of the story Participants Attendance and feedback

OVERSIGHT:

CBP headquarters public affairs staff.

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

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