I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5299 

To provide for the issuance of a Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 4, 2019 

Mr. DELGADO (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. PETERSON, and 

Mr. ZELDIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide for the issuance of a Lyme Disease Research 

Semipostal Stamp. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stamp Out Lyme Dis5 ease Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) According to the Tick-Borne Disease Work9 ing Group, an estimated 291,430 to 437,150 new 


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1 cases of Lyme disease were reported in the United 

2 States in 2016. 

3 (2) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre4 vention (CDC) reports that Lyme disease is difficult 

5 to diagnose due to its diverse manifestations and a 

6 lack of reliable testing options. 

7 (3) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

8 discovered that while Lyme disease symptoms can be 

9 managed with proper care, the disease currently has 

10 no cure. 

11 (4) The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group re12 ports that 10 to 20 percent of Lyme disease patients 

13 will suffer from persistent symptoms which can be 

14 chronic and disabling. 

15 (5) According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg 

16 School of Public Health, Lyme disease costs the 

17 United States healthcare system up to 

18 $1,300,000,000 dollars per year. 

19 (b) PURPOSE.—To afford a convenient way for mem20 bers of the public to contribute to funding for Lyme dis21 ease and related tick-borne illness research within the Na22 tional Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the 

23 United States Postal Service shall issue a semipostal 

24 stamp (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Lyme 


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1 Disease Research Semipostal Stamp’’) in accordance with 

2 this section. 

3 SEC. 3. LYME DISEASE RESEARCH SEMIPOSTAL STAMP. 

4 (a) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The issuance and sale 

5 of the Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp shall be 

6 governed by the provisions of section 416 of title 39, 

7 United States Code, and regulations issued under such 

8 section. 

9 (b) DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—All amounts becoming avail11 able from the sale of the Lyme Disease Research 

12 Semipostal Stamp (as determined under section 

13 416(d) of such title 39) shall be transferred to the 

14 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis15 eases, for the purpose described in subsection (a), 

16 through payments which shall be made at least twice 

17 a year. 

18 (2) PROCEEDS NOT TO BE OFFSET.—In accord19 ance with section 416(d)(4) of such title 39, 

20 amounts becoming available from the sale of the 

21 Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp (as so de22 termined) shall not be taken into account in any de23 cision relating to the level of appropriations or other 

24 Federal funding to be furnished in any year to the 


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1 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis2 eases. 

3 (c) DURATION.—The Lyme Disease Research 

4 Semipostal Stamp shall be made available to the public 

5 for a period of at least 6 years, beginning no later than 

6 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

7 (d) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, the term 

8 ‘‘semipostal stamp’’ refers to a stamp described in section 

9 416(a)(1) of title 39, United States Code. 

Æ 


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