I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1305 

To provide for the issuance of a forever stamp to honor the sacrifices of 

the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who have been awarded 

the Purple Heart. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 4, 2009 

Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. 

BISHOP of New York, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BRADY of 

Pennsylvania, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Mr. BROWN

of South Carolina, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. BURTON

of Indiana, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. CHILDERS, Mr. COBLE, Mr. FILNER, Mr. 

FORTENBERRY, Ms. FOXX, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. GARRETT of New 

Jersey, Mr. GORDON of Tennessee, Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. HALL of Texas, 

Mr. HELLER, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. HOLT, 

Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. JONES, Mr. KAGEN, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Ms. KOSMAS, Mr. 

LATHAM, Mr. LEE of New York, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. 

DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. MASSA, Mr. 

MCCOTTER, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mrs. MILLER of 

Michigan, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. POE of Texas, 

Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. 

SESSIONS, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. 

STEARNS, Mr. TERRY, Mr. WALZ, Mr. WOLF, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. 

POSEY, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, and Mr. BACA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To provide for the issuance of a forever stamp to honor 

the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the Armed 

Forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart. 


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•HR 1305 IH

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 ‘‘Perpetual Purple 

5 Heart Stamp Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds that— 

8 (1) the Purple Heart is the oldest military deco9 ration in the world still in use; 

10 (2) the Purple Heart was first established by 

11 General George Washington on August 7, 1782, as 

12 the Honorary Badge of Distinction, otherwise known 

13 as the Badge of Military Merit or Decoration of the 

14 Purple Heart; 

15 (3) the Purple Heart is awarded in the name of 

16 the President of the United States and may, among 

17 others, be awarded— 

18 (A) to any member of the Armed Forces 

19 who is wounded in an action against or who is 

20 held prisoner of war by an enemy of the United 

21 States; or 

22 (B) posthumously to the next of kin of any 

23 person who is a member of the Armed Forces 

24 at the time the person is killed or wounded 


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•HR 1305 IH

1 under circumstances otherwise qualifying that 

2 person for award of the Purple Heart; 

3 (4) more than 1,700,000 Americans have been 

4 awarded the Purple Heart; and 

5 (5) the Purple Heart postage stamp, first 

6 issued by the United States Postal Service on May 

7 30, 2003, honors the sacrifices of the brave men and 

8 women of the Armed Forces who have been awarded 

9 the Purple Heart. 

10 SEC. 3. PERPETUAL PURPLE HEART STAMP. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—In order to continue to honor the 

12 sacrifices of the brave men and women of the Armed 

13 Forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart, the 

14 Postmaster General shall provide for the issuance of a for15 ever stamp suitable for that purpose. 

16 (b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, the term 

17 ‘‘forever stamp’’ means a definitive stamp which meets the 

18 postage required for first-class mail up to one ounce in 

19 weight, and which retains full validity for that purpose 

20 even if the rate of that postage is later increased. 

21 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The stamp described in sub22 section (a) shall be issued beginning as soon as practicable 

23 after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall not 

24 thereafter be discontinued. 

Æ 


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