II

Calendar No. 201

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 712

[Report No. 106–104]

To amend title 39, United States Code, to allow postal patrons to contribute

to funding for highway-rail grade crossing safety through the voluntary

purchase of certain specially issued United States postage stamps.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 24, 1999

Mr. LOTT (for himself, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. BREAUX, Mr. WYDEN, Mr.

MCCAIN, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. CLELAND, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr.

SESSIONS, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. FITZGERALD, and Mr. WARNER) introduced the following bill; which was read

twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

JULY 8, 1999

Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of June 29, 1999, by

Mr. THOMPSON, without amendment

A BILL

To amend title 39, United States Code, to allow postal patrons to contribute to funding for highway-rail grade

crossing safety through the voluntary purchase of certain

specially issued United States postage stamps.

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

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Look, Listen, and Live

3 Stamp Act’’.

4 SEC. 2. SPECIAL POSTAGE STAMPS TO BENEFIT HIGHWAY5 RAIL GRADE CROSSING SAFETY.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 4 of title 39, United

7 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 414 the

8 following:

9 ‘‘§ 414a. Special postage stamps for highway-rail

10 grade crossing safety

11 ‘‘(a) In order to afford the public a convenient way

12 to contribute to funding for highway-rail grade crossing

13 safety, the Postal Service shall establish a special rate of

14 postage for first-class mail under this section.

15 ‘‘(b) The rate of postage established under this

16 section—

17 ‘‘(1) shall be equal to the regular first-class rate

18 of postage, plus a differential of not to exceed 25

19 percent;

20 ‘‘(2) shall be set by the Governors in accord21 ance with such procedures as the Governors shall by

22 regulation prescribe (in lieu of the procedures under

23 chapter 36); and

24 ‘‘(3) shall be offered as an alternative to the

25 regular first-class rate of postage.
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1 ‘‘(c) The use of the special rate of postage established

2 under this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal

3 patrons.

4 ‘‘(d)(1) Amounts becoming available for highway-rail

5 grade crossing safety under this section shall be paid by

6 the Postal Service to the Department of Transportation

7 for Operation Lifesaver. Payments under this section shall

8 be made under such arrangements as the Postal Service

9 shall by mutual agreement with the Department of Trans10 portation establish in order to carry out the purposes of

11 this section, except that, under those arrangements, pay12 ments to the Department of Transportation shall be made

13 at least twice a year.

14 ‘‘(2) For purposes of this section, the term ‘amounts

15 becoming available for highway-rail grade crossing safety

16 under this section’ means—

17 ‘‘(A) the total amounts received by the Postal

18 Service that the Postal Service would not have re19 ceived but for the enactment of this section, reduced

20 by

21 ‘‘(B) an amount sufficient to cover reasonable

22 costs incurred by the Postal Service in carrying out

23 this section, including those attributable to the

24 printing, sale, and distribution of stamps under this

25 section,
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1 as determined by the Postal Service under regulations that

2 it shall prescribe.

3 ‘‘(e) It is the sense of Congress that nothing in this

4 section should—

5 ‘‘(1) directly or indirectly cause a net decrease

6 in total funds received by the Department of Trans7 portation for Operation Lifesaver below the level

8 that would otherwise have been received but for the

9 enactment of this section; or

10 ‘‘(2) affect regular first-class rates of postage

11 or any other regular rates of postage.

12 ‘‘(f) Special postage stamps under this section shall

13 be made available to the public beginning on such date

14 as the Postal Service shall by regulation prescribe, but in

15 no event later than 12 months after the date of the enact16 ment of this section.

17 ‘‘(g) The Postmaster General shall include in each

18 report rendered under section 2402 with respect to any

19 period during any portion of which this section is in effect

20 information, concerning the operation of this section, ex21 cept that, at a minimum, each report shall include—

22 ‘‘(1) the total amount described in subsection

23 (d)(2)(A) which was received by the Postal Service

24 during the period covered by such report; and
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1 ‘‘(2) of the amount under paragraph (1), how

2 much (in the aggregate and by category) was re3 quired for the purposes described in subsection

4 (d)(2)(B).

5 ‘‘(h) This section shall cease to be effective at the

6 end of the 2-year period beginning on the date on which

7 special postage stamps under this section are first made

8 available to the public.’’.

9 (b) REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF

10 THE UNITED STATES.—Not later than 3 months (but not

11 earlier than 6 months) before the end of the 2-year period

12 referred to in section 414a(h) of title 39, United States

13 Code (as amended by subsection (a)), the Comptroller

14 General of the United States shall submit to Congress a

15 report on the operation of such section. Such report shall

16 include—

17 (1) an evaluation of the effectiveness and the

18 appropriateness of the authority provided by such

19 section as a means of fundraising; and

20 (2) a description of the monetary and other re21 sources required of the Postal Service in carrying

22 out such section.

23 (c) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

24 (1) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections

25 for chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, is
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1 amended by striking the item relating to section 414

2 and inserting the following:

‘‘414. Special postage stamps for breast cancer research.

‘‘414a. Special postage stamps for highway-rail grade crossing safety.’’.

3 (2) SECTION HEADING.—The heading for sec4 tion 414 of title 39, United States Code, is amended

5 to read as follows:

6 ‘‘§ 414. Special postage stamps for breast cancer re7 search’’.

Calendar No. 201

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 712

[Report No. 106–104]

A BILL

To amend title 39, United States Code, to allow

United States postage stamps.untary purchase of certain specially issuedway-rail grade crossing safety through the volpostal patrons to contribute to funding for highJULY 8, 1999

Reported without amendment