I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1939

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

to funding for Alzheimer’s disease research through the voluntary purchase of certain specially issued United States postage stamps.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 25, 1999

Mr. WEYGAND (for himself, Mr. STARK, Ms. NORTON, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr.

FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. FROST, Mr. WEINER, Mr.

RAMSTAD, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. SHOWS, Mr.

FOLEY, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. WOLF, Mr. HILLIARD, Mrs. KELLY, Ms.

KILPATRICK, Mr. PHELPS, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. ROEMER, Mr. SNYDER,

Mr. GOODE, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. WATT of North Carolina, Mr. SISISKY,

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. JENKINS, Mr. BERMAN, Mr.

MOLLOHAN, Mr. SANDLIN, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Ms. DANNER, Mr. HOLDEN, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr.

KUYKENDALL, Mr. MARKEY, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) introduced

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government

Reform

A BILL

To amend title 39, United States Code, to allow postal patrons to contribute to funding for Alzheimer’s disease

research 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. SPECIAL POSTAGE STAMPS TO BENEFIT ALZ2 HEIMER’S DISEASE RESEARCH.

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

4 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing:

6 ‘‘§ 414a. Special postage stamps for Alzheimer’s dis7 ease research

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

9 to contribute to funding for Alzheimer’s disease research,

10 the Postal Service shall establish a special rate of postage

11 for first-class mail under this section.

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

13 section—

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

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

16 percent;

17 ‘‘(2) shall be set by the Governors in accord18 ance with such procedures as the Governors shall by

19 regulation prescribe (in lieu of the procedures under

20 chapter 36); and

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

22 regular first-class rate of postage.

23 The use of the special rate of postage established under

24 this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal pa25 trons.
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1 ‘‘(c)(1) Amounts becoming available for Alzheimer’s

2 disease research pursuant to this section shall be paid to

3 the National Institutes of Health. Payments under this

4 paragraph shall be made under such arrangements as the

5 Postal Service shall by mutual agreement with that agency

6 establish in order to carry out the purposes of this section,

7 except that, under those arrangements, payments to such

8 agency shall be made at least twice a year.

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

10 becoming available for Alzheimer’s disease research pursu11 ant to this section’ means—

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

13 Service that it would not have received but for the

14 enactment of this section, reduced by

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

16 costs incurred by the Postal Service in carrying out

17 this section, including those attributable to the

18 printing, sale, and distribution of stamps under this

19 section,

20 as determined by the Postal Service under regulations that

21 it shall prescribe.

22 ‘‘(d) It is the sense of the Congress that nothing in

23 this section should—

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

25 in total funds received by the National Institutes of
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1 Health (or any component or program thereof)

2 below the level that would otherwise have been re3 ceived but for the enactment of this section; or

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

5 or any other regular rates of postage.

6 ‘‘(e) Special postage stamps under this section shall

7 be made available to the public beginning on such date

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

9 no event later than 12 months after the date of the enact10 ment of this section.

11 ‘‘(f) The Postmaster General shall include in each re12 port rendered under section 2402 with respect to any pe13 riod during any portion of which this section is in effect

14 information concerning the operation of this section, ex15 cept that, at a minimum, each shall include—

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

17 (c)(2)(A) which was received by the Postal Service

18 during the period covered by such report; and

19 ‘‘(2) of the amount under paragraph (1), how

20 much (in the aggregate and by category) was re21 quired for the purposes described in subsection

22 (c)(2)(B).

23 ‘‘(g) This section shall cease to be effective at the

24 end of the 2-year period beginning on the date on which
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1 special postage stamps under this section are first made

2 available to the public.’’.

3 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) The analysis

4 for chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, is amended

5 by striking the item relating to section 414 and inserting

6 the following:

‘‘414. Special postage stamps to benefit breast cancer research.

‘‘414a. Special postage stamps to benefit Alzheimer’s disease research.’’.

7 (2) The heading for section 414 of title 39, United

8 States Code, is amended to read as follows:

9 ‘‘§ 414. Special postage stamps to benefit breast can10 cer research.’’.

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