II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2062

To amend chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, to allow postal patrons

to contribute to funding for organ and tissue donation awareness through

the voluntary purchase of certain specially issued United States postage

stamps.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 10, 2000

Mr. DEWINE (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr.

CLELAND, Mr. DODD, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. SESSIONS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To amend chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, to

allow postal patrons to contribute to funding for organ

and tissue donation awareness 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

2 ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION AWARENESS.

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

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

5 following:

6 ‘‘§ 414a. Special postage stamps for organ and tissue

7 donation awareness

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

9 to contribute to funding for organ and tissue donation

10 awareness, the Postal Service shall establish a special rate

11 of postage 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 ‘‘(c) The use of the special rate of postage established

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

25 patrons.
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1 ‘‘(d)(1) The Postal Service shall pay the amounts be2 coming available for organ and tissue donation awareness

3 under this section to the Department of Health and

4 Human Services for organ and tissue donation awareness

5 programs. Payments under this paragraph to the Depart6 ment of Health and Human Services shall be made under

7 such arrangements as the Postal Service shall by mutual

8 agreement with the Department establish in order to carry

9 out the purposes of this section, except that, under those

10 arrangements, payments to the Department shall be made

11 at least twice a year. In consultation with donor organiza12 tions and other members of the transplant community, the

13 Department of Health and Human Services may make any

14 funds paid to the Department under this section available

15 to donor organizations and other members of the trans16 plant community for donor awareness programs.

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

18 becoming available for organ and tissue donation aware19 ness under this section’ means—

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

21 Service that it would not have received but for the

22 enactment of this section, reduced by

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

24 costs incurred by the Postal Service in carrying out

25 this section, including those attributable to the
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1 printing, sale, and distribution of stamps under this

2 section,

3 as determined by the Postal Service under regulations that

4 the Postal Service shall prescribe.

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

6 section should—

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

8 in total funds received by the Department of Health

9 and Human Services or any other agency of the

10 Government (or any component or program thereof)

11 below the level that would otherwise have been re12 ceived but for the enactment of this section; or

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

14 or any other regular rates of postage.

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

16 be made available to the public beginning on such date

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

18 no event later than 12 months after the date of the enact19 ment of this section.

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

21 report rendered under section 2402 with respect to any

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

23 information concerning the operation of this section, ex24 cept that, at a minimum, each shall include—
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1 ‘‘(1) the total amount described in subsection

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

3 during the period covered by such report; and

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

5 much (in the aggregate and by category) was re6 quired for the purposes described in subsection

7 (d)(2)(B).

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

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

10 special postage stamps under this section are first made

11 available to the public.’’.

12 (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

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

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

15 amended by striking the item relating to section 414

16 and inserting the following:

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

‘‘414a. Special postage stamps to benefit organ and tissue donation awareness.’’.

17 (2) SECTION HEADING.—The heading for sec18 tion 414 of title 39, United States Code, is amended

19 to read as follows:

20 ‘‘§ 414. Special postage stamps to benefit breast can21 cer research’’.

Æ