II 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1707

To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide for free mailing privileges 

for personal correspondence and certain parcels sent from within the 

United States to members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty 

abroad who are engaged in military operations involving armed conflict 

against a hostile foreign force, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 2, 2003

Ms. STABENOW introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs 

A BILL

To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide for free 

mailing privileges for personal correspondence and certain parcels sent from within the United States to members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty abroad 

who are engaged in military operations involving armed 

conflict against a hostile foreign force, and for other 

purposes.

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 ‘‘Providing Our Support 

5 to Troops Act of 2003’’. 
2

•S 1707 IS 

1 SEC. 2. FREE MAILING PRIVILEGES. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 34 of title 39, United 

3 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘§ 3407. Free postage for personal correspondence 

6 and certain parcels mailed to members of 

7 Armed Forces of the United States 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The matter described in sub9 section (b) (other than matter described in subsection (c)) 

10 may be mailed free of postage, if—

11 ‘‘(1) such matter is sent from within an area 

12 served by a United States post office; 

13 ‘‘(2) such matter is addressed to an individual 

14 who is a member of the Armed Forces of the United 

15 States on active duty, as defined in section 101 of 

16 title 10, or a civilian, authorized to use postal serv17 ices at Armed Forces installations, who holds a posi18 tion or performs one or more functions in support 

19 of military operations, as designated by the military 

20 theater commander; and 

21 ‘‘(3)(A) such matter is addressed to the indi22 vidual referred to in paragraph (2) at an Armed 

23 Forces post office established in an overseas area 

24 with respect to which a designation under section 

25 3401(a)(1)(A) is in effect; or 
3

•S 1707 IS 

1 ‘‘(B) in the case of an individual who is hos2 pitalized at a facility under the jurisdiction of the 

3 Armed Forces of the United States as a result of a 

4 disease or injury described in section 3401(a)(1)(B), 

5 such matter is addressed to such individual at an 

6 Armed Forces post office determined under sub7 section (f). 

8 ‘‘(b) MAIL MATTER DESCRIBED.—The free mailing 

9 privilege provided by subsection (a) is extended to—

10 ‘‘(1) letter mail or sound- or video-recorded 

11 communications having the character of personal 

12 correspondence; and 

13 ‘‘(2) parcels not exceeding 10 pounds in weight 

14 and 60 inches in length and girth combined. 

15 ‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—The free mailing privilege pro16 vided by subsection (a) does not extend to mail matter 

17 that contains any advertising. 

18 ‘‘(d) RATE OF POSTAGE.—Any matter which is 

19 mailed under this section shall be mailed at the equivalent 

20 rate of postage which assures that the mail will be sent 

21 by the most economical means practicable. 

22 ‘‘(e) MARKING.—All matter mailed under this section 

23 shall bear, in the upper right-hand corner of the address 

24 area, the words ‘Free Matter for Members of the Armed 
4

•S 1707 IS 

1 Forces of the United States’, or words to that effect speci2 fied by the Postal Service. 

3 ‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—This section shall be adminis4 tered under such conditions, and under such regulations, 

5 as the Postal Service and the Secretary of Defense jointly 

6 may prescribe.’’. 

7 (b) FUNDING.—

8 (1) FREE POSTAGE.—Sections 2401(c) and 

9 3627 of title 39, United States Code, are amended 

10 by striking ‘‘3406’’ and inserting ‘‘3407’’. 

11 (2) AIR TRANSPORTATION.—

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—Section 2401 of title 

13 39, United States Code, is amended by redesig14 nating subsections (d) through (g) as sub15 sections (e) through (h), respectively, and by in16 serting after subsection (c) the following: 

17 ‘‘(d) There are authorized to be appropriated to the 

18 Postal Service each year a sum determined by the Postal 

19 Service to be equal to the expenses incurred by the Postal 

20 Service in providing air transportation for mail sent to 

21 members of the Armed Forces of the United States free 

22 of postage under section 3407, not including the expense 

23 of air transportation that is provided by the Postal Service 

24 at the same postage rate or charge for mail which is not 

25 addressed to an Armed Forces post office.’’. 
5

•S 1707 IS 

1 (B) AMENDMENT TO PREVENT DUPLICA2 TIVE FUNDING.—Section 3401(e) of title 39, 

3 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘of4 fice.’’ and inserting ‘‘office or (3) for which 

5 amounts are authorized to be appropriated to 

6 the Postal Service under section 2401(d).’’. 

7 (C) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND8 MENTS.—

9 (i) ANNUAL BUDGET.—Section 2009 

10 of title 39, United States Code, is amended 

11 in the next to last sentence by striking 

12 ‘‘(b) and (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘(b), (c), and 

13 (d)’’. 

14 (ii) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REF15 ERENCES.—Sections 2803(a) and 2804(a) 

16 of such title 39 are amended by striking 

17 ‘‘2401(g)’’ and inserting ‘‘2401(f)’’. 

18 (c) CHAPTER ANALYSIS.—The analysis for chapter 

19 34 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding 

20 at the end the following:

‘‘3407. Free postage for personal correspondence and certain parcels mailed to 

Members of the Armed Forces of the United States.’’.

Æ