I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3491 

To provide for the issuance of a Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2021 

Mr. DELGADO (for himself, Mr. ZELDIN, and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide for the issuance of a Lyme Disease Research 

Semipostal Stamp. 

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 ‘‘Stamp Out Lyme Dis5 ease Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre9 vention (CDC) estimate that 476,000 Lyme disease 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3491 IH

1 cases are diagnosed and treated in the United States 

2 annually. 

3 (2) The CDC reports that Lyme disease is dif4 ficult to diagnose due to its diverse manifestations 

5 and a lack of reliable testing options. 

6 (3) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) re7 ports that a significant number of later-stage or 

8 post-treatment Lyme disease patients are not cured. 

9 (4) The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group re10 ports that 10 to 20 percent of Lyme disease patients 

11 will suffer from persistent symptoms which can be 

12 chronic and disabling. 

13 (5) According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg 

14 School of Public Health, Lyme disease costs the 

15 United States healthcare system up to 

16 $1,300,000,000 per year. 

17 (b) PURPOSE.—To afford a convenient way for mem18 bers of the public to contribute to funding for Lyme dis19 ease and related tick-borne illness research within the Na20 tional Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the 

21 United States Postal Service shall issue a semipostal 

22 stamp (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Lyme 

23 Disease Research Semipostal Stamp’’) in accordance with 

24 this section. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3491 IH

1 SEC. 3. LYME DISEASE RESEARCH SEMIPOSTAL STAMP. 

2 (a) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The issuance and sale 

3 of the Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp shall be 

4 governed by the provisions of section 416 of title 39, 

5 United States Code, and regulations issued under such 

6 section. 

7 (b) DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—All amounts becoming avail9 able from the sale of the Lyme Disease Research 

10 Semipostal Stamp (as determined under section 

11 416(d) of such title 39) shall be transferred to the 

12 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis13 eases, for the purpose described in subsection (a), 

14 through payments which shall be made at least twice 

15 a year. 

16 (2) PROCEEDS NOT TO BE OFFSET.—In accord17 ance with section 416(d)(4) of such title 39, 

18 amounts becoming available from the sale of the 

19 Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp (as so de20 termined) shall not be taken into account in any de21 cision relating to the level of appropriations or other 

22 Federal funding to be furnished in any year to the 

23 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis24 eases. 

25 (c) DURATION.—The Lyme Disease Research 

26 Semipostal Stamp shall be made available to the public 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3491 IH

1 for a period of at least 6 years, beginning no later than 

2 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

3 (d) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, the term 

4 ‘‘semipostal stamp’’ refers to a stamp described in section 

5 416(a)(1) of title 39, United States Code. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS