I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2705
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 10, 2003
Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Government Reform 
A BILL 
To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide for free 
mailing privileges for personal correspondence and cer-
tain parcels sent from within the United States to mem-
bers 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Our Support 
to Troops Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. FREE MAILING PRIVILEGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 34 of title 39, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 3407. Free postage for personal correspondence 
and certain parcels mailed to members of 
Armed Forces of the United States 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The matter described in sub-
section (b) (other than matter described in subsection (c)) 
may be mailed free of postage, if—
‘‘(1) such matter is sent from within an area 
served by a United States post office; 
‘‘(2) such matter is addressed to an individual 
who is a member of the Armed Forces of the United 
States on active duty, as defined in section 101 of 
title 10, or a civilian, authorized to use postal serv-
ices at Armed Forces installations, who holds a posi-
tion or performs one or more functions in support 
of military operations, as designated by the military 
theater commander; and 
‘‘(3)(A) such matter is addressed to the indi-
vidual referred to in paragraph (2) at an Armed 
Forces post office established in an overseas area 
with respect to which a designation under section 
3401(a)(1)(A) is in effect; or
‘‘(B) in the case of an individual who is hos-
pitalized at a facility under the jurisdiction of the 
Armed Forces of the United States as a result of a 
disease or injury described in section 3401(a)(1)(B), 
such matter is addressed to such individual at an 
Armed Forces post office determined under sub-
section (f). 
‘‘(b) MAIL MATTER DESCRIBED.—The free mailing 
privilege provided by subsection (a) is extended to—
‘‘(1) letter mail or sound- or video-recorded 
communications having the character of personal 
correspondence; and 
‘‘(2) parcels not exceeding 10 pounds in weight 
and 60 inches in length and girth combined. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION.—The free mailing privilege pro-
vided by subsection (a) does not extend to mail matter 
that contains any advertising. 
‘‘(d) RATE
OF POSTAGE.—Any matter which is 
mailed under this section shall be mailed at the equivalent 
rate of postage which assures that the mail will be sent 
by the most economical means practicable. 
‘‘(e) MARKING.—All matter mailed under this section 
shall bear, in the upper right-hand corner of the address 
area, the words ‘Free Matter for Members of the Armed
Forces of the United States’, or words to that effect speci-
fied by the Postal Service. 
‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—This section shall be adminis-
tered under such conditions, and under such regulations, 
as the Postal Service and the Secretary of Defense jointly 
may prescribe.’’. 
(b) FUNDING.—
(1) FREE
POSTAGE.—Sections 2401(c) and 
3627 of title 39, United States Code, are amended 
by striking ‘‘3406’’ and inserting ‘‘3407’’. 
(2) AIR TRANSPORTATION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 2401 of title 
39, United States Code, is amended by redesig-
nating subsections (d) through (g) as sub-
sections (e) through (h), respectively, and by in-
serting after subsection (c) the following: 
‘‘(d) There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Postal Service each year a sum determined by the Postal 
Service to be equal to the expenses incurred by the Postal 
Service in providing air transportation for mail sent to 
members of the Armed Forces of the United States free 
of postage under section 3407, not including the expense 
of air transportation that is provided by the Postal Service 
at the same postage rate or charge for mail which is not 
addressed to an Armed Forces post office.’’.
(B) AMENDMENT TO PREVENT DUPLICA-
TIVE
FUNDING.—Section 3401(e) of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘of-
fice.’’ and inserting ‘‘office or (3) for which 
amounts are authorized to be appropriated to 
the Postal Service under section 2401(d).’’. 
(C) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMEND-
MENTS.—
(i) ANNUAL BUDGET.—Section 2009 
of title 39, United States Code, is amended 
in the next to last sentence by striking 
‘‘(b) and (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘(b), (c), and 
(d)’’. 
(ii) 
COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN
REF-
ERENCES.—Sections 2803(a) and 2804(a) 
of such title 39 are amended by striking 
‘‘2401(g)’’ and inserting ‘‘2401(f)’’. 
(c) CHAPTER ANALYSIS.—The analysis for chapter 
34 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding 
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.’’.
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