I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4981 
To provide for the issuance of a Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 15, 2025 
Mr. GOTTHEIMER (for himself and Mr. BACON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Re-
form, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for the issuance of a Lyme Disease Research 
Semipostal Stamp. 
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 ‘‘Stamp Out Lyme Dis-
ease Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention (CDC) estimate that 476,000 Lyme disease 
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cases are diagnosed and treated in the United States 
annually. 
(2) The CDC reports that Lyme disease is dif-
ficult to diagnose due to its diverse manifestations 
and a lack of reliable testing options. 
(3) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) re-
ports that a significant number of later-stage or 
post-treatment Lyme disease patients are not cured. 
(4) The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group re-
ports that 10 to 20 percent of Lyme disease patients 
will suffer from persistent symptoms which can be 
chronic and disabling. 
(5) According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg 
School of Public Health, Lyme disease costs the 
United 
States 
healthcare 
system 
up 
to 
$1,300,000,000 per year. 
(b) PURPOSE.—To afford a convenient way for mem-
bers of the public to contribute to funding for Lyme dis-
ease and related tick-borne illness research within the Na-
tional Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the 
United States Postal Service shall issue a semipostal 
stamp (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Lyme 
Disease Research Semipostal Stamp’’) in accordance with 
this section. 
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SEC. 3. LYME DISEASE RESEARCH SEMIPOSTAL STAMP. 
(a) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The issuance and sale 
of the Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp shall be 
governed by the provisions of section 416 of title 39, 
United States Code, and regulations issued under such 
section. 
(b) DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—All amounts becoming avail-
able from the sale of the Lyme Disease Research 
Semipostal Stamp (as determined under section 
416(d) of such title 39) shall be transferred to the 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis-
eases, for the purpose described in subsection (a), 
through payments which shall be made at least twice 
a year. 
(2) PROCEEDS NOT TO BE OFFSET.—In accord-
ance with section 416(d)(4) of such title 39, 
amounts becoming available from the sale of the 
Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp (as so de-
termined) shall not be taken into account in any de-
cision relating to the level of appropriations or other 
Federal funding to be furnished in any year to the 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Dis-
eases. 
(c) 
DURATION.—The 
Lyme 
Disease 
Research 
Semipostal Stamp shall be made available to the public 
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