I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4526
To provide for the issuance of a semipostal for the American Battle
Monuments Commission.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 23, 2000
Mr. TRAFICANT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Government Reform
A BILL
To provide for the issuance of a semipostal for the American
Battle Monuments Commission.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SEMIPOSTAL FOR AMERICAN BATTLE MONU-
MENTS COMMISSION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 4 of title 39, United
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 414 the
following:
‘‘§ 414a. Special postage stamps for the American Bat-
tle Monuments Commission
‘‘(a) In order to afford the public a convenient way
to contribute to funding for the American Battle Monu-
ments Commission, the Postal Service shall establish a
special rate of postage for first-class mail under this sec-
tion.
‘‘(b) The rate of postage established under this
section—
‘‘(1) shall be equal to the regular first-class rate
of postage, plus a differential of not to exceed 25
percent;
‘‘(2) shall be set by the Governors in accord-
ance with such procedures as the Governors shall by
regulation prescribe (in lieu of the procedures under
chapter 36); and
‘‘(3) shall be offered as an alternative to the
regular first-class rate of postage.
The use of the special rate of postage established under
this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal pa-
trons.
‘‘(c)(1) Amounts becoming available for the American
Battle Monuments Commission pursuant to this section
shall be paid to the Commission in accordance with such
arrangements as the Postal Service shall by mutual agree-
ment with the Commission establish, except that, under
those arrangements, payments shall be made at least twice
a year.
‘‘(2) For purposes of this section, the term ‘amounts
becoming available for the American Battle Monuments
Commission pursuant to this section’ means—
‘‘(A) the total amounts received by the Postal
Service that it would not have received but for the
enactment of this section, reduced by
‘‘(B) an amount sufficient to cover reasonable
costs incurred by the Postal Service in carrying out
this section, including those attributable to the
printing, sale, and distribution of stamps under this
section,
as determined by the Postal Service under regulations that
it shall prescribe.
‘‘(d) It is the sense of the Congress that nothing in
this section should—
‘‘(1) directly or indirectly cause a net decrease
in any Federal funding for the American Battle
Monuments Commission; or
‘‘(2) affect regular first-class rates of postage
or any other regular rates of postage.
‘‘(e) Special postage stamps under this section shall
be made available to the public beginning on such date
as the Postal Service shall by regulation prescribe, but in
no event later than 12 months after the date of the enact-
ment of this section.
‘‘(f) The Postmaster General shall include in each re-
port rendered under section 2402 with respect to any pe-
riod during any portion of which this section is in effect
information concerning the operation of this section, ex-
cept that, at a minimum, each shall include—
‘‘(1) the total amount described in subsection
(c)(2)(A) which was received by the Postal Service
during the period covered by such report; and
‘‘(2) of the amount under paragraph (1), how
much (in the aggregate and by category) was re-
quired for the purposes described in subsection
(c)(2)(B).
‘‘(g) This section shall cease to be effective at the
end of the 2-year period beginning on the date on which
special postage stamps under this section are first made
available to the public.’’.
(b) REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF
THE UNITED STATES.—No later than 3 months (but no
earlier than 6 months) before the end of the 2-year period
referred to in section 414a(g) of title 39, United States
Code (as amended by subsection (a)), the Comptroller
General of the United States shall submit to the Congress
a report on the operation of such section. Such report shall
include—
(1) an evaluation of the effectiveness and the
appropriateness of the authority provided by such
section as a means of fund-raising; and
(2) a description of the monetary and other re-
sources required of the Postal Service in carrying
out such section.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(1) The analysis
for chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, is amended
by striking the item relating to section 414 and inserting
the following:
‘‘414. Special postage stamps to benefit breast cancer research.
‘‘414a. Special postage stamps for the American Battle Monuments Commis-
sion.’’.
(2) The heading for section 414 of title 39, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘§ 414. Special postage stamps to benefit breast can-
cer research’’.
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