I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 887
To provide for a program under which postal benefits shall be made available 
for purposes of certain personal correspondence and other mail matter 
sent from within the United States to members of the Armed Forces 
serving on active duty abroad who are engaged in military operations, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 17, 2005
Mr. FORD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for a program under which postal benefits shall 
be made available for purposes of certain personal cor-
respondence and other mail matter sent from within 
the United States to members of the Armed Forces 
serving on active duty abroad who are engaged in mili-
tary operations, 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 ‘‘Supply Our Soldiers 
Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. POSTAL BENEFITS PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The United States Postal Service 
and the Secretary of Defense shall provide for a program 
under which postal benefits shall be made available to the 
designated representative of each qualified individual in 
accordance with succeeding provisions of this Act. 
(b) QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—For pur-
poses of this Act, the term ‘‘qualified individual’’ means 
an individual who is—
(1)(A) a member of the Armed Forces of the 
United States on active duty (as defined in section 
101 of title 10, United States Code) or a civilian 
who is authorized to use postal services at Armed 
Forces installations and holds a position or performs 
one or more functions in support of military oper-
ations, as designated by the military theater com-
mander; and 
(B) serving in an overseas area, as designated 
by the President, where the Armed Forces of the 
United States are engaged in action against an 
enemy of the United States, engaged in military op-
erations involving armed conflict with a hostile for-
eign force, engaged in temporary military operations
under arduous circumstances, serving with a friendly 
foreign force in an armed conflict in which the 
United States is not a belligerent, or temporarily de-
ployed overseas for an operational contingency in ar-
duous circumstances, as determined by the Secretary 
of Defense; or 
(2) hospitalized in a facility of the Armed 
Forces of the United States as a result of disease or 
injury incurred as a result of service in an overseas 
area designated by the President under paragraph 
(1)(B). 
(c) POSTAL BENEFITS DESCRIBED.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The postal benefits made 
available to a designated representative pursuant to 
this Act shall consist of postage stamps (of such de-
nomination or denominations as the Postal Service 
may determine) equivalent to $150 in value per cal-
endar quarter, subject to subsection (d)(2)(B). 
(2) CONDITIONS
RELATING
TO
MAILINGS.—
Postal benefits under this Act may not be used for 
the mailing of any mail matter other than mail mat-
ter which—
(A) is described in paragraph (3); 
(B) is sent—
(i) from within an area served by a 
United States post office; and 
(ii) by an individual or a charitable 
organization; and 
(C) is addressed to a qualified individual. 
(3) MAIL MATTER DESCRIBED.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The mail matter de-
scribed in this paragraph is—
(i) any letter mail or sound- or video-
recorded communications having the char-
acter of personal correspondence; and 
(ii) any parcel not exceeding—
(I) 10 pounds in weight and 60 
inches in length and girth combined, 
if sent by an individual; or 
(II) 70 pounds in weight and 180 
inches in length and girth combined, 
if sent by a charitable organization. 
(B) RESTRICTION.—Postal benefits under 
this Act may not be used for mail matter that 
contains any advertising. 
(4) DESIGN
AND
LIMITATIONS
ON
USE
OF 
STAMPS.—Stamps made available pursuant to this 
Act—
(A) shall bear a design or other markings 
to identify the military operation to which they 
relate; and 
(B) may not be used—
(i) after the date (following the con-
clusion of such military operation) des-
ignated by the Secretary of Defense; or 
(ii) with respect to any other military 
operation. 
(5) 
COORDINATION
RULE.—Postal 
benefits 
under this Act shall be in addition to, and not in lieu 
of, any reduced rates of postage or other similar 
benefits which might otherwise be available by or 
under law, including any rates of postage resulting 
from the application of section 3401(b) of title 39, 
United States Code. 
(d) REGULATIONS.—The Postal Service and the Sec-
retary of Defense shall jointly prescribe any regulations 
necessary to carry out this Act, including regulations to 
provide for the following: 
(1) IDENTIFICATION
OF
DESIGNATED
REP-
RESENTATIVES.—The identification of designated 
representatives shall be made using procedures 
under which—
(A) determinations shall be made based on 
the most current next-of-kin data available to 
or obtainable by the Secretary of Defense; and 
(B) a qualified individual may supersede a 
determination under subparagraph (A), to the 
extent procedures to carry out this subpara-
graph are practicable. 
(2) NOTICE
TO
AND
ELECTIONS
BY
DES-
IGNATED REPRESENTATIVES.—
(A) NOTICE.—Notice shall be provided to 
all designated representatives informing them of 
their eligibility for postal benefits under this 
Act and the procedures (including any dead-
lines) for making an initial and any subsequent 
election of benefits. 
(B) ELECTIONS.—A designated represent-
ative shall not receive any postal benefits under 
this Act for any calendar quarter except upon 
the filing of an appropriate written election. A 
separate election under this subparagraph shall 
be required for each calendar quarter, and each 
such election shall require the individual to in-
dicate whether full, partial (in the increments 
allowed), or no benefits are requested for the 
quarter. Failure to make an effective election
shall be treated as a declination of benefits for 
the calendar quarter involved. 
(C) NO
CARRYOVER.—Any benefits de-
clined with respect to a calendar quarter shall 
not be available for purposes of any subsequent 
calendar quarter. 
(e) DIRECT BENEFITS FOR CHARITABLE ORGANIZA-
TIONS.—In addition to the benefits under subsections (a) 
through (d), the Postal Service and the Secretary of De-
fense shall by regulation allow any charitable organization 
to apply for direct postal benefits. Applications for benefits 
under this subsection shall be considered on a case-by-case 
basis in accordance with such criteria as shall apply under 
the regulations. Any benefits approved under this sub-
section shall be governed by subsection (c), subject to any 
modifications or special rules established by the regula-
tions which may be necessary to carry out the purposes 
of this subsection (including an alternative to the limita-
tion set forth in subsection (c)(1)). 
(f) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this Act, the term 
‘‘charitable organization’’ means an organization that is 
described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) 
of such Code.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act shall take effect on the first day of the first 
fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
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