I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5261 
To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide for free mailing privileges 
for personal correspondence and parcels sent by family members from 
within the United States to members of the Armed Forces serving 
on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 7, 2004 
Mr. FOSSELLA 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 par-
cels sent by family members from within the United 
States to members of the Armed Forces serving on active 
duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. 
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 ‘‘Mailing Support to 
Troops Act of 2004’’.
SEC. 2. FREE MAILING PRIVILEGES. 
Chapter 34 of title 39, United States Code, is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 3407. Free postage for personal correspondence 
and parcels sent by family members to 
members of the Armed Forces of the 
United States serving in Iraq or Afghani-
stan 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Any mail matter to which this 
section applies may be mailed free of postage if such mail 
matter— 
‘‘(1) is addressed to an individual who— 
‘‘(A) is a member of the Armed Forces of 
the United States on active duty (as defined in 
section 101 of title 10); and 
‘‘(B)(i) is serving in Iraq or Afghanistan; 
or 
‘‘(ii) is hospitalized at a facility under the 
jurisdiction of the Armed Forces of the United 
States as a result of a disease or injury in-
curred as a result of service in Iraq or Afghani-
stan; and 
‘‘(2) is sent— 
‘‘(A) by a family member (as defined in 
section 411h of title 37) of the individual re-
ferred to in paragraph (1); and
‘‘(B) from within an area served by a 
United States post office. 
‘‘(b) APPLICABILITY.—The free mailing privilege 
made available by this section— 
‘‘(1) shall apply with respect to— 
‘‘(A) letter mail or sound- or video-re-
corded communications having the character of 
personal correspondence; and 
‘‘(B) parcels not exceeding the maximum 
size allowed by the Postal Service and the De-
partment of Defense for parcels sent to mem-
bers of the Armed Forces serving in Iraq or Af-
ghanistan; and 
‘‘(2) shall not apply with respect to mail matter 
that contains any advertising. 
‘‘(c) RATE OF POSTAGE.—Any mail matter mailed 
under this section shall be mailed at the equivalent rate 
of postage which assures that such mail matter will be 
sent by the most economical means practicable. 
‘‘(d) MARKING.—All mail matter mailed under this 
section shall bear, in the upper right-hand corner of the 
address area, the words ‘Free Matter for Member of the 
Armed Forces of the United States’ or words to that effect 
specified by the Postal Service.
‘‘(e) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Postal Serv-
ice shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, 
prescribe any regulations necessary to carry out this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(f) DURATION.—The free mailing privilege made 
available by this section shall apply with respect to mail 
matter sent during the 1-year period beginning on the 
date on which the regulations under subsection (e) take 
effect.’’. 
SEC. 3. FUNDING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Sections 2401(c) and 3627 of title 
39, United States Code, are amended by striking ‘‘3406’’ 
and inserting ‘‘3407’’. 
(b) AIR TRANSPORTATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 2401 of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended by redesignating 
subsections (d) through (g) as subsections (e) 
through (h), respectively, and by inserting after sub-
section (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.’’. 
(2) AMENDMENT
TO
PREVENT
DUPLICATIVE 
FUNDING.—Section 3401(e) of title 39, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘transportation or (2)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘transportation, (2)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘office.’’ and inserting ‘‘of-
fice, or (3) for which amounts are authorized to 
be appropriated to the Postal Service under sec-
tion 2401(d).’’. 
SEC. 4. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) ANNUAL BUDGET.—Section 2009 of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended in the next to last sen-
tence by striking ‘‘(b) and (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘(b), (c), 
and (d)’’. 
(b) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REFERENCES.—Sections 
2803(a) and 2804(a) of title 39, United States Code, 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 parcels sent by family 
members to members of the Armed Forces of the United 
States serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.’’. 
Æ