I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3809
To amend chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, to allow postal patrons
to contribute to funding for organ and tissue donation awareness through
the voluntary purchase of certain specially issued United States postage
stamps.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 1, 2000
Mrs. MORELLA (for herself, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. MOAKLEY, and Mr. FRANKS
of New Jersey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Government Reform
A BILL
To amend chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, to
allow postal patrons to contribute to funding for organ
and tissue donation awareness through the voluntary
purchase of certain specially issued United States post-
age stamps.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SPECIAL POSTAGE STAMPS TO BENEFIT
ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION AWARENESS.
(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 organ and tissue
donation awareness
‘‘(a) In order to afford the public a convenient way
to contribute to funding for organ and tissue donation
awareness, the Postal Service shall establish a special rate
of postage for first-class mail under this section.
‘‘(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.
‘‘(c) The use of the special rate of postage established
under this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal
patrons.
‘‘(d)(1) The Postal Service shall pay the amounts be-
coming available for organ and tissue donation awareness
under this section to the Department of Health and
Human Services for organ and tissue donation awareness
programs. Payments under this paragraph to the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services shall be made under
such arrangements as the Postal Service shall by mutual
agreement with the Department establish in order to carry
out the purposes of this section, except that, under those
arrangements, payments to the Department shall be made
at least twice a year. In consultation with donor organiza-
tions and other members of the transplant community, the
Department of Health and Human Services may make any
funds paid to the Department under this section available
to donor organizations and other members of the trans-
plant community for donor awareness programs.
‘‘(2) For purposes of this section, the term ‘amounts
becoming available for organ and tissue donation aware-
ness under 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
the Postal Service shall prescribe.
‘‘(e) It is the sense of Congress that nothing in this
section should—
‘‘(1) directly or indirectly cause a net decrease
in total funds received by the Department of Health
and Human Services or any other agency of the
Government (or any component or program thereof)
below the level that would otherwise have been re-
ceived but for the enactment of this section; or
‘‘(2) affect regular first-class rates of postage
or any other regular rates of postage.
‘‘(f) 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.
‘‘(g) The Postmaster General shall include in each
report rendered under section 2402 with respect to any
period 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
(d)(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
(d)(2)(B).