I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 963 
To provide for free mailing privileges for personal correspondence and parcels 
sent to members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty in Iraq, 
Afghanistan, or other designated hostile fire areas. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 7, 2017 
Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New 
York, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. MOORE, Mr. JONES, Ms. ESTY, and Mr. 
MCGOVERN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To provide for free mailing privileges for personal cor-
respondence and parcels sent to members of the Armed 
Forces serving on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, or 
other designated hostile fire areas. 
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 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. POSTAL BENEFITS PROGRAM FOR MEMBERS OF 
THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, in con-
sultation with the United States Postal Service, shall pro-
vide for a program under which postal benefits shall be 
provided to qualified individuals in accordance with suc-
ceeding provisions of this Act. 
(b) QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL.—For purposes of this 
Act, the term ‘‘qualified individual’’ means an individual 
who— 
(1) is a member of the Armed Forces of the 
United States on active duty (as defined in section 
101 of title 10, United States Code); and 
(2)(A) is serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other 
designated hostile fire area, as described in section 
351(a)(1) of title 37, United States Code; or 
(B) is hospitalized at a facility under the juris-
diction of the Armed Forces of the United States as 
a result of a disease or injury incurred as a result 
of service described in subparagraph (A). 
(c) POSTAL BENEFITS DESCRIBED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The postal benefits provided 
under this Act shall consist of such coupons or other 
similar evidence of credit (whether in printed, elec-
tronic, or other format, and in this Act referred to 
as ‘‘vouchers’’) as the Secretary of Defense (in con-
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sultation with the Postal Service) shall determine, 
entitling the bearer or user to make qualified mail-
ings free of postage. 
(2) QUALIFIED MAILING.—For purposes of this 
Act, the term ‘‘qualified mailing’’ means the mailing 
of a single mail piece which— 
(A) is described in subparagraph (A) or 
(B) of paragraph (3); 
(B) is sent from within an area served by 
a United States post office; and 
(C) is addressed to a qualified individual. 
(3) MAIL DESCRIBED.—Mail described in this 
paragraph is— 
(A) any first-class mail (including any 
sound- or video-recorded communication) not 
exceeding 13 ounces in weight and having the 
character of personal correspondence; and 
(B) parcel post not exceeding 15 pounds in 
weight. 
(4) LIMITATIONS.— 
(A) NUMBER.—An individual shall be eligi-
ble for 1 voucher for each month in which such 
individual is a qualified individual. 
(B) USE.—Any such voucher may not be 
used— 
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(i) for more than a single qualified 
mailing; or 
(ii) beyond the expiration date of such 
voucher, as designated by the Secretary of 
Defense. 
(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.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
(in consultation with the Postal Service) shall prescribe 
any regulations necessary to carry out this Act, includ-
ing— 
(1) procedures by which vouchers will be pro-
vided or made available in a timely manner to per-
sons duly identified by qualified individuals to re-
ceive those vouchers; and 
(2) procedures to ensure that the number of 
vouchers provided or made available with respect to 
any qualified individual complies with subsection 
(c)(4)(A). 
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SEC. 3. FUNDING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Department of Defense, for fiscal years 
2018 through 2023, a sum determined by the Secretary 
of Defense to be equal to the expenses incurred by the 
Department in providing the benefits described in section 
2(c) for such fiscal years. Such sum shall be derived from 
amounts appropriated in each such fiscal year for Oper-
ation and Maintenance, Defense-wide, for the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense, and shall not to exceed $75 million 
for the total period beginning with fiscal year 2018 and 
ending with fiscal year 2023. 
(b) TRANSFERS TO POSTAL SERVICE.— 
(1) BASED ON ESTIMATES.—The Secretary of 
Defense shall transfer to the Postal Service, out of 
any amount so appropriated and in advance of each 
calendar quarter during which postal benefits under 
this Act may be used, an amount equal to the 
amount of postal benefits that the Secretary of De-
fense estimates will be used during such quarter, re-
duced or increased (as the case may be) by any 
amounts by which the Secretary finds that a deter-
mination under this section for a prior quarter was 
greater than or less than the amount finally deter-
mined for such quarter. 
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(2) BASED ON ANNUAL DETERMINATION.—For 
each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022, an an-
nual determination of the amount necessary to cor-
rect any previous determination under this section 
during such fiscal year, and any transfer of amounts 
between the Postal Service and the Department of 
Defense based on that annual determination, shall 
be made not later than 6 months after the end of 
such fiscal year. 
(3) BASED
ON
FINAL
DETERMINATION.—A 
final determination of the amount necessary to cor-
rect any previous determination under this section, 
and any transfer of amounts between the Postal 
Service and the Department of Defense based on 
that final determination, shall be made not later 
than 6 months after the end of fiscal year 2023. 
(c) CONSULTATION REQUIRED.—All estimates and 
determinations under this section of the amount of postal 
benefits under this Act used in any period shall be made 
by the Department of Defense in consultation with the 
Postal Service. 
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SEC. 4. DURATION. 
The postal benefits under this Act shall apply with 
respect to mail matter sent during the period beginning 
on October 1, 2017, and ending on September 30, 2023. 
Æ 
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