Title: Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal Stamp Act of 2019
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal Stamp Act of 2019
This bill directs the U.S. Postal Service to issue a semipostal stamp (a stamp sold at a premium to raise funds for a cause of national public interest) to contribute to funding operations supported by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1440 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1440

  To provide for the issuance of a Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal 
                                 Stamp.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 28, 2019

 Mr. Walberg (for himself, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Huizenga, Ms. 
    Slotkin, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Kildee, Mrs. Dingell, and Mr. Latta) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
      Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and Natural Resources, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the issuance of a Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal 
                                 Stamp.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes 
Restoration Semipostal Stamp Act of 2019''.
    (b) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Great Lakes consist of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, 
        Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior, and border the 
        States of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, 
        Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York.
            (2) The Great Lakes watershed provides habitats for 
        numerous fascinating species of wildlife.
            (3) The Great Lakes have exceptional surrounding parks, 
        forests, shorelines, and islands, which are a source of 
        recreation through swimming, hiking, picnics, boating, fishing, 
        hunting, and wildlife watching.
            (4) The Great Lakes region is currently home to 27 million 
        people.
            (5) The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater 
        system on Earth, with over 20 percent of the world's fresh 
        water supply.
            (6) The Great Lakes are the source of drinking water for 
        over 40 million people and 56 billion gallons of water a day 
        for municipal, industrial, and agricultural use.
            (7) The Great Lakes are vital for the region's economy, 
        attracting tourism and providing transportation for goods.
            (8) The Great Lakes region's environment and economy depend 
        on the health and well-being of the Great Lakes.
            (9) The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has played a 
        critical role in restoring the Great Lakes.
            (10) The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is vital in 
        combating the introduction of invasive species into the Great 
        Lakes.
            (11) The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is pivotal in 
        mitigating harmful algal blooms.
            (12) The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has restored 
        over 250,000 acres of habitat.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES RESTORATION STAMP.

    (a) In General.--In order to afford a convenient way for members of 
the public to contribute to funding for the operations supported by the 
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, as described under the fourth 
undesignated paragraph under the heading ``Administrative Provisions, 
Environmental Protection Agency'' in Public Law 111-88 (123 Stat. 2938; 
commonly known as the ``Interior Department and Further Continuing 
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010''), the United States Postal 
Service shall issue a semipostal stamp (referred to in this Act as the 
``Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal Stamp'') in accordance with the 
provisions of this section.
    (b) Cost.--The Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal Stamp shall be 
offered at a cost equal to the cost of mailing a letter weighing 1 
ounce or less at the nonautomation single-piece first-ounce letter 
rate, in effect at the time of purchase, plus a differential of not 
less than 25 percent.
    (c) Other Terms and Conditions.--The issuance and sale of the Great 
Lakes Restoration Semipostal Stamp shall be governed by the provisions 
of section 416 of title 39, United States Code, and regulations issued 
under such section, subject to subsection (b) and the following:
            (1) Disposition of proceeds.--
                    (A) In general.--All amounts becoming available 
                from the sale of the Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal 
                Stamp shall be transferred to the Environmental 
                Protection Agency for the purpose of funding the 
                operations of the Initiative described in subsection 
                (a), through payments which shall be made at least 
                twice a year.
                    (B) Proceeds not to be offset.--In accordance with 
                section 416(d)(4) of such title 39, amounts becoming 
                available from the sale of the Great Lakes Restoration 
                Semipostal Stamp (as so determined) shall not be taken 
                into account in any decision relating to the level of 
                appropriations or other Federal funding to be furnished 
                in any year to the Initiative identified in subsection 
                (a).
            (2) Duration.--The Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal Stamp 
        shall be made available to the public for a period of at least 
        5 years, beginning no later than 12 months after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act.
            (3) Stamp depictions.--Stamps issued under this Act shall 
        depict images of each of the five Great Lakes.
            (4) Limitation.--The Great Lakes Restoration Semipostal 
        Stamp shall not be subject to, or taken into account for 
        purposes of applying, any limitation under section 416(e)(1)(C) 
        of such title 39.
    (d) Definition.--For purposes of this Act, the term ``semipostal 
stamp'' refers to a stamp described in section 416(a)(1) of title 39, 
United States Code.
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