Semipostal Authorization Act
PL 106-253 (H.R.4437), enacted 07/28/2000

114 STAT. 634 
PUBLIC LAW 106-253-^JULY 28, 2000 
Public Law 106-253 
106th Congress 
An Act 
July 28, 2000 
To grant to the United States Postal Service the authority to issue semipostals, 
39 u s e 101 note. 
[H.R. 4437] 
^^^ ^°^ other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of 
Semipostal 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
Authorization 
Act 
SECTION 1, SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "Semipostal Authorization Act". 
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ISSUE SEMIPOSTALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
*'§ 416. Authority to issue semipostals 
"(a) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 
"(1) the term 'semipostal' means a postage stamp which 
is issued and sold by the Postal Service, at a premium, in 
order to help provide funding for a cause described in subsection 
(b); and 
"(2) the term 'agency means an Executive agency within 
the meaning of section 105 of title 5. 
"(b) DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY.—The Postal Service is hereby 
authorized to issue and sell semipostals under this section in order 
to advance such causes as the Postal Service considers to be in 
the national public interest and appropriate. 
"(c) RATE OF POSTAGE.—^The rate of postage on a semipostal 
issued under this section shall be established by the Governors, 
in accordance with such procedures as they shall by regulation 
prescribe (in lieu of the procedures under chapter 36), except that— 
"(1) the rate established for a semipostal under this section 
shall be equal to the rate of postage that would otherwise 
regularly apply, plus a differential of not to exceed 25 percent; 
and 
"(2) no regular rates of postage or fees for postal services 
under chapter 36 shall be any different from what they other-
wise would have been if this section had not been enacted. 
The use of any semipostal issued under this section shall be vol-
untary on the part of postal patrons. 
"(d) AMOUNTS BECOMING AVAILABLE.— 
"(1) IN GENERAL.—The amounts becoming available from 
the sale of a semipostal under this section shall be transferred 
to the appropriate agency or agencies under such arrangements 
as the Postal Service shall by mutual agreement with each 
such agency establish. 
PUBLIC LAW 106-253^TULY 28, 2000 
114 STAT. 635 
"(2) 
IDENTIFICATION OF APPROPRIATE CAUSES AND AGEN-
CIES.—Decisions concerning the identification of appropriate 
causes and agencies to receive amounts becoming available 
from the sale of a semipostal under this section shall be made 
in accordance with applicable regulations under subsection (e). 
"(3) DETERMINATION OF AMOUNTS.— 
"(A) IN GENERAL.—^The amounts becoming available 
from the sale of a semipostal under this section shall be 
determined in a manner similar to that provided for under 
section 414(c)(2) (as in effect on July 1, 2000). 
"(B) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Regulations under sub-
section (e) shall specifically address how the costs incurred 
by the Postal Service in carrying out this section shall 
be computed, recovered, and kept to a minimum. 
"(4) OTHER FUNDING NOT TO BE AFFECTED.—^Amounts which 
have or may become available from the sale of a semipostal 
under this section shall not be taken into account in any 
decision relating to the level of appropriations or other Federal 
funding to be furnished to an agency in any year. 
"(5) RECOVERY OF COSTS.—Before transferring to an agency 
in accordance with paragraph (1) any amounts becoming avail-
able from the sale of a semipostal over any period, the Postal 
Service shall ensure that it has recovered the full costs incurred 
by the Postal Service in connection with such semipostal 
through the end of such period, 
"(e) REGULATIONS.— 
"(1) IN GENERAL.—^Except as provided in subsection (c), 
the Postal Service shall prescribe any regulations necessary 
to carry out this section, including provisions relating to— 
"(A) which office or other authority within the Postal 
Service shall be responsible for making the decisions 
described in subsection (d)(2); 
"(B) what criteria and procedures shall be applied in 
making those decisions; and 
"(C) what limitations shall apply, if any, relating to 
the issuance of semipostals (such as whether more than 
one semipostal may be offered for sale at the same time). 
"(2) NOTICE AND COMMENT.—Before any regulation is issued 
under this section, a copy of the proposed regulation shall 
be published in the Federal Register, and an opportunity shall 
be provided for interested parties to present written and, where 
practicable, oral comment. All regulations necessary to carry 
out this section shall be issued not later than 30 days before 
the date on which semipostals are first made available to 
the public under this section. 
"(f) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
"(1) IN GENERAL.—^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 any program estab-
lished under this section. 
"(2) SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT.—If any semipostal ceases to 
be offered during the period covered by such a report, the 
information contained in that report shall also include— 
"(A) the commencement and termination dates for the 
s£de of such semipostal; 
Federal Register, 
publication. 
Deadline. 
114 STAT. 636 
PUBLIC LAW 106-253—JULY 28, 2000 
"(B) the total amount that became available from the 
sale of such semipostal; and 
"(C) of that total amount, how much was applied 
toward administrative costs. 
For each year before the year in which a semipostal ceases 
to be offered, any report under this subsection shall include, 
with respect to that semipostal (for the year covered by such 
report), the information described in subparagraphs (B) and 
(C). 
"(g) TERMINATION.—^This section shall cease to be effective at 
the end of the 10-year period beginning on the date on which 
semipostals are first made available to the public under this sec-
tion.". 
39 use 416 note. 
(b) REPORTS BY AGENCIES.—Each agency that receives any 
funding in a year under section 416 of title 39, United States 
Code (as amended by this section) shall submit a written report 
under this subsection, with respect to such year, to the congressional 
committees with jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service. 
Each such report shall include— 
(1) the total amount of funding received by such agency 
under such section 416 during the year; 
(2) an accounting of how any funds received by such agency 
under such section 416 were allocated or otherwise used by 
such agency in such year; and 
(3) a description of any significant advances or accomplish-
ments in such year that were funded, in whole or in part, 
out of amounts received by such agency under such section 
416. 
DeadUnes. 
(c) REPORTS BY THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE.— 
39 use 416 note. 
(i) INTERIM REPORT.—^The General Accounting Office shall 
submit to the President and each House of Congress an interim 
report on the operation of the program established under section 
416 of title 39, United States Code (as amended by this section) 
not later than 4 years after semipostals are first made available 
to the public under such section. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—^The General Accounting Office shall 
transmit to the President and each House of Congress a final 
report on the operation of the program established under such 
section 416, not later than 6 months before the date on which 
it is scheduled to expire. The final report shall contain a 
detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the Gen-
eral Accounting Office, together with any recommendations it 
considers appropriate. 
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—^The table of sections for chapter 
4 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
"416. Authority to issue semipostals.". 
39 use 416 note. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—^The program under section 416 of title 
39, United States Code (as amended by this section) shall be estab-
lished within 6 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO ISSUE SEMIPOSTALS FOR 
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 414(g) of title 39, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows: 
PUBLIC LAW 106-253—JULY 28, 2000 
114 STAT. 637 
"(g) This section shall cease to be effective after July 29, 2002, Termination 
or the end of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enact- date, 
ment of the Semipostal Authorization Act, whichever is later.". 
(b) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—No later than 3 months and DeadUne. 
no earlier than 6 months before the date as of which section 39 USC 414 note. 
414 of title 39, United States Code (as amended by this section) 
is scheduled to expire, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Congress a report on the operation of such 
section. Such report shall be in addition to the report required 
by section 2(b) of Public Law 105-41, and shall address at least 
the same matters as were required to be included in that earlier 
report. 
Approved July 28, 2000. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4437: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 106-734 (Comm. on Government Reform). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 146 (2000): 
July 17, considered and passed House. 
July 26, considered and passed Senate. 
79-194 O - 00 - 22 : QL 3 Part 1