39 USC 414 - Special postage stamps

U.S Code last checked for updates: Nov 22, 2024

§ 414.

Special postage stamps

(a)

In order to afford the public a convenient way to contribute to funding for breast cancer research, 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 less than 15 percent;

(2)

shall be set by the Governors in accordance 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.

The use of the special rate of postage established under this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal patrons. The special rate of postage of an individual stamp under this section shall be an amount that is evenly divisible by 5.

(c)

(1)

Of the amounts becoming available for breast cancer research pursuant to this section, the Postal Service shall pay—

(A)

70 percent to the National Institutes of Health; and

(B)

the remainder to the Department of Defense.

Payments under this paragraph to an agency shall be made under such arrangements as the Postal Service shall by mutual agreement with such agency establish in order to carry out the purposes of this section, except that, under those arrangements, payments to such agency shall be made at least twice a year. An agency that receives amounts from the Postal Service under this paragraph shall use the amounts for breast cancer research.

(2)

For purposes of this section, the term “amounts becoming available for breast cancer research pursuant to 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 it shall prescribe.

(d)

It is the sense of the Congress that nothing in this section should—

(1)

directly or indirectly cause a net decrease in total funds received by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, or any other agency of the Government (or any component or program thereof) below the level that would otherwise have been received but for the enactment of this section; or

(2)

affect regular first-class rates of postage or any other regular rates of postage.

(e)

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 enactment of this section.

(f)

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, except that, at a minimum, each shall include—

(1)

the total amount described in subsection (c)(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 required for the purposes described in subsection (c)(2)(B).

(g)

For purposes of section 416 (including any regulation prescribed under subsection (e)(1)(C) of that section), the special postage stamp issued under this section shall not apply to any limitation relating to whether more than 1 semipostal may be offered for sale at the same time.

(h)

This section shall cease to be effective after December 31, 2027.

(Added Pub. L. 105–41, § 2(a), Aug. 13, 1997, 111 Stat. 1119; amended Pub. L. 106–253, § 3(a), July 28, 2000, 114 Stat. 636

cite as: 39 USC 414