[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4437 Engrossed in House (EH)]
2d Session
H. R. 4437
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To grant to the United States Postal Service the authority to issue
semipostals, and for other purposes.
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4437
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To grant to the United States Postal Service the authority to issue
semipostals, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
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:
``Sec. 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
otherwise would have been if this section had not been enacted.
The use of any semipostal issued under this section shall be voluntary
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.
``(2) Identification of appropriate causes and agencies.--
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
subsection (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 available
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 established
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 sale of such semipostal;
``(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 section.''.
(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
accomplishments in such year that were funded, in whole or in
part, out of amounts received by such agency under such section
416.
(c) Reports by the General Accounting Office.--
(1) 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
General 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.''.
(e) Effective Date.--The program under section 416 of title 39,
United States Code (as amended by this section) shall be established
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:
``(g) This section shall cease to be effective after July 29, 2002,
or the end of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment
of the Semipostal Authorization Act, whichever is later.''.
(b) Reporting Requirement.--No later than 3 months and no earlier
than 6 months before the date as of which section 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.
Passed the House of Representatives July 17, 2000.
Attest:
Clerk.