[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1707 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1707

  To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide for free mailing 
 privileges for personal correspondence and certain parcels sent from 
  within the United States to members of the Armed Forces serving on 
  active duty abroad who are engaged in military operations involving 
armed conflict against a hostile foreign force, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 2, 2003

 Ms. Stabenow introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
           referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide for free mailing 
 privileges for personal correspondence and certain parcels sent from 
  within the United States to members of the Armed Forces serving on 
  active duty abroad who are engaged in military operations involving 
armed conflict against a hostile foreign force, 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 ``Providing Our Support to Troops Act 
of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FREE MAILING PRIVILEGES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 34 of title 39, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 3407. Free postage for personal correspondence and certain 
              parcels mailed to members of Armed Forces of the United 
              States
    ``(a) In General.--The matter described in subsection (b) (other 
than matter described in subsection (c)) may be mailed free of postage, 
if--
            ``(1) such matter is sent from within an area served by a 
        United States post office;
            ``(2) such matter is addressed to an individual who is a 
        member of the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, 
        as defined in section 101 of title 10, or a civilian, 
        authorized to use postal services at Armed Forces 
        installations, who holds a position or performs one or more 
        functions in support of military operations, as designated by 
        the military theater commander; and
            ``(3)(A) such matter is addressed to the individual 
        referred to in paragraph (2) at an Armed Forces post office 
        established in an overseas area with respect to which a 
        designation under section 3401(a)(1)(A) is in effect; or
            ``(B) in the case of an individual who is hospitalized at a 
        facility under the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces of the 
        United States as a result of a disease or injury described in 
        section 3401(a)(1)(B), such matter is addressed to such 
        individual at an Armed Forces post office determined under 
        subsection (f).
    ``(b) Mail Matter Described.--The free mailing privilege provided 
by subsection (a) is extended to--
            ``(1) letter mail or sound- or video-recorded 
        communications having the character of personal correspondence; 
        and
            ``(2) parcels not exceeding 10 pounds in weight and 60 
        inches in length and girth combined.
    ``(c) Limitation.--The free mailing privilege provided by 
subsection (a) does not extend to mail matter that contains any 
advertising.
    ``(d) Rate of Postage.--Any matter which is mailed under this 
section shall be mailed at the equivalent rate of postage which assures 
that the mail will be sent by the most economical means practicable.
    ``(e) Marking.--All matter mailed under this section shall bear, in 
the upper right-hand corner of the address area, the words `Free Matter 
for Members of the Armed Forces of the United States', or words to that 
effect specified by the Postal Service.
    ``(f) Regulations.--This section shall be administered under such 
conditions, and under such regulations, as the Postal Service and the 
Secretary of Defense jointly may prescribe.''.
    (b) Funding.--
            (1) Free postage.--Sections 2401(c) and 3627 of title 39, 
        United States Code, are amended by striking ``3406'' and 
        inserting ``3407''.
            (2) Air transportation.--
                    (A) In general.--Section 2401 of title 39, United 
                States Code, is amended by redesignating subsections 
                (d) through (g) as subsections (e) through (h), 
                respectively, and by inserting after subsection (c) the 
                following:
    ``(d) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Postal Service 
each year a sum determined by the Postal Service to be equal to the 
expenses incurred by the Postal Service in providing air transportation 
for mail sent to members of the Armed Forces of the United States free 
of postage under section 3407, not including the expense of air 
transportation that is provided by the Postal Service at the same 
postage rate or charge for mail which is not addressed to an Armed 
Forces post office.''.
                    (B) Amendment to prevent duplicative funding.--
                Section 3401(e) of title 39, United States Code, is 
                amended by striking ``office.'' and inserting ``office 
                or (3) for which amounts are authorized to be 
                appropriated to the Postal Service under section 
                2401(d).''.
                    (C) Technical and conforming amendments.--
                            (i) Annual budget.--Section 2009 of title 
                        39, United States Code, is amended in the next 
                        to last sentence by striking ``(b) and (c)'' 
                        and inserting ``(b), (c), and (d)''.
                            (ii) Comprehensive plan references.--
                        Sections 2803(a) and 2804(a) of such title 39 
                        are amended by striking ``2401(g)'' and 
                        inserting ``2401(f)''.
    (c) Chapter Analysis.--The analysis for chapter 34 of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``3407. Free postage for personal correspondence and certain parcels 
                            mailed to Members of the Armed Forces of 
                            the United States.''.
                                 <all>