[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2874 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2874

  To provide for a program under which postal benefits shall be made 
  available for purposes of certain personal correspondence and other 
mail matter sent from within the United States to members of the Armed 
 Forces serving on active duty in military operations abroad, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 14, 2005

 Mr. Ford (for himself, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Holden, Mr. Frank 
of Massachusetts, Mr. Cardoza, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Barrow, Mrs. McCarthy, 
    Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. 
    Millender-McDonald, Mr. Berry, Mr. Smith of Washington, and Mr. 
   Higgins) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Armed Services, 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 a program under which postal benefits shall be made 
  available for purposes of certain personal correspondence and other 
mail matter sent from within the United States to members of the Armed 
 Forces serving on active duty in military operations abroad, 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 ``Supply Our Soldiers Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. POSTAL BENEFITS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The United States Postal Service and the Secretary 
of Defense shall provide for a program under which postal benefits 
shall be made available to the designated representative of each 
qualified individual in accordance with succeeding provisions of this 
Act.
    (b) Qualified Individual Defined.--For purposes of this Act, the 
term ``qualified individual'' means an individual who is--
            (1)(A) a member of the Armed Forces of the United States on 
        active duty (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United 
        States Code) or a civilian who is authorized to use postal 
        services at Armed Forces installations and holds a position or 
        performs one or more functions in support of military 
        operations, as designated by the military theater commander; 
        and
            (B) serving in an overseas area, as designated by the 
        President, where the Armed Forces of the United States are 
        engaged in action against an enemy of the United States, 
        engaged in military operations involving armed conflict with a 
        hostile foreign force, engaged in temporary military operations 
        under arduous circumstances, serving with a friendly foreign 
        force in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a 
        belligerent, or temporarily deployed overseas for an 
        operational contingency in arduous circumstances, as determined 
        by the Secretary of Defense; or
            (2) hospitalized in a facility of the Armed Forces of the 
        United States as a result of disease or injury incurred as a 
        result of service in an overseas area designated by the 
        President under paragraph (1)(B).
    (c) Postal Benefits Described.--
            (1) In general.--The postal benefits made available to a 
        designated representative pursuant to this Act shall consist of 
        postage stamps (of such denomination or denominations as the 
        Postal Service may determine) equivalent to $150 in value per 
        calendar quarter, subject to subsection (d)(2)(B).
            (2) Conditions relating to mailings.--Postal benefits under 
        this Act may not be used for the mailing of any mail matter 
        other than mail matter which--
                    (A) is described in paragraph (3);
                    (B) is sent--
                            (i) from within an area served by a United 
                        States post office; and
                            (ii) by an individual or a charitable 
                        organization; and
                    (C) is addressed to a qualified individual.
            (3) Mail matter described.--
                    (A) In general.--The mail matter described in this 
                paragraph is--
                            (i) any letter mail or sound- or video-
                        recorded communications having the character of 
                        personal correspondence; and
                            (ii) any parcel not exceeding--
                                    (I) 10 pounds in weight and 60 
                                inches in length and girth combined, if 
                                sent by an individual; or
                                    (II) 70 pounds in weight and 108 
                                inches in length and girth combined, if 
                                sent by a charitable organization.
                    (B) Restriction.--Postal benefits under this Act 
                may not be used for mail matter that contains any 
                advertising.
            (4) Design and limitations on use of stamps.--Stamps made 
        available pursuant to this Act--
                    (A) shall bear a design or other markings to 
                identify the military operation to which they relate; 
                and
                    (B) may not be used--
                            (i) after the date (following the 
                        conclusion of such military operation) 
                        designated by the Secretary of Defense; or
                            (ii) with respect to any other military 
                        operation.
            (5) Coordination rule.--Postal benefits under this Act 
        shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any reduced rates 
        of postage or other similar benefits which might otherwise be 
        available by or under law, including any rates of postage 
        resulting from the application of section 3401(b) of title 39, 
        United States Code.
    (d) Regulations.--The Postal Service and the Secretary of Defense 
shall jointly prescribe any regulations necessary to carry out this 
Act, including regulations to provide for the following:
            (1) Identification of designated representatives.--The 
        identification of designated representatives shall be made 
        using procedures under which--
                    (A) determinations shall be made based on the most 
                current next-of-kin data available to or obtainable by 
                the Secretary of Defense; and
                    (B) a qualified individual may supersede a 
                determination under subparagraph (A), to the extent 
                procedures to carry out this subparagraph are 
                practicable.
            (2) Notice to and elections by designated 
        representatives.--
                    (A) Notice.--Notice shall be provided to all 
                designated representatives informing them of their 
                eligibility for postal benefits under this Act and the 
                procedures (including any deadlines) for making an 
                initial and any subsequent election of benefits.
                    (B) Elections.--A designated representative shall 
                not receive any postal benefits under this Act for any 
                calendar quarter except upon the filing of an 
                appropriate written election. A separate election under 
                this subparagraph shall be required for each calendar 
                quarter, and each such election shall require the 
                individual to indicate whether full, partial (in the 
                increments allowed), or no benefits are requested for 
                the quarter. Failure to make an effective election 
                shall be treated as a declination of benefits for the 
                calendar quarter involved.
                    (C) No carryover.--Any benefits declined (in whole 
                or in part) with respect to a calendar quarter shall 
                not be available for purposes of any subsequent 
                calendar quarter.
    (e) Direct Benefits for Charitable Organizations.--In addition to 
the benefits under subsections (a) through (d), the Postal Service and 
the Secretary of Defense shall by regulation allow any charitable 
organization to apply for direct postal benefits. Applications for 
benefits under this subsection shall be considered on a case-by-case 
basis in accordance with such criteria as shall apply under the 
regulations. Any benefits approved under this subsection shall be 
governed by subsection (c), subject to any modifications or special 
rules established by the regulations which may be necessary to carry 
out the purposes of this subsection (including an alternative to the 
limitation set forth in subsection (c)(1)).
    (f) Definition.--For purposes of this Act, the term ``charitable 
organization'' means an organization that is described in section 
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation 
under section 501(a) of such Code.

SEC. 3. FUNDING.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
Defense each year a sum determined by the Secretary of Defense to be 
equal to the expenses incurred by the Department in providing the 
benefits described in section 2(c) (including any payments or 
reimbursements to the United States Postal Service under this Act), 
reduced or increased (as the case may be) by any amounts by which the 
Secretary finds that a determination under this section for a prior 
year was greater than or less than the amounts finally determined for 
such year.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect on the first day of the first fiscal 
year beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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