[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 707 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 707

 To provide monthly vouchers to members of the Armed Forces serving in 
    overseas operations, or hospitalized due to a disease or injury 
 incurred as a result of service in such operations, that a member may 
   transfer to another person to permit the person to mail, without 
   charge, correspondence and small parcels to members of the Armed 
                                Forces.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 27, 2009

 Ms. Castor of Florida (for herself, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Barrow, Mr. 
  Bilirakis, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mrs. Bono Mack, Mr. Boozman, Ms. 
 Bordallo, Mr. Boswell, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Ms. Ginny Brown-
Waite of Florida, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Butterfield, 
   Mr. Carter, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Childers, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Clay, Mr. 
   Cohen, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Cummings, Mr. 
DeFazio, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Edwards of Texas, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Farr, Mr. 
Filner, Mr. Foster, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Franks of Arizona, 
  Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Gordon of Tennessee, Mr. Grayson, Mr. Hastings of 
Florida, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Holden, Mr. Holt, Mr. Honda, Mr. Israel, Ms. 
 Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Kagen, Mr. Kennedy, 
  Mr. Kildee, Mr. Kind, Ms. Kirkpatrick of Arizona, Mr. Kissell, Mr. 
Klein of Florida, Ms. Kosmas, Mr. Langevin, Mr. LaTourette, Ms. Lee of 
   California, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Massa, Ms. Matsui, Mr. McDermott, Mr. 
  McMahon, Mr. Meek of Florida, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Moore of 
 Kansas, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, 
  Mr. Petri, Mr. Pierluisi, Mr. Putnam, Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Rogers of 
 Alabama, Mr. Ross, Mr. Rothman of New Jersey, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. 
  Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Sablan, Mr. Schiff, Mrs. Schmidt, Mr. Sestak, Mr. 
    Shuster, Mr. Tanner, Mrs. Tauscher, Mr. Terry, Mr. Thompson of 
  Mississippi, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Schrader, Mr. 
 Doyle, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Schwartz, Ms. Sutton, Mr. Platts, Mr. Minnick, 
 Mr. Taylor, Mr. Boccieri, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Mr. Schauer, Mr. Hall 
 of New York, Mr. Berry, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. 
   Bishop of New York, Mr. Carnahan, and Mr. Arcuri) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide monthly vouchers to members of the Armed Forces serving in 
    overseas operations, or hospitalized due to a disease or injury 
 incurred as a result of service in such operations, that a member may 
   transfer to another person to permit the person to mail, without 
   charge, correspondence and small parcels to members of the Armed 
                                Forces.

    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 ``Home Front to Heroes Postal Benefits 
Act''.

SEC. 2. POSTAL BENEFITS PROGRAM FOR SENDING FREE MAIL TO MEMBERS OF THE 
              ARMED FORCES SERVING IN CERTAIN OVERSEAS OPERATIONS AND 
              HOSPITALIZED MEMBERS.

    (a) Availability of Postal Benefits.--The Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the United States Postal Service, shall provide for a 
program under which postal benefits are provided during fiscal year 
2010 to qualified individuals in accordance with this section.
    (b) Qualified Individual.--In this section, the term ``qualified 
individual'' means a member of the Armed Forces described in subsection 
(a)(1) of section 3401 of title 39, United States Code, who is entitled 
to free mailing privileges under such section.
    (c) Postal Benefits Described.--
            (1) Vouchers.--The postal benefits provided under the 
        program shall consist of such coupons or other similar evidence 
        of credit (in this section referred to as a ``voucher'') to 
        permit a person possessing the voucher to make a qualified 
        mailing to any qualified individual without charge using the 
        Postal Service. The vouchers may be in printed, electronic, or 
        such other format as the Secretary of Defense, in consultation 
        with the Postal Service, shall determine to be appropriate.
            (2) Qualified mailing.--In this section, the term 
        ``qualified mailing'' means the mailing of a single mail piece 
        which--
                    (A) is first-class mail (including any sound- or 
                video-recorded communication) not exceeding 13 ounces 
                in weight and having the character of personal 
                correspondence or parcel post not exceeding 15 pounds 
                in weight;
                    (B) is sent from within an area served by a United 
                States post office; and
                    (C) is addressed to any qualified individual.
            (3) Coordination rule.--Postal benefits under the program 
        are 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) Number of Vouchers.--A member of the Armed Forces shall be 
eligible for one voucher for every month (or part of a month) during 
fiscal year 2010 in which the member is a qualified individual. Subject 
to subsection (f)(2), a voucher earned during fiscal year 2010 may be 
used after the end of such fiscal year.
    (e) Transfer of Vouchers.--A qualified individual may transfer a 
voucher to a member of the family of the qualified individual, a 
nonprofit organization, or any other person selected by the qualified 
individual for use to send qualified mailings to the qualified 
individual or other qualified individuals.
    (f) Limitations on Use; Duration.--A voucher may not be used--
            (1) for more than one qualified mailing, whether that 
        mailing is a first-class letter or a parcel; or
            (2) after the expiration date of the voucher, as designated 
        by the Secretary of Defense.
    (g) Regulations.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense (in consultation with 
the Postal Service) shall prescribe such regulations as may be 
necessary to carry out the program, including--
            (1) procedures by which vouchers will be provided or made 
        available in timely manner to qualified individuals; and
            (2) procedures to ensure that the number of vouchers 
        provided or made available with respect to any qualified 
        individual complies with subsection (d).
    (h) Transfers of Funds to Postal Service.--
            (1) Based on estimates.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
        transfer to the Postal Service, out of amounts available to 
        carry out the program and in advance of each calendar quarter 
        during which postal benefits may be used under the program, an 
        amount equal to the amount of postal benefits that the 
        Secretary estimates will be used during such quarter, reduced 
        or increased (as the case may be) by any amounts by which the 
        Secretary finds that a determination under this subsection for 
        a prior quarter was greater than or less than the amount 
        finally determined for such quarter.
            (2) Based on final determination.--A final determination of 
        the amount necessary to correct any previous determination 
        under this section, and any transfer of amounts between the 
        Postal Service and the Department of Defense based on that 
        final determination, shall be made not later than six months 
        after the expiration date of the final vouchers issued under 
        the program.
            (3) Consultation required.--All estimates and 
        determinations under this subsection of the amount of postal 
        benefits under the program used in any period shall be made by 
        the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Postal 
        Service.
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