[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 963 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 963

To provide for free mailing privileges for personal correspondence and 
 parcels sent to members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty in 
       Iraq, Afghanistan, or other designated hostile fire areas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 7, 2017

Mr. King of New York (for himself, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, 
    Mr. DeFazio, Ms. Moore, Mr. Jones, Ms. Esty, and Mr. McGovern) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for free mailing privileges for personal correspondence and 
 parcels sent to members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty in 
       Iraq, Afghanistan, or other designated hostile fire areas.

    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 2017''.

SEC. 2. POSTAL BENEFITS PROGRAM FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the 
United States Postal Service, shall provide for a program under which 
postal benefits shall be provided to qualified individuals in 
accordance with succeeding provisions of this Act.
    (b) Qualified Individual.--For purposes of this Act, the term 
``qualified individual'' means an individual who--
            (1) is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States on 
        active duty (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United 
        States Code); and
            (2)(A) is serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other designated 
        hostile fire area, as described in section 351(a)(1) of title 
        37, United States Code; or
            (B) is hospitalized at a facility under the jurisdiction of 
        the Armed Forces of the United States as a result of a disease 
        or injury incurred as a result of service described in 
        subparagraph (A).
    (c) Postal Benefits Described.--
            (1) In general.--The postal benefits provided under this 
        Act shall consist of such coupons or other similar evidence of 
        credit (whether in printed, electronic, or other format, and in 
        this Act referred to as ``vouchers'') as the Secretary of 
        Defense (in consultation with the Postal Service) shall 
        determine, entitling the bearer or user to make qualified 
        mailings free of postage.
            (2) Qualified mailing.--For purposes of this Act, the term 
        ``qualified mailing'' means the mailing of a single mail piece 
        which--
                    (A) is described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of 
                paragraph (3);
                    (B) is sent from within an area served by a United 
                States post office; and
                    (C) is addressed to a qualified individual.
            (3) Mail described.--Mail described in this paragraph is--
                    (A) any first-class mail (including any sound- or 
                video-recorded communication) not exceeding 13 ounces 
                in weight and having the character of personal 
                correspondence; and
                    (B) parcel post not exceeding 15 pounds in weight.
            (4) Limitations.--
                    (A) Number.--An individual shall be eligible for 1 
                voucher for each month in which such individual is a 
                qualified individual.
                    (B) Use.--Any such voucher may not be used--
                            (i) for more than a single qualified 
                        mailing; or
                            (ii) beyond the expiration date of such 
                        voucher, as designated by the Secretary of 
                        Defense.
            (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.--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 any regulations necessary to carry 
out this Act, including--
            (1) procedures by which vouchers will be provided or made 
        available in a timely manner to persons duly identified by 
        qualified individuals to receive those vouchers; and
            (2) procedures to ensure that the number of vouchers 
        provided or made available with respect to any qualified 
        individual complies with subsection (c)(4)(A).

SEC. 3. FUNDING.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
Department of Defense, for fiscal years 2018 through 2023, 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) for such fiscal years. Such sum shall be derived from 
amounts appropriated in each such fiscal year for Operation and 
Maintenance, Defense-wide, for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 
and shall not to exceed $75 million for the total period beginning with 
fiscal year 2018 and ending with fiscal year 2023.
    (b) Transfers to Postal Service.--
            (1) Based on estimates.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
        transfer to the Postal Service, out of any amount so 
        appropriated and in advance of each calendar quarter during 
        which postal benefits under this Act may be used, an amount 
        equal to the amount of postal benefits that the Secretary of 
        Defense 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 section for a 
        prior quarter was greater than or less than the amount finally 
        determined for such quarter.
            (2) Based on annual determination.--For each of the fiscal 
        years 2018 through 2022, an annual determination of the amount 
        necessary to correct any previous determination under this 
        section during such fiscal year, and any transfer of amounts 
        between the Postal Service and the Department of Defense based 
        on that annual determination, shall be made not later than 6 
        months after the end of such fiscal year.
            (3) 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 6 months 
        after the end of fiscal year 2023.
    (c) Consultation Required.--All estimates and determinations under 
this section of the amount of postal benefits under this Act used in 
any period shall be made by the Department of Defense in consultation 
with the Postal Service.

SEC. 4. DURATION.

    The postal benefits under this Act shall apply with respect to mail 
matter sent during the period beginning on October 1, 2017, and ending 
on September 30, 2023.
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