[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 11 (Wednesday, February 9, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S541-S542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CAMPBELL:
  S. 2044. A bill to allow postal patrons to contribute to funding for 
domestic violence programs through the voluntary purchase of specially 
issued postage stamps; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.


              THE STAMP OUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT OF 2000

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I introduce the Stamp Out Domestic 
Violence Act of 2000.
  The bill will allow every American to easily contribute to the fight 
against domestic violence through the voluntary purchase of certain 
specially issued U.S. Postal stamps, generally referred to as semi-
postals. Proceeds raised from the stamps would fund domestic violence 
programs nationwide.
  The national statistics on domestic violence are reprehensible and 
shocking. Consider the following: A woman is battered every 15 seconds 
in the United States. According to the Justice Department, four million 
American women were victims of violent crime last year. Two thirds of 
these women were victimized by someone they knew. In fact, 30 percent 
of female murder victims are killed by current or former partners. In 
Colorado alone, the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence 
reported 59 domestic violence related deaths in 1998. We can and must 
make every effort to change that. But, before we can eliminate the 
incidence of domestic violence we must acknowledge the problem and 
identify the resources needed to combat the problem.
  Mr. President, I believe this bill represents an innovative way to 
generate money for the fight against domestic violence. In the 105th 
Congress, as Chairman of the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Subcommittee, I supported the first semi-postal issued 
in the United States, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. So far, more 
than 104 million stamps have been sold nationally, raising $8 million 
for breast cancer research. My bill is modeled after the breast cancer 
stamp, and I am confident it will be just as successful.
  Specifically, under the ``Stamp Out Domestic Violence Act of 2000,'' 
the Postal Service would establish a special rate of postage for first-
class mail, not to exceed 25 percent of the first-class rate, as an 
alternative to the regular first-class postage. The additional sum 
would be contributed to domestic violence programs. The rate would be 
determined in part, by the Postal Service to cover administrative 
costs, and the remainder by the Governors of the Postal Service. All of 
the funds raised would go to the Department of Justice to support local 
domestic violence initiatives across the country.
  In a country as blessed as America, the horrid truth is more women 
are injured by domestic violence each year than by automobile and 
cancer deaths--combined. We can no longer ignore that fact, for our 
denial is but a

[[Page S542]]

small step from tacit approval. The funds raised by this stamp will 
represent another step forward in addressing this national concern. I 
urge my colleagues to act quickly on this important legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objecton, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2044

       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 ``Stamp Out Domestic Violence 
     Act of 2000''.

     SEC. 2. SPECIAL POSTAGE STAMPS RELATING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, 
     is amended by inserting after section 414 the following:

     ``Sec. 414a. Special postage stamps relating to domestic 
       violence

       ``(a) In order to afford the public a convenient way to 
     contribute to funding for domestic violence programs, the 
     Postal Service shall establish a special rate of postage for 
     first-class mail under this section.
       ``(b) The rate of postage established under this section--
       ``(1) shall be equal to the regular first-class rate of 
     postage, plus a differential not to exceed 25 percent;
       ``(2) shall be set by the Governors in accordance with such 
     procedures as the Governors shall by regulation prescribe (in 
     lieu of the procedures under chapter 36); and
       ``(3) shall be offered as an alternative to the regular 
     first class rate of postage.
       ``(c) The use of the rate of postage established under this 
     section shall be voluntary on the part of postal patrons.
       ``(d)(1) Amounts becoming available for domestic violence 
     programs under this section shall be paid by the Postal 
     Service to the Department of Justice. Payments under this 
     section shall be made under such arrangements as the Postal 
     Service shall, by mutual agreement with the Department of 
     Justice, establish in order to carry out the purposes of this 
     section, except that under those arrangements, payments to 
     the Department of Justice shall be made at least twice a 
     year.
       ``(2) For purposes of this section, the term `amounts 
     becoming available for domestic violence programs under this 
     section' means--
       ``(A) the total amount of revenues received by the Postal 
     Service that it would not have received but for the enactment 
     of this section; reduced by
       ``(B) an amount sufficient to cover reasonable costs 
     incurred by the Postal Service in carrying out this section, 
     including costs attributable to the printing, sale, and 
     distribution of stamps under this section,

     as determined by the Postal Service under regulations that it 
     shall prescribe.
       ``(e) It is the sense of Congress that nothing in this 
     section should--
       ``(1) directly or indirectly cause a net decrease in total 
     funds received by the Department of Justice or any other 
     agency of the Government (or any component or program 
     thereof) below the level that would otherwise have been 
     received but for the enactment of this section; or
       ``(2) affect regular first-class rates of postage or any 
     other regular rates of postage.
       ``(f) Special postage stamps under this section shall be 
     made available to the public beginning on such date as the 
     Postal Service shall by regulation prescribe, but not later 
     than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this 
     section.
       ``(g) 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 this section, except that, at a 
     minimum, each report shall include--
       ``(1) the total amount described in subsection (d)(2)(A) 
     which was received by the Postal Service during the period 
     covered by such report; and
       ``(2) of the amount under paragraph (1), how much (in the 
     aggregate and by category) was required for the purposes 
     described in subsection (d)(2)(B).
       ``(h) This section shall cease to be effective at the end 
     of the 2-year period beginning on the date on which special 
     postage stamps under this section are first made available to 
     the public.''.
       (b) Report by the Comptroller General of the United 
     States.--Not later than 3 months (but no earlier than 6 
     months) before the end of the 2-year period referred to in 
     section 414a(h) of title 39, United States Code (as amended 
     by subsection (a)), the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the Congress a report on the operation 
     of such section. Such report shall include--
       (1) an evaluation of the effectiveness and the 
     appropriateness of the authority provided by such section as 
     a means of fund-raising; and
       (2) a description of the monetary and other resources 
     required of the Postal Service in carrying out such section.
       (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Table of sections.--The table of sections for chapter 4 
     of title 39, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
     item relating to section 414 and inserting the following:

``414. Special postage stamps relating to breast cancer.
``414a. Special postage stamps relating to domestic violence.''.
       (2) Section heading.--The heading for section 414 of title 
     39, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:

     ``Sec. 414. Special postage stamps relating to breast 
       cancer''.

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