[House Report 117-301]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Rept. 117-301
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { Part 1
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MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUNDS SEMIPOSTAL STAMP
REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2021
_______
April 25, 2022.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 6023]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 6023) to require the United States Postal
Service to continue selling the Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp until all remaining stamps
are sold, and for other purposes, having considered the same,
reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that
the bill as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Multinational Species Conservation
Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION; REQUIREMENT TO SELL ALL STAMPS.
(a) In General.--Section 2(c) of the Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2010 (39 U.S.C. 416 note;
Public Law 111-241) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``of at least 6 years,''; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``and ending not earlier than the date on
which the United States Postal Service provides notice
to Congress under paragraph (5)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Requirement to sell all stamps printed.--
``(A) In general.--The United States Postal Service
shall sell each copy of the Multinational Species
Conservation Fund Semipostal Stamp that the United
States Postal Service prints under this Act.
``(B) Notification of congress.--The United States
Postal Service shall notify the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs in the Senate, the
Committee on Environment and Public Works of the
Senate, the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the
House of Representatives, and the Committee on Natural
Resources of the House of Representatives when all
copies of the Multinational Species Conservation Fund
Semipostal Stamp printed under this Act have been
sold.''.
(b) Retroactive Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall take effect as if enacted on the day after the date of enactment
of the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp
Reauthorization Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-165; 128 Stat. 1878).
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with
the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of H.R. 6023 is to require the United States
Postal Service to continue selling the Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp until all remaining stamps
are sold.
Background and Need for Legislation
A semipostal stamp is a postage stamp sold at a higher rate
than a normal 1-ounce first-class letter stamp. The extra
charge is recognized as a contribution by the purchaser to a
specific fund or cause. Congress has authorized the U.S. Postal
Service (USPS) to sell four different semipostal stamps since
1997.\1\
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\1\See Pervaze A. Sheikh, Michelle D. Christensen & Kalyn R.
Dorheim, Cong. Research Serv., R44809, Multinational Species
Conservation Fund Semipostal Stamp (updated Apr. 7, 2017), https://
www.crs.gov/reports/pdf/R44809, of which the above description is
largely an excerpt.
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The Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal
Stamp Act of 2010 authorized a semipostal stamp to support
international conservation efforts, entitled the ``Save
Vanishing Species'' semipostal stamp. The additional proceeds
of the stamps are deposited into the Multinational Species
Conservation Fund (MSCF), administered by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. The MSCF includes five grant programs: the
African Elephant Conservation Fund, the Asian Elephant
Conservation Fund, the Great Ape Conservation Fund, the Marine
Turtle Conservation Fund, and the Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Fund. All programs were reauthorized in S. 47, the
John. D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation
Act, signed into law in 2019.\2\
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\2\Id.
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Between 2011 and 2017, almost 51 million MSCF semipostal
stamps were sold, raising roughly $3.9 million for conservation
projects related to anti-poaching, capacity building, community
engagement and outreach, habitat restoration, and raising
public awareness of wildlife trafficking.
In 2017, the authorization for the MSCF stamps expired, and
USPS suspended the stamp sale despite still having 49 million
unsold stamps.\3\ Annual appropriations bills have been
directing the USPS to continue selling the stamps, but in a
piecemeal fashion.
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\3\Hearing on H.R. 967, H.R. 1162, H.R. 1446, H.R. 1976, H.R. 2473,
H.R. 2685, Migratory Bird Protection Act Discussion Draft Before the
Subcomm. on Water, Oceans & Wildlife of the H. Comm. on Nat. Res.,
116th Cong. (2019) (not printed) (statement for the record of the U.S.
Dep't of the Interior), https://docs.house.gov/meetings/II/II13/
20190613/109633/HHRG-116-II13-20190613-SD008.pdf.
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H.R. 6023 would reauthorize the MSCF semipostal stamp until
the USPS sells all the previously printed stamps.
Committee Action
H.R. 6023 was introduced on November 18, 2021, by
Representative Jim Costa (D-CA). The bill was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the
Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on the Budget.
Within the Natural Resources Committee, the bill was referred
to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. On January
20, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill. On
February 16, 2022, the Natural Resources Committee met to
consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous
consent. Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-AR) offered an
amendment designated Westerman #1. The amendment was agreed to
by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was adopted and
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by
unanimous consent.
Hearings
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held
on January 20, 2022.
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
Compliance With House Rule XIII and Congressional
Budget Act
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, April 20, 2022.
Hon. Raul M. Grijalva,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6023, the
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp
Reauthorization Act of 2021.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani
Shankaran.
Sincerely,
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director.
Enclosure.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
H.R. 6023 would direct the Postal Service (USPS) to
continue to sell the Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp
until all are sold. Under current law, USPS can sell the stamps
through September 30, 2022.
The stamps cost 75 cents each; amounts that USPS collects
above regular first-class postage (currently 58 cents) are
treated as offsetting collections of the Postal Service and are
transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to
support the Multinational Species Conservation Funds.
Using information on past sales, CBO estimates that
collections under the bill would total less than $1 million
annually. CBO expects those amounts to be transferred soon
after receipt, resulting in no net change in spending by USPS.
Postal Service collections and spending, including the transfer
to USFWS, are classified as off-budget.
The amounts that USFWS receives would be recorded as on-
budget offsetting receipts, or reductions in direct spending,
and would be available for the agency to spend without further
appropriation. CBO expects that those funds would be spent soon
after receipt; thus, the net effect on direct spending would be
negligible.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani
Shankaran. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to require the United States Postal
Service to continue selling the Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp until all remaining stamps
are sold.
Earmark Statement
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement
According to CBO, this bill contains no unfunded mandates
as defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
Existing Programs
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program.
Applicability to Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUNDS SEMIPOSTAL STAMP ACT OF 2010
* * * * * * *
SEC. 2. MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUNDS SEMIPOSTAL STAMP.
(a) In general.--In order to afford a convenient way for
members of the public to contribute to funding for the
operations supported by the Multinational Species Conservation
Funds, the United States Postal Service shall issue a
semipostal stamp (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
``Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp'')
in accordance with succeeding provisions of this section.
(b) Cost and Use.--
(1) In general.--The Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp shall be offered at
a cost equal to the cost of mailing a letter weighing 1
ounce or less at the nonautomation single-piece first-
ounce letter rate, in effect at the time of purchase,
plus a differential of not less than 15 percent.
(2) Voluntary use.--The use of any semipostal issued
under this section shall be voluntary on the part of
postal patrons.
(3) Special rate.--The special rate of postage of an
individual stamp under this section shall be an amount
that is evenly divisible by 5.
(c) Other Terms and Conditions.--The issuance and sale of the
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp shall
be governed by the provisions of section 416 of title 39,
United States Code, and regulations issued under such section,
subject to subsection (b) and the following:
(1) Disposition of proceeds.--
(A) In general.--All amounts becoming
available from the sale of the Multinational
Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp (as
determined under section 416(d) of such title
39) shall be transferred to the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service, for the purpose
described in subsection (a), through payments
which shall be made at least twice a year, with
the proceeds to be divided equally among the
African Elephant Conservation Fund, the Asian
Elephant Conservation Fund, the Great Ape
Conservation Fund, the Marine Turtle
Conservation Fund, the Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Fund, and other international
wildlife conservation funds authorized by the
Congress after the date of the enactment of
this Act and administered by the Service as
part of the Multinational Species Conservation
Fund.
(B) Proceeds not to be offset.--In accordance
with section 416(d)(4) of such title 39,
amounts becoming available from the sale of the
Multinational Species Conservation Funds
Semipostal Stamp (as so determined) shall not
be taken into account in any decision relating
to the level of appropriations or other Federal
funding to be furnished in any year to--
(i) the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service; or
(ii) any of the funds identified in
subparagraph (A).
(2) Duration.--The Multinational Species Conservation
Funds Semipostal Stamp shall be made available to the
public for a period [of at least 6 years,] beginning no
later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of
this Act and ending not earlier than the date on which
the United States Postal Service provides notice to
Congress under paragraph (5).
(3) Limitation.--The Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp shall not be
subject to, or taken into account for purposes of
applying, any limitation under section 416(e)(1)(C) of
such title 39.
(4) Restriction on use of funds.--Amounts transferred
under paragraph (1) shall not be used to fund or
support the Wildlife Without Borders Program or to
supplement funds made available for the Neotropical
Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.
(5) Requirement to sell all stamps printed.--
(A) In general.--The United States Postal
Service shall sell each copy of the
Multinational Species Conservation Fund
Semipostal Stamp that the United States Postal
Service prints under this Act.
(B) Notification of congress.--The United
States Postal Service shall notify the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs in the Senate, the Committee on
Environment and Public Works of the Senate, the
Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House
of Representatives, and the Committee on
Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives when all copies of the
Multinational Species Conservation Fund
Semipostal Stamp printed under this Act have
been sold.
(d) Definition.--For purposes of this Act, the term
``semipostal stamp'' refers to a stamp described in section
416(a)(1) of title 39, United States Code.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Supplemental, Minority, Additional, or Dissenting Views
None.
[all]