Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4981 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4981

   To provide for the issuance of a Lyme Disease Research Semipostal 
                                 Stamp.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 15, 2025

  Mr. Gottheimer (for himself and Mr. Bacon) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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 the issuance of a Lyme Disease Research Semipostal 
                                 Stamp.

    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 Lyme Disease Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
        estimate that 476,000 Lyme disease cases are diagnosed and 
        treated in the United States annually.
            (2) The CDC reports that Lyme disease is difficult to 
        diagnose due to its diverse manifestations and a lack of 
        reliable testing options.
            (3) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that a 
        significant number of later-stage or post-treatment Lyme 
        disease patients are not cured.
            (4) The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group reports that 10 to 
        20 percent of Lyme disease patients will suffer from persistent 
        symptoms which can be chronic and disabling.
            (5) According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of 
        Public Health, Lyme disease costs the United States healthcare 
        system up to $1,300,000,000 per year.
    (b) Purpose.--To afford a convenient way for members of the public 
to contribute to funding for Lyme disease and related tick-borne 
illness research within the National Institute of Allergy and 
Infectious Diseases, the United States Postal Service shall issue a 
semipostal stamp (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Lyme 
Disease Research Semipostal Stamp'') in accordance with this section.

SEC. 3. LYME DISEASE RESEARCH SEMIPOSTAL STAMP.

    (a) Terms and Conditions.--The issuance and sale of the Lyme 
Disease Research Semipostal Stamp shall be governed by the provisions 
of section 416 of title 39, United States Code, and regulations issued 
under such section.
    (b) Disposition of Proceeds.--
            (1) In general.--All amounts becoming available from the 
        sale of the Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp (as 
        determined under section 416(d) of such title 39) shall be 
        transferred to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious 
        Diseases, for the purpose described in subsection (a), through 
        payments which shall be made at least twice a year.
            (2) Proceeds not to be offset.--In accordance with section 
        416(d)(4) of such title 39, amounts becoming available from the 
        sale of the Lyme Disease Research 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 the National Institute 
        of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
    (c) Duration.--The Lyme Disease Research 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.
    (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.
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