Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act
The Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act would authorize the United States Postal Service to issue a Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp. Proceeds from the sale of this stamp would be directed to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the NIH for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illness research. The bill uses the existing semipostal-stamp framework (under 39 U.S.C. § 416) to raise voluntary funds, with annual or more frequent payments to NIH and a prohibition on counting these proceeds against annual appropriations. The stamp would be available to the public for at least six years, starting within a year of enactment. In short, the bill creates a dedicated fundraising stamp to support Lyme disease research, channeling funds directly to NIH/NIAID while maintaining budgetary independence for those funds within federal spending decisions.
Key Points
- 1Issuance of a Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp under the USPS semipostal program (per 39 U.S.C. § 416 and related regulations).
- 2Proceeds from stamp sales are to be transferred to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illness research, with payments made at least twice a year.
- 3Proceeds are not to be counted as offsets to federal appropriations, meaning they should not reduce or alter annual funding levels for NIH/NIAID.
- 4The stamp must be sold and available to the public for at least six years, with availability beginning no later than 12 months after enactment.
- 5The bill grounds its findings in CDC, NIH, and other public health sources about Lyme disease incidence, diagnostic challenges, chronic/post-treatment symptoms, and economic costs.