What This Bill Does
This bill directs the United States Postal Service to set lower postage rates for packages sent by priority mail from the United States to military and diplomatic addresses overseas. The Postal Service must establish these rates so that packages sent to Army Post Offices, Fleet Post Offices, or Diplomatic Post Offices are not charged more than the zone 2 rate (a specific pricing category used by the Postal Service).
Who It Affects
People sending packages by priority mail to Army Post Offices, Fleet Post Offices, or Diplomatic Post Offices overseas.
The United States Postal Service.
Congress (which controls federal spending).
Key Provisions
The Postal Service must establish rates for priority mail packages to foreign Army Post Offices, Fleet Post Offices, or Diplomatic Post Offices within 180 days after the bill becomes law, ensuring packages are charged no more than the zone 2 rate. (Sec. 2(a))
Congress is authorized to appropriate money to the Postal Service each year to cover the difference between what the Postal Service would have earned under the old rates and what it will earn under the new, lower rates. (Sec. 2(b))
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, people sending priority mail packages to military and diplomatic addresses overseas will pay lower postage rates than they currently do.
Important Definitions
Zone 2 rate: A specific pricing category defined in section 608.9 of the Domestic Mail Manual.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 299
To amend title 39, United States Code, to direct the United States Postal
Service to establish rates of postage for packages shipped by priority
mail from the United States to a foreign Army Post Office, Fleet Post
Office, or Diplomatic Post Office, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 11, 2023
Mr. NORCROSS (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability
A BILL
To amend title 39, United States Code, to direct the United
States Postal Service to establish rates of postage for
packages shipped by priority mail from the United States
to a foreign Army Post Office, Fleet Post Office, or
Diplomatic Post Office, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Care Packages for Our
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Heroes Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 299 IH
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF RATES OF POSTAGE FOR
1
PACKAGES
SHIPPED
BY
PRIORITY
MAIL
2
FROM THE UNITED STATES TO A FOREIGN
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ARMY POST OFFICE, FLEET POST OFFICE, OR
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DIPLOMATIC POST OFFICE.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3632 of title 39, United
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States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
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lowing:
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‘‘(d) EXEMPTION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a),
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not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
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of this subsection, the Postal Service shall establish rates
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of postage for packages shipped by priority mail from the
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United States to a foreign Army Post Office, Fleet Post
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Office, or Diplomatic Post Office address whereby such
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packages may not be charged a zoned rate greater than
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the zone 2 rate (as that term is defined in section 608.9
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of the Domestic Mail Manual, or any successor manual).’’.
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(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section
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2401 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by add-
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ing at the end the following:
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‘‘(h) As reimbursement to the Postal Service for the
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costs of carrying out subsection (d) of section 3632, there
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are authorized to be appropriated to the Postal Service
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for any fiscal year an amount equal to the revenue dif-
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ference between the estimated revenue the Postal Service
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would have received during such fiscal year if such sub-
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•HR 299 IH
section had not been enacted and the estimated revenue
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the Postal Service would receive during such fiscal year
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as a result of carrying out such subsection.’’.
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Æ
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