,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ciji  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,january #af1        
#bjad,mr4 ,cohen introduced the         
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,oversight and        
,government ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to provide that the payment of a bill1  
invoice1 or statement of account due1 if
 made by mail1 shall be considered to   
have been made on the date as of which  
the envelope which is used to transmit  
such payment is postmarked4  #a4 ,short 
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,postmark ,payment ,act of #bjad4  #b4  
,date of postmark to be treated as date 
of payment of a bill1 invoice1 or       
statement of account due  7a7 ,in       
general ,chapter #bf of title #ci1      
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  #bfjf4
 ,date of postmark to be treated as date
 of payment of a bill1 invoice1 or      
statement of account due  7a7 ,if any   

payment required to be made on or before
 a prescribed date is1 after such date1 
delivered by the ,postal ,service to the
 payee1 such payment shall be deemed    
received by the payee on the date of the
 ,united ,states postmark stamped on the
 envelope or other cover in which such  
payment is mailed4  7b7 ,subsection 7a7 
shall not apply with respect to any     
payment-- 7#a7 other than a payment on a
 bill1 invoice1 or statement of account 
due2  7#b7 which is required1 by law1   
regulation1 or contract1 to be delivered
 by any method other than by mail2 or   
7#c7 which is subject to any other      
provision of ,federal law specifying how
 a postmark date shall be used in       
determining the date on which such      
payment shall be deemed to have been    
delivered or made4  7c7 ,subsection 7a7 
shall apply only if-- 7#a7 the postmark 
date falls on or before the prescribed  
date for making the payment2 and  7#b7  
the payment was1 on or before such date1
 deposited in the mail in the ,united   

,states in an envelope or under other   
appropriate cover1 postage prepaid1     
properly addressed to the payee4  7d7   
,subsection 7a7 shall not apply in the  
case of a postmark not made by the      
,postal ,service4  7e7 ,for purposes of 
this section-- 7#a7 the term payee1 as  
used with respect to a payment1 includes
 any person duly authorized to receive  
such payment2 and  7#b7 the term ,united
 ,states means the #ej ,states1 the     
,district of ,columbia1 the             
,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 and any 
territory or possession of the ,united  
,states4  7f7 ,regulations to carry out 
this section may be prescribed by the   
,postal ,service4  4  7b7 ,conforming   
amendment ,the table of sections for    
chapter #bf of title #ci1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #bfjf4 ,date of 
postmark to be treated as date of       
payment of a bill1 invoice1 or statement
 of account due4  4  #c4 ,effective date
 ,the amendments made by this ,act shall

 apply with respect to any mailing      
postmarked after the end of the #c-month
 period beginning on the date of        
enactment of this ,act4