,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #addj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #bh1       
#bjai,mr4 ,walberg 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,ryan1 ,mr4 ,moolenaar1 ,mr4 ,huizenga1 
,ms4 ,slotkin1 ,mr4 ,mitchell1 ,mr4     
,kildee1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 and ,mr4       
,latta7 introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,oversight and ,reform1 and in addition 
to the ,committees on ,transportation   
and ,infrastructure1 and ,natural       
,resources1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 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 ,great ,lakes ,restoration         
,semipostal ,stamp4  #a4 ,short title2  
findings  7a7 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,great ,lakes       
,restoration ,semipostal ,stamp ,act of 
#bjai4  7b7 ,findings ,the ,congress    
finds the following3  7#a7 ,the ,great  

,lakes consist of ,lake ,michigan1 ,lake
 ,huron1 ,lake ,erie1 ,lake ,ontario1   
and ,lake ,superior1 and border the     
,states of ,michigan1 ,wisconsin1       
,minnesota1 ,ohio1 ,indiana1 ,illinois1 
,pennsylvania1 and ,new ,york4  7#b7    
,the ,great ,lakes watershed provides   
habitats for numerous fascinating       
species of wildlife4  7#c7 ,the ,great  
,lakes have exceptional surrounding     
parks1 forests1 shorelines1 and islands1
 which are a source of recreation       
through swimming1 hiking1 picnics1      
boating1 fishing1 hunting1 and wildlife 
watching4  7#d7 ,the ,great ,lakes      
region is currently home to #bg million 
people4  7#e7 ,the ,great ,lakes are the
 largest surface freshwater system on   
,earth1 with over #bj percent of the    
world's fresh water supply4  7#f7 ,the  
,great ,lakes are the source of drinking
 water for over #dj million people and  
#ef billion gallons of water a day for  
municipal1 industrial1 and agricultural 
use4  7#g7 ,the ,great ,lakes are vital 

for the region's economy1 attracting    
tourism and providing transportation for
 goods4  7#h7 ,the ,great ,lakes        
region's environment and economy depend 
on the health and well-being of the     
,great ,lakes4  7#i7 ,the ,great ,lakes 
,restoration ,initiative has played a   
critical role in restoring the ,great   
,lakes4  7#aj7 ,the ,great ,lakes       
,restoration ,initiative is vital in    
combating the introduction of invasive  
species into the ,great ,lakes4  7#aa7  
,the ,great ,lakes ,restoration         
,initiative is pivotal in mitigating    
harmful algal blooms4  7#ab7 ,the ,great
 ,lakes ,restoration ,initiative has    
restored over #bej1jjj acres of habitat4
  #b4 ,great ,lakes ,restoration ,stamp 
7a7 ,in general ,in order to afford a   
convenient way for members of the public
 to contribute to funding for the       
operations supported by the ,great      
,lakes ,restoration ,initiative1 as     
described under the fourth undesignated 
paragraph under the heading             

,administrative ,provisions1            
,environmental ,protection ,agency in   
,public ,law #aaa-hh 7#abc ,stat4 #bich2
 commonly known as the ,interior        
,department and ,further ,continuing    
,appropriations ,act for ,fiscal ,year  
#bjaj71 the ,united ,states ,postal     
,service shall issue a semipostal stamp 
7referred to in this ,act as the ,great 
,lakes ,restoration ,semipostal ,stamp7 
in accordance with the provisions of    
this section4  7b7 ,cost ,the ,great    
,lakes ,restoration ,semipostal ,stamp  
shall be offered at a cost equal to the 
cost of mailing a letter weighing #a    
ounce or less at the nonautomation      
single-piece first-ounce letter rate1 in
 effect at the time of purchase1 plus a 
differential of not less than #be       
percent4  7c7 ,other terms and          
conditions ,the issuance and sale of the
 ,great ,lakes ,restoration ,semipostal 
,stamp shall be governed by the         
provisions of section #daf of title #ci1
 ,united ,states ,code1 and regulations 

issued under such section1 subject to   
subsection 7b7 and the following3  7#a7 
,disposition of proceeds  7,a7 ,in      
general ,all amounts becoming available 
from the sale of the ,great ,lakes      
,restoration ,semipostal ,stamp shall be
 transferred to the ,environmental      
,protection ,agency for the purpose of  
funding the operations of the           
,initiative described in subsection 7a71
 through payments which shall be made at
 least twice a year4  7,b7 ,proceeds not
 to be offset ,in accordance with       
section #daf7;d77#d7 of such title #ci1 
amounts becoming available from the sale
 of the ,great ,lakes ,restoration      
,semipostal ,stamp 7as so determined7   
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     
,initiative identified in subsection    
7a74  7#b7 ,duration ,the ,great ,lakes 
,restoration ,semipostal ,stamp shall be
 made available to the public for a     

period of at least #e years1 beginning  
no later than #ab months after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act4  7#c7    
,stamp depictions ,stamps issued under  
this ,act shall depict images of each of
 the five ,great ,lakes4  7#d7          
,limitation ,the ,great ,lakes          
,restoration ,semipostal ,stamp shall   
not be subject to1 or taken into account
 for purposes of applying1 any          
limitation under section                
#daf7;e77#a77;,c7 of such title #ci4    
7d7 ,definition ,for purposes of this   
,act1 the term semipostal stamp refers  
to a stamp described in section         
#daf7;a77#a7 of title #ci1 ,united      
,states ,code4