,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebii  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #d1        
#bjai,mr4 ,delgado 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,smith of ,new ,jersey1 ,mr4 ,peterson1 
and ,mr4 ,zeldin7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,oversight and        
,reform1 and in addition to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 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 ,lyme     
,disease ,research ,semipostal ,stamp4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,stamp ,out ,lyme ,disease ,act4
  #b4 ,findings and purpose  7a7        
,findings ,congress finds the following3
  7#a7 ,according to the ,tick-,borne   
,disease ,working ,group1 an estimated  
#bia1dcj to #dcg1aej new cases of ,lyme 
disease were reported in the ,united    

,states in #bjaf4  7#b7 ,the ,centers   
for ,disease ,control and ,prevention   
7,,cdc7 reports that ,lyme disease is   
difficult to diagnose due to its diverse
 manifestations and a lack of reliable  
testing options4  7#c7 ,the ,national   
,institutes of ,health 7,,nih7          
discovered that while ,lyme disease     
symptoms can be managed with proper     
care1 the disease currently has no cure4
  7#d7 ,the ,tick-,borne ,disease       
,working ,group reports that #aj to #bj 
percent of ,lyme disease patients will  
suffer from persistent symptoms which   
can be chronic and disabling4  7#e7     
,according to the ,johns ,hopkins       
,bloomberg ,school of ,public ,health1  
,lyme disease costs the ,united ,states 
healthcare system up to #a1cjj1jjj1jjj  
dollars per year4  7b7 ,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  

,diseases1 the ,united ,states ,postal  
,service shall issue a semipostal stamp 
7hereinafter in this ,act referred to as
 the ,lyme ,disease ,research           
,semipostal ,stamp7 in accordance with  
this section4  #c4 ,lyme disease        
research semipostal stamp  7a7 ,terms   
and conditions ,the issuance and sale of
 the ,lyme ,disease ,research           
,semipostal ,stamp shall be governed by 
the provisions of section #daf of title 
#ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 and         
regulations issued under such section4  
7b7 ,disposition of proceeds  7#a7 ,in  
general ,all amounts becoming available 
from the sale of the ,lyme ,disease     
,research ,semipostal ,stamp 7as        
determined under section #daf7;d7 of    
such title #ci7 shall be transferred to 
the ,national ,institute of ,allergy and
 ,infectious ,diseases1 for the purpose 
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 
,lyme ,disease ,research ,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 ,national  
,institute of ,allergy and ,infectious  
,diseases4  7c7 ,duration ,the ,lyme    
,disease ,research ,semipostal ,stamp   
shall be made available to the public   
for a period of at least #f years1      
beginning no later than #ab months after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act4
  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