,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddac  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #cj1 #bjbc,mr4 
,gottheimer 7for himself and ,mr4       
,bacon7 introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,oversight and ,accountability1 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 ,the ,centers
 for ,disease ,control and ,prevention  
7,,cdc7 estimate that #dgf1jjj ,lyme    
disease cases are diagnosed and treated 
in the ,united ,states annually4  7#b7  
,the ,,cdc 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
 reports that a significant number of   
later-stage or post-treatment ,lyme     
disease patients are not cured4  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  
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