Hello richwriting-ga,
I think I may know where the problem lies here. In researching this
question I?ve found out a lot of information about the original bill
and how it was proposed, and why your idea may not be accepted. Let me
tell you about all of this and explain why I think what I do.
This stamp started out as H.R. 407
( http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.+407: )
introduced by Rep. Vic Fazio (D-CA) on Jan 9th, 1997.
The companion bill S. 726
(http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:S.+726: ) was introduced
by Sen. Dianne Feinstein on May 8, 1997.
However, the legislation wasn?t passed until H.R. 1585. The Komen
Foundations stamp was created with the legislation of H.R. 1585, which
became Public Law 105-41. Rep Susan Molinari (R-NY) introduced it on
May 13th 1997. The difference in Molinari?s version was that instead
off all the proceeds going to the National Institute of Health (NIH),
that 70% went to the NIH and the remainder went to the Department of
Defense (DOD) (
http://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/factsheets/bcstampfactsheet.htm ) to help
fund their Breast Cancer Research Program.
In addition, that the proceeds from this stamp would not decrease
total funds received by the NIH or DOD.
The President signed the bill on August 13 as P.L. 105-41 so it took,
in total, from its first introduction 7 months and 4 days to be signed
into law, with some revisions on the way. It was engaged for 2 years,
at which time it has to be reviewed and extended, which it has a few
times.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c105:1:./temp/~c105oQgOTt:: (Introduced)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c105:2:./temp/~c105oQgOTt::
(agreed to by House)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c105:3:./temp/~c105oQgOTt::
(Agreed to by Senate)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c105:4:./temp/~c105oQgOTt:: As
agreed to by both House and Senate to be signed into law)
***Make sure these links cut and paste or are clickable in their
entirety. For some reason, in preview, the formatting seems to be
removing the colons at the end and the links do not work without
them***
Here?s the US Code on Special Postage Stamps:
http://frwebgate4.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=17073619519+4+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve
So, through all of this? the revision is what got it passed. Not only
did the NIH and the Komen foundation benefit, the US Government also
benefited from the 30% of funds that we?re going to the DOD?s Research
Center for Breast Cancer.
This legislation is for Cancer Research only. It cannot have anything
piggybacked onto it, unless it has to do with the exact situation. It
was a pilot program to see how the effectiveness of the campaign
worked. However, it has been continuously reauthorized, most recently
through P.L. 108-199, the Fiscal Year 2005 Consolidated Appropriations
bill. As of right now, S. 37 and H.R. 312 would reauthorize the breast
cancer stamp through 2007. It is currently authorized through December
31, 2005.
http://olpa.od.nih.gov/tracking/109/senate_bills/session1/s-37.asp
http://olpa.od.nih.gov/actions/public/108session2/pl108-199.asp
?The stamp?s introduction was a direct result of the efforts of Ernie
Bodai, MD, ( http://www.curebreastcancer.org/html/bodai_bio.htm ) a
breast health specialist who has treated more than 2000 women with
breast cancer over the last 15 years. Dr. Bodai travels across the
U.S. addressing groups of women about breast cancer. Mullen and fellow
WINABC board member David Goodman helped Dr. Bodai gain legislative
support for the breast cancer research stamp. Goodman lost his wife to
breast cancer in 1997.
The stamp itself was designed by Ethel Kessler
http://kesslerdesigngroup.com/ContactB.html She is the Art Director
for the USPS and a breast cancer survivor in Bethesda, Maryland and
was illustrated by Whitney Sherman ( http://www.whitneysherman.com/
)of Baltimore, Maryland.
The stamp portrays the Roman Goddess, Diana, protector of women in
Roman Mythology. In the illustration, Diana is reaching for a quiver,
symbolizing that she will protect women from harm. Diana?s arm is
raised in the same position a woman would raise her arm during
mammography and breast self-examination. In the place of her right
breast is the circular "Fund the Fight, Find the Cure" logo.?
http://imaginis.com/breasthealth/news/news8.16.00.asp
Here?s his story of how he (Bodai) got his idea into legislation:
http://www.lamasbeauty.com/lifestyle/june01/one_mans_mission.htm
Dr. Bodai?s website is here: http://www.ebodai.com/
There?s a campaign right now for a Prostate Cancer Research Stamp as
well. However, H.R.2562 as it was called has failed to pass Congress
this year.
?Following the success of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, Congress
found an increasing number of disease awareness activist groups
requesting that they be given a semi-postal stamp to raise awareness
and money for their cause. Added to this flood of requests was an
increasing number of non-disease activist groups, each wanting a stamp
for their cause - including safe railroad crossings and the World War
II Memorial planned for the Mall.
Several options were discussed in Congress: pass each stamp that
gained a respectable level of support; pass a bill providing for
rotating semipostals, each on sale for one year (diabetes for one
year, Alzheimer's the next year, prostate the next year, and so on);
or authorize the Postal Service to issue semipostals and transfer all
semi-postal decisions to the Postal Service.
Having faced this dilemma once before, with the issuance of
commemorative days, weeks, and months (Father's Day, Mother's Day,
National Men's Health Week, etc.) being transferred to another entity,
Congress decided to follow precedent and transfer semipostal decisions
somewhere else. This led to the passage of H.R. 4437, which transfers
all decisions on semipostals to the Postal Service. H.R. 4437 also
reauthorized sale of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp for 2 more
years.
H.R. 4437 was signed by President Clinton and became Public Law
106-253 on July 28, 2000, thereby insuring continued sales of the
Breast Cancer Research Stamp and transfer of decisions about all other
semipostals, including the proposed Prostate Cancer Research Stamp, to
the Postal Service.
Specifically, H.R. 4437 reads in part:
Sec. 416. Authority to issue semipostals
(a) DEFINITIONS- For purposes of this section--
(1) the term `semipostal' means a postage stamp which is issued and
sold by the Postal Service, at a premium, in order to help provide
funding for a cause described in subsection
(b); and
(2) the term `agency' means an Executive agency within the meaning of
section 105 of title 5.
(b) DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY- The Postal Service is hereby authorized
to issue and sell semipostals under this section in order to advance
such causes as the Postal Service considers to be in the national
public interest and appropriate.
(c) RATE OF POSTAGE- The rate of postage on a semipostal issued under
this section shall be established by the Governors, in accordance with
such procedures as they shall by regulation prescribe (in lieu of the
procedures under chapter 36), except that--
(1) the rate established for a semipostal under this section shall be
equal to the rate of postage that would otherwise regularly apply,
plus a differential of not to exceed 25 percent; and
(2) no regular rates of postage or fees for postal services under
chapter 36 shall be any different from what they otherwise would have
been if this section had not been enacted. The use of any semipostal
issued under this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal
patrons.?
Therefore, now we see that the creation of any such stamp like the
Breast Cancer one is now in the hands of the Postal Service and not
Congress. The Postal Service rests their decision on?
?The Postal Service is hereby authorized to issue and sell semipostals
under this section in order to advance such causes as the Postal
Service considers to be in the national public interest and
appropriate.?
You have to figure out a way to market your cause as being in the
National Public Interest (Who will it benefit, how is the Public
Interest involved, what till the majority of Americans gain out of
having the stamp issued? Sure, it may raise funds for Firefighters and
Police Officers, but how will them getting more funds benefit
communities enough where the Public would be SO interested to buy a
stamp for more than the going rate of postage). Now, don?t get me
wrong I think you have a great idea, but to get it through you have
many questions to ask. You need to ask these questions to see if you
can really come up with an idea that the Postal Service will think is
a good enough cause.
Since in introduction of the BC Stamp, many groups have tried and none
has succeeded. Well, except for one.
The Heroes of 2001 Stamp was the 2nd ever Semi-postal stamp ever
issued by the USPS. http://www.uams.edu/mailcntr/News.Htm#Trib and
http://www.usps.com/news/2002/philatelic/sr02_017.htm
?"The Postal Service is proud to honor the men and women who gave
their all in the rescue efforts following the terrorist attacks of
Sept. 11," said Potter. ? Sadly, many of these true American heroes
paid the ultimate sacrifice. We hope this stamp will be a lasting
tribute to them and a testimony to the spirit and resolve of our great
country."?
?The 11-cent difference between the sales price of the stamp and the
underlying postage in effect at the time of purchase consists of a
contribution. Funds raised in connection with sales of the stamp, net
of the Postal Service's reasonable costs, are to be transferred to the
Federal Emergency Management Agency.?
Now, this may be why your idea is having an problem being accepted. A
piece of art, representing 9/11 fallen firefighters and police
officers has already been issues as a semi-postal, with the money
going towards FEMA as a fundraiser. FEMA fundraising does benefit the
firefighters and police, as they help in disasters such as 9/11 as
well and offer assistance and supplies just to name a few. The
proceeds from this stamp are used by FEMA to ?provide assistance to
families of emergency relief personnel killed or permanently disabled
in connection with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.?
Therefore, that may be why you?re getting a no from the postal
service. In 8 years, only two stamps of the nature have been issued,
and one of the two is close to what you?re proposing. Can you imagine
the backlash at the postal service if they did two semipostals for
9/11 and none for Prostate Cancer or for any of the other groups who
have tried to get a semipostal for their cause? While you have a great
worthwhile idea, it seems something close to it has already been done.
Google Searches:
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=%22Ethel+Kessler%22&btnG=Search
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=Whitney+Sherman+&btnG=Search
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=Ethel+Kessler&btnG=Search
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&c2coff=1&safe=off&q=who+designed+the+breast+cancer+stamp&spell=1
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=who%20did%20the%20artwork%20for%20the%20breast%20cancer%20stamp&btnG=Google+Search
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=The%20Heroes%20of%202001%20stamp&btnG=Google+Search
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=who%20proposed%20breast%20cancer%20stamp&btnG=Google+Search
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=legislation+on+breast+cancer+research+stamp&btnG=Search
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=The%20Susan%20G.%20Komen%20Foundation%20stamp&btnG=Google+Search
If this answer requires further explanation, please request
clarification before rating it, and I'll be happy to look into this
further.
Nenna-GA
Google Answers Researcher |
