II
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 572
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 11, 2009
Mr. Webb (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Wicker, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, and Mrs. Lincoln) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To provide for the issuance of a forever
stamp
to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the Armed
Forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp
Act
.
Findings
The Congress finds that—
the Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration in the world still in use;
the Purple Heart was first established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782, as the Honorary Badge of Distinction, otherwise known as the Badge of Military Merit or Decoration of the Purple Heart;
the Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States and may, among others, be awarded—
to any member of the Armed Forces who is wounded in an action against or held prisoner of war by an enemy of the United States; or
posthumously to the next of kin of any person who is a member of the Armed Forces at the time the person is killed or wounded under circumstances otherwise qualifying that person for award of the Purple Heart;
more than 1,700,000 Americans have been awarded the Purple Heart; and
the Purple Heart postage stamp, first issued by the United States Postal Service on May 30, 2003, honors the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart.
Perpetual Purple Heart Stamp
In general
In order to continue to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the Purple Heart, the Postmaster General shall provide for the issuance of a forever stamp suitable for that purpose.
Definition
For purposes of this Act, the term forever stamp means a definitive stamp which meets the postage required for first-class mail up to one ounce in weight, and which retains full validity for that purpose even if the rate of that postage is later increased.
Effective date
The stamp described in subsection (a) shall be issued beginning as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall not thereafter be discontinued.