{ "id": "RS20921", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RS20921", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 353234, "date": "2008-03-18", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T03:34:52.443927", "title": "Semipostal Stamps: Authorization, Revenue, and Selection Process", "summary": "Semipostal stamps, postage sold at a premium to raise funds for particular causes, have only recently been authorized by Congress for use in the United States. The Breast Cancer Research Stamp (BCRS) was introduced in July 1998, and as of December 2007, has raised over $60.1 million to support research in treating breast cancer through distributions to designated agencies. In the 106th Congress, the Semipostal Authorization Act of 2000 extended the BCRS two years and authorized the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to issue other semipostals until 2010. USPS issued regulations inviting public nominations for future semipostals, providing that each can be sold for two years but only one can be on sale at any given time. Subsequent Congresses have further extended the life of the BCRS. Most recently, the 110th Congress authorized its sale through December 31, 2011. The breast cancer stamp\u2019s success is no guarantee that other semipostals will be equally successful. The \u201cHeroes of 2001\u201d stamp did not sell especially well and was withdrawn from circulation.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RS20921", "sha1": "b50111d48d6ecc4026479ea576bc027ed794b09e", "filename": "files/20080318_RS20921_b50111d48d6ecc4026479ea576bc027ed794b09e.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RS20921", "sha1": "3bc8a68433f2a1c3b903faef6d4e6bb7e7e75729", "filename": "files/20080318_RS20921_3bc8a68433f2a1c3b903faef6d4e6bb7e7e75729.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Intelligence and National Security" ] }