House OKs Cancer Research Stamp

The US House of Representatives has passed its version of a billallowing the sale of a first-class postage stamp costing pennies more that the going first-class rate, with the difference to be spent on breast cancer research.

The House bill calls for the Postal Service to determine a rate not more than 125% of the current first-class postage which, with the current 32 cent rate, would mean the stamp costing 33-40 cents. The extra 1-8 cents would go to breast cancer research, after administrative costs are deducted, with about 70% of the funds going to the National Institutes of Health and the rest to the Department of Defense, which is also doing research on the disease.

The program is voluntary, and would not replace existing first-class stamps. It would be evaluated after two years to see if is an effective fund-raising method.