Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act

This bill creates a special postage stamp to raise money for Lyme disease research. The Postal Service would sell a “Lyme Disease Research” stamp, and the extra money from each sale would go to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to support research on Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. The money must be sent at least twice a year, and it cannot be used as a reason to cut regular federal funding for this research. The stamp must be offered for at least six years and made available within a year after the law is enacted.

The bill explains why this matters: Lyme disease is common, hard to diagnose, and can leave lasting symptoms. It estimates about 476,000 cases are diagnosed and treated each year, 10–20% of patients may have ongoing problems, and the disease can cost the health system up to $1.3 billion annually.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Mail customers, people with Lyme disease, and medical researchers.
• What changes: A fundraising postage stamp is sold; all proceeds go to federal research at NIAID and do not replace existing funding.
• When: The stamp must be available within 12 months of enactment and sold for at least six years.