The Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp was issued July 29, 1998, as a result of legislation directing the Postal Service™ to issue a semipostal stamp to raise funds for breast cancer research.
Semipostal stamps are stamps sold for a price that exceeds the postage value of the stamp. The difference between the price and postage value (also known as the “differential”) less an offset for reasonable Postal Service costs, as determined by the Postal Service, is contributed to a specific cause. The difference between the purchase price and the First-Class Mail® nonautomation single-piece first-ounce letter rate in effect at the time of purchase constitutes a contribution to breast cancer research and cannot be used to pay postage. Semipostal stamps are offered for sale for a limited time, as provided by law.
To date, the Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp has raised more than $53 million for research. Funds (net of reasonable Postal Service costs) raised in connection with the Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp are transferred to the National Institutes of Health (70 percent) and to the medical research program of the Department of Defense (30 percent).
Congress has amended the Breast Cancer Research semipostal stamp legislation several times. The latest revision took place in November 2005, extending the stamp’s sales period through December 2007.
