New 'Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act' Creates 6-Year Semipostal Stamp to Fund Tick-Borne Illness Research

The new Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act aims to tackle a major public health issue—the roughly 476,000 cases of Lyme disease diagnosed annually—by creating a novel funding stream for research. This bill directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to issue a special semipostal stamp for a minimum of six years, with the sale period kicking off within 12 months of the Act becoming law. The core idea is simple: let the public voluntarily pitch in to help fund the fight against tick-borne illnesses.

The Research Fundraiser You Can Lick

So, what exactly is a semipostal stamp? It’s a stamp sold at a premium above the standard postage rate, and the extra money goes directly to a designated cause. In this case, all the funds raised from selling this new Lyme Disease Research Semipostal Stamp will be funneled straight to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The bill requires the USPS to transfer these funds to NIAID at least twice a year.

This is a big deal because the money is strictly supplemental. The bill explicitly states that the revenue generated from the stamp sales will not count against NIAID when Congress sets its annual budget. For everyday people, this means every stamp purchased is adding new money to the research pot, not just offsetting or replacing existing federal funding. Given that Johns Hopkins estimates the annual cost of Lyme disease to the U.S. healthcare system is around $1.3 billion, any dedicated, non-lapsing funding is a win.

Why This Matters for Your Health and Wallet

The need for this research is clear: Congress noted that current diagnostic tests for Lyme are often unreliable, and studies show that 10 to 20 percent of patients treated for later-stage Lyme still deal with long-term, disabling symptoms. This bill is trying to fix the research gap that leads to these poor outcomes. If you’re a parent in the Northeast or Upper Midwest, or anyone who spends time outdoors, better diagnostics and treatments are a major quality-of-life issue.

For the general public, the impact is low-stakes and voluntary. You are not being taxed; you are being offered a choice to contribute to Lyme research simply by choosing to buy a premium stamp when mailing a letter. The only group taking on a new burden is the USPS, which must handle the administrative task of creating, marketing, and managing the sales and fund transfers for this new stamp over the mandated six-year period. It’s a minimal effort for the post office, but potentially a huge benefit for public health research.