New Stamp Subject Rules

The U.S. Postal Service is tightening up the rules for who and what gets on postage stamps.

The semi-independent agency receives tens of thousands of requests a year, some from individuals, some from members of Congress and other officials. The suggestions are reviewed by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, using guidelines first drawn up in the early 1970s.

The rules include a prohibition on honoring or depicting living people on U.S. stamps and postal stationery, nor within 10 years of their deaths. The exception is former presidents of the United States, who can be honored on their first birth anniversary after their deaths.

Among the changes to the rules announced Wednesday is an acknowledgement that commercial products are creeping into U.S. stamp subjects and designs. "Commercial products or enterprises might be used to illustrate more general concepts related to American culture." Recent stamps have featured the Slinky toy, the Ford Mustang automobile and Crayola Crayons.

The same rule continues the prohibition on stamps honoring fraternal and charitable organizations, but the Post Office Department in the 1950s and 1960s was able to get around that by commemorating programs of the groups, such as Kiwanis, Elks and Rotary.

Wednesday's announcement also acknowledges that most of the rules won't apply to the so-called semi-postal stamps that cost more than the price of carrying a letter, with the extra money going to a designated charity. Congress last year required the Postal Service to issue more of these, to follow the success of the Breast Cancer Research stamp of 1998, which so far has raised more than $20 million for two government research programs. The USPS in January responded by announcing five more stamps over the next decade.

Although the agency insists the charity stamp subjects will be chosen on their merits from public suggestions, it's likely that suggestions from members of Congress will be found to have more merit than those from other people.

Another change: Universities and colleges can be honored, but only for their 200th anniversaries. Under the previous rules, schools were not eligible, but the Postal Service got around this by issuing postal cards in its "Historic Preservation" series honoring major campus buildings. The cards were timed to come out on a major anniversary of the colleges or universities.

In the last two or three years, even that subterfuge was ignored. Postal cards are being issued this year for next week's 300th anniversary of Yale, the 100th anniversary of the University of Portland, 250th of the University of South Carolina and the 150th of Northwestern University, among others — none of which would meet the new guidelines.

The complete guidelines:

1. It is a general policy that U.S. postage stamps and stationery primarily will feature American or American-related subjects.
2. No living perso shall be honored by portrayal on U.S. postage.
3. Commemorative stamps or postal stationery items honoring individuals usually will be issued on or in conjunction with significant anniversaries of their birth, but no postal item will be issued sooner than ten years after the individual's death. The only exception to the 10-year rule is the issuance of stamps honoring deceased U.S. presidents. They may be honored with a memorial stamp on the first birth anniversary following death.
4. Events of historical significance shall be considered for commemoration only on anniversaries in multiples of 50 years.
5. Only events and themes of widespread national appeal and significance will be considered for commemoration. Events or themes of local or regional significance may be recognized by a philatelic or special postal cancellation, which may be arranged through the local postmaster.
6. Stamps or stationery items shall not be issued to honor fraternal, political, sectarian, or service/charitable organizations. Stamps or stationery shall not be issued to promote or advertise commercial enterprises or products. Commercial products or enterprises might be used to illustrate more general concepts related to American culture.
7. Stamps or stationery items shall not be issued to honor cities, towns, municipalities, counties, primary or secondary schools, hospitals, libraries, or similar institutions. Due to the limitations placed on annual postal programs and the vast number of such locales, organizations and institutions in existence, it would be difficult to single out any one for commemoration.
8. Requests for observance of statehood anniversaries will be considered for commemorative postage stamps only at intervals of 50 years from the date of the state's first entry into the Union. Requests for observance of other state-related or regional anniversaries will be considered only as subjects for postal stationery, and again only at intervals of 50 years from the date of the event.
9. Stamps or stationery items shall not be issued to honor religious institutions or individuals whose principal achievements are associated with religious undertakings or beliefs.
10. Stamps or postal stationery items with added values, referred to as "semi-postals," shall be issued every two years in accordance with Public Law 106253. Semi-postals will not be considered as part of the commemorative program and separate criteria will apply.
11. Requests for commemoration of universities and other institutions of higher education shall be considered only for stamped cards and only in connection with the 200th anniversaries of their founding.
12. No stamp shall be considered for issuance if one treating the same subject has been issued in the past 50 years. The only exceptions to this rule are traditional themes such as national symbols and holidays.

By Lloyd A. de Vries
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