To exempt nonprofit organizations sending humanitarian care packages to members of the Armed Forces stationed overseas from certain tariff and postal reporting requirements, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill exempts qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations from customs tariffs, duties, and documentation requirements when sending humanitarian care packages to U.S. Armed Forces personnel stationed overseas. Currently, even volunteer-run nonprofits sending donated comfort items to troops must comply with commercial trade documentation like six-digit Harmonized System classification codes, country-of-origin data, and commercial invoices. The bill creates a new Section 321A in the Tariff Act of 1930 that waives these requirements for qualifying shipments, and directs the U.S. Postal Service to treat such packages as domestic mail.
Who Benefits and How
Nonprofit troop-support organizations like Operation Troop Support (cited in the bill) are the primary beneficiaries. These groups have faced delays, returned packages, and higher costs from customs requirements designed for commercial trade. The bill eliminates tariffs and complex paperwork, allowing them to use simplified manifests listing general categories (e.g., 'snack foods,' 'personal hygiene items') instead of detailed per-item trade codes. U.S. service members stationed abroad benefit from receiving more care packages with fewer disruptions. Volunteers and donors also benefit because their contributions will more reliably reach troops.
Who Bears the Burden and How
U.S. Customs and Border Protection loses some tariff revenue and must jointly issue new regulations within 180 days. The U.S. Postal Service must treat qualifying international shipments as domestic mail for rate and tariff purposes, potentially absorbing additional shipping costs. However, the bill preserves security screening authority, so enforcement agencies retain full inspection powers. If the exemption conflicts with Universal Postal Union requirements or Status of Forces Agreements, enforcement is delayed until January 31, 2027.
Key Provisions
- Creates Section 321A in the Tariff Act of 1930 exempting qualifying nonprofit care packages from tariffs, duties, HS codes, country-of-origin declarations, and commercial invoice requirements
- Requires shipments to originate from 501(c)(3) nonprofits that primarily support service members/veterans, be addressed to military mail addresses, and contain humanitarian care packages
- Directs USPS to treat qualifying shipments as domestic mail for all rate, tariff, and customs purposes
- Requires USPS and CBP to jointly issue implementing regulations within 180 days and accept simplified manifests
- Preserves security screening and inspection authority
- Delays enforcement until January 31, 2027 if inconsistent with Universal Postal Union requirements or Status of Forces Agreements
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Exempts qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations from tariff, duty, and customs documentation requirements (Harmonized System codes, country-of-origin declarations, commercial invoices) when sending humanitarian care packages to U.S. Armed Forces personnel stationed overseas, and directs USPS and CBP to treat such shipments as domestic mail.
Key Policy Areas
Trade, National Defense, Nonprofit Organizations
Primary Purpose
Exempts qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations from tariff, duty, and customs documentation requirements (Harmonized System codes, country-of-origin declarations, commercial invoices) when sending humanitarian care packages to U.S. Armed Forces personnel stationed overseas, and directs USPS and CBP to treat such shipments as domestic mail.
Policy Domains
Support Our Troops Shipping Relief Act of 2025
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Nonprofit troop-support organizations (e.g., Operation Troop Support)
- U.S. Armed Forces personnel stationed overseas
- Volunteers and donors supporting care package efforts
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (reduced customs revenue, new regulatory obligations)
- United States Postal Service (must treat qualifying shipments as domestic mail regardless of destination)
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Moulton introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Nonprofit troop-support organizations, Operation Troop Support
Customs and Border Protection, United States Postal Service
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_commissioner"
- → Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- "the_postmaster_general"
- → Postmaster General (United States Postal Service)
- "the_secretary_of_the_treasury"
- → Secretary of the Treasury (acting through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
As defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code.
A parcel containing donated goods intended solely for the comfort, welfare, or morale of Armed Forces personnel stationed outside the continental United States.
An organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that primarily supports United States service members or veterans.
An Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), or Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) address designated by the Department of Defense for receipt of mail by U.S. Armed Forces personnel abroad.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology