73R9182 BNL-F
          By McCoulskey                                        H.C.R. No. 127
                              HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, Numismatics, the study or collection of currency, is
    1-2  a hobby with a long and distinguished history  that is practiced by
    1-3  millions of individuals all over the world; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, By collecting and cataloguing rare coins, tokens,
    1-5  paper money, and other related objects, these individuals are
    1-6  helping to preserve the symbols of economic exchange throughout the
    1-7  world, thus allowing future generations a glimpse into history; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, Like other collectors, numismatists are particularly
    1-9  interested in colorful, unique specimens that may be valued for
   1-10  their artistic merit as well as their historical significance; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, Food coupons, commonly referred to as "food stamps,"
   1-12  distributed by the United States Department of Agriculture meet
   1-13  these criteria and, as a medium of exchange used to pay for goods
   1-14  or services rendered, fall into the general category of objects
   1-15  collected by numismatists; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, Under the terms of The Food Stamp Act of 1964, as
   1-17  amended, redeemed food stamps are remitted to the federal reserve,
   1-18  which destroys the cancelled coupons to prevent their further use;
   1-19  this Act specifies that food stamps may be issued only to
   1-20  households that have been certified as eligible and prohibits the
   1-21  disposal of cancelled coupons outside authorized channels, thus
   1-22  preventing numismatists from adding these specimens to their
   1-23  collections; and
   1-24        WHEREAS, At a time when millions of Americans are committing
    2-1  themselves to reducing waste and pollution by recycling and
    2-2  eliminating unnecessary paper and plastic products, this continuous
    2-3  cycle of creating and destroying paper food stamps seems to be
    2-4  unconscionably inefficient; by allowing collectors to purchase
    2-5  cancelled food coupons for a fraction of the face value, the
    2-6  government could reduce waste and, at the same time, create a
    2-7  source of revenue for the United States Department of Agriculture;
    2-8  and
    2-9        WHEREAS, This type of exchange would not be unprecedented,
   2-10  since current federal laws and federal regulations allow
   2-11  numismatists and other hobbyists to purchase U.S. Military Payment
   2-12  Certificates (MPC's) and ration coupons from the 1940's; like food
   2-13  stamps, MPC's were to be used only by authorized persons, in this
   2-14  case within the confines of U.S. military establishments, and were
   2-15  not intended for circulation among the general public, but the
   2-16  historical value of these certificates was soon recognized and they
   2-17  have become collectors' items; and
   2-18        WHEREAS, By clearly endorsing the used food coupons with the
   2-19  word "void," "used," or "cancelled," or by devising some other way
   2-20  to cancel coupons without destroying their artistic value, the
   2-21  United States Department of Agriculture could prevent fraudulent
   2-22  uses of these coupons while allowing legitimate hobbyists to enjoy
   2-23  them as part of their collections; and
   2-24        WHEREAS, At this time, several states are experimenting with
   2-25  a plastic debit card, similar to a credit card, that could
   2-26  eventually render the current paper food stamp system obsolete; and
   2-27        WHEREAS, By acting now to remove the restrictions against the
    3-1  collection of cancelled food stamps, Congress could create a huge
    3-2  market that would absorb the surplus coupons and simultaneously
    3-3  provide a new source of revenue; in doing so, elected officials
    3-4  would demonstrate dedication to streamlining government waste and
    3-5  would allow numismatists around the world an opportunity to add
    3-6  this unique form of American currency to their collections; now,
    3-7  therefore, be it
    3-8        RESOLVED, That the 73rd Legislature of the State of Texas,
    3-9  Regular Session, 1993, hereby memorialize the Congress of the
   3-10  United States to enact legislation to authorize the United States
   3-11  Department of Agriculture to sell processed, previously-redeemed,
   3-12  discontinued, and no-longer negotiable food stamps to the public
   3-13  for numismatic purposes; and, be it further
   3-14        RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
   3-15  copies of this resolution to the president of the United States,
   3-16  the president of the senate and speaker of the house of
   3-17  representatives of the United States Congress, and all members of
   3-18  the Texas delegation to the Congress, with the request that this
   3-19  resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to
   3-20  the Congress of the United States.