U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, announced that late Thursday S. 597, a bill Sen. Hutchison introduced to extend the sale of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp for four years, passed both Houses of Congress.

The original bill passed the Senate on November 15, 2007.

The House passed a slightly amended version on Tuesday and the Senate passed that version late Thursday night.

The bill now awaits the President’s signature.

“I am so pleased that we can extend the sale of the research stamp for another four years,” said Sen. Hutchison.

“This stamp is raising tens of millions of dollars for critical breast cancer research. Extending the sale of this stamp will keep us on the path to finding a cure for this disease which affects so many lives.”

Sen. Hutchison and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced S. 597, legislation to extend the sale of the stamp, in February.

Under current law, the sale of the stamp will expire on December 31, 2007.

Sens. Hutchison and Feinstein were original proponents of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, which on July 29, 1998, became America’s first fund-raising stamp.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, over 777 million Breast Cancer Research Stamps have been sold, raising approximately $56 million for breast cancer research to date.

Of the amount raised, 70% is given to the National Institutes of Health and 30% is given to the Medical Research Program at the U.S. Department of Defense.

The stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD.