29–008 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 113–47 

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 527) TO AMEND THE 

HELIUM ACT TO COMPLETE THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE FEDERAL HELIUM RESERVE IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET FASHION THAT ENSURES 

STABILITY IN THE HELIUM MARKETS WHILE PROTECTING THE INTERESTS OF AMERICAN TAXPAYERS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 

APRIL 24, 2013.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah, from the Committee on Rules, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H. Res. 178] 

The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration House 

Resolution 178, by a nonrecord vote, report the same to the House 

with the recommendation that the resolution be adopted. 

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION

The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 527, the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, under a 

structured rule. The resolution provides one hour of general debate 

equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority 

member of the Committee on Natural Resources. The resolution 

waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. The resolution makes in order as original text for purpose of amendment 

an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text 

of Rules Committee Print 113–9 and provides that it shall be considered as read. The resolution waives all points of order against 

the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The resolution makes 

in order only those further amendments printed in this report. 

Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in 

this report, may be offered only by a Member designated in this report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time 

specified in this report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and 

shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the 

House or in the Committee of the Whole. The resolution waives all 

points of order against the amendments printed in this report. The 

resolution provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. 


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Section 2 of the resolution provides that on each legislative day 

during the period from April 27, 2013, through May 3, 2013: the 

Journal of the proceedings of the previous day shall be considered 

as approved; and the Chair may at any time declare the House adjourned to meet at a date and time within the limits of clause 4, 

section 5, article I of the Constitution, to be announced by the 

Chair in declaring the adjournment. 

Section 3 of the resolution provides that the Speaker may appoint Members to perform the duties of the Chair for the duration 

of the period addressed by section 2 of the resolution as though 

under clause 8(a) of rule I. 

Section 4 of the resolution provides that the Committee on Education and the Workforce may, at any time before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30, 2013, file a report to accompany H.R. 1406. 

EXPLANATION OF WAIVERS

Although the resolution waives all points of order against the 

consideration of the bill, the Committee is not aware of any points 

of order. The waiver is prophylactic in nature. 

The waiver of all points of order against the amendment in the 

nature of a substitute made in order as original text includes a 

waiver of clause 4 of rule XXI, which prohibits reporting a bill or 

joint resolution carrying an appropriation from a committee not 

having jurisdiction to report an appropriation. 

Although the resolution waives all points of order against the 

amendments printed in this report, the Committee is not aware of 

any points of order. The waiver is prophylactic in nature. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

The results of each record vote on an amendment or motion to 

report, together with the names of those voting for and against, are 

printed below: 

Rules Committee record vote No. 26 

Motion by Ms. Slaughter to report an open rule. Defeated: 2–6 

Majority Members Vote Minority Members Vote 

Ms. Foxx ............................................................ Nay Ms. Slaughter .................................................. Yea 

Mr. Bishop of Utah .......................................... Nay Mr. McGovern ................................................... Yea 

Mr. Cole ............................................................ Mr. Hastings of Florida ...................................

Mr. Woodall ...................................................... Nay Mr. Polis ...........................................................

Mr. Nugent ....................................................... Nay 

Mr. Webster ...................................................... Nay 

Ms. Ros-Lehtinen ............................................. Nay 

Mr. Burgess ......................................................

Mr. Sessions, Chairman ...................................

SUMMARY OF THE AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER

1. Collins, Doug (GA), Austin, Scott (GA): Ensures that excess 

funds are used to reduce the annual Federal budget deficit. (10 

minutes) 

2. Dent (PA), Higgins (NY), Esty, Elizabeth (CT): Seeks to ensure 

the continued supply of helium for end users while requiring the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to honor existing contracts for 

the supply and delivery of helium. Affirms that the federal governVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:48 Apr 25, 2013 Jkt 029008 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR047.XXX HR047

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ment will honor existing contracts that are set to expire October 1, 

2015. (10 minutes) 

3. Holt (NJ): Considers the long-term future of the Federal Helium Reserve by requiring an assessment of how closing the Federal Helium Reserve could influence helium availability, including 

options for insuring a reliable helium supply in coming decades. (10 

minutes) 

4. Thornberry (TX): Affirms the authority of the Secretary of the 

Interior to allow private entities to connect to and store helium in 

the Federal Helium Reserve for an appropriate fee. (10 minutes) 

TEXT OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER

1. AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE COLLINS

OF GEORGIA OR HIS DESIGNEE, DEBATABLE FOR 10 MINUTES

Page 18, line 14, after ‘‘FUNDS’’ insert ‘‘AND DEFICIT REDUCTION’’. 

Page 18, line 18, before the period insert ‘‘and used to reduce the 

annual Federal budget deficit’’. 

2. AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE DENT OF

PENNSYLVANIA OR HIS DESIGNEE, DEBATABLE FOR 10 MINUTES

Page 19, after line 17, insert the following: 

(c) EXISTING CONTRACTS NOT AFFECTED.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act or the amendments 

made by this Act shall be construed to affect any covered contract between the Bureau of Land Management and any person that owns— 

(A) helium stored in the Federal Helium Reserve (as 

that term is used in those amendments); or 

(B) a helium enrichment unit that is part of the Federal 

Helium Reserve. 

(2) COVERED CONTRACT.—In this subsection the term ‘‘covered contract’’ means a contract relating to the operation of the 

Federal Helium Reserve, that is in effect on the date of enactment of this Act. 

3. AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE HOLT OF

NEW JERSEY OR HIS DESIGNEE, DEBATABLE FOR 10 MINUTES

Page 27, strike ‘‘and’’ at line 6, and after line 6 insert the following (and redesignate the subsequent paragraph accordingly): 

(4) complete an assessment of options for ensuring a domestic helium supply in the future, including— 

(A) an analysis of how the Federal Helium Reserve has 

influenced domestic and global helium supply and prices 

historically; and 

(B) an assessment of options for how the Federal Helium 

Reserve could promote the long term availability and security of domestic helium supplies; and 


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4. AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE THORN- BERRY OF TEXAS OR HIS DESIGNEE, DEBATABLE FOR 10 MINUTES

Add at the end the following: 

SEC. ll. ADDITIONAL CONNECTIONS TO THE FEDERAL HELIUM RESERVE. 

The Secretary of the Interior may allow any person not connected 

to the Federal Helium Reserve, as that term is defined under section 2 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167), as amended by this Act, 

to connect to the Federal Helium Reserve for the purpose of storing 

helium, subject to such storage fees as may be required by the Secretary. Withdrawal of such helium shall be governed by that Act. 

Æ 


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