In the Senate of the United States, 
September 19, 2013. 
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representa-
tives (H.R. 527) entitled ‘‘An Act to amend the Helium Act 
to complete the privatization of the Federal helium reserve in 
a competitive market fashion that ensures stability in the he-
lium markets while protecting the interests of American tax-
payers, and for other purposes.’’, do pass with the following 
AMENDMENT: 
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following: 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helium Stewardship 
Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 2 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this Act:
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‘‘(1) CLIFFSIDE
FIELD.—The term ‘Cliffside 
Field’ means the helium storage reservoir in which 
the Federal Helium Reserve is stored. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL
HELIUM
PIPELINE.—The term 
‘Federal Helium Pipeline’ means the federally owned 
pipeline system through which the Federal Helium 
Reserve may be transported. 
‘‘(3) FEDERAL
HELIUM
RESERVE.—The term 
‘Federal Helium Reserve’ means helium reserves 
owned by the United States. 
‘‘(4) FEDERAL
HELIUM
SYSTEM.—The term 
‘Federal Helium System’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Federal Helium Reserve; 
‘‘(B) the Cliffside Field; 
‘‘(C) the Federal Helium Pipeline; and 
‘‘(D) all other infrastructure owned, leased, 
or managed under contract by the Secretary for 
the storage, transportation, withdrawal, enrich-
ment, purification, or management of helium. 
‘‘(5) FEDERAL USER.—The term ‘Federal user’ 
means a Federal agency or extramural holder of one 
or more Federal research grants using helium. 
‘‘(6) LOW-BTU
GAS.—The term ‘low-Btu gas’ 
means a fuel gas with a heating value of less than 
250 Btu per standard cubic foot measured as the
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higher heating value resulting from the inclusion of 
noncombustible gases, including nitrogen, helium, 
argon, and carbon dioxide. 
‘‘(7) PERSON.—The term ‘person’ means any in-
dividual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, 
trust, estate, public or private institution, or State or 
political subdivision. 
‘‘(8) PRIORITY
PIPELINE
ACCESS.—The term 
‘priority pipeline access’ means the first priority of 
delivery of crude helium under which the Secretary 
schedules and ensures the delivery of crude helium to 
a helium refinery through the Federal Helium Sys-
tem. 
‘‘(9) QUALIFIED BIDDER.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘qualified bid-
der’ means a person the Secretary determines is 
seeking to purchase helium for their own use, re-
fining, or redelivery to users. 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘qualified bid-
der’ does not include a person who was pre-
viously determined to be a qualified bidder if the 
Secretary determines that the person did not 
meet the requirements of a qualified bidder 
under this Act.
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‘‘(10) QUALIFYING
DOMESTIC
HELIUM
TRANS-
ACTION.—The term ‘qualifying domestic helium 
transaction’ means any agreement entered into or re-
negotiated agreement during the preceding 1-year pe-
riod in the United States for the purchase or sale of 
at least 15,000,000 standard cubic feet of crude or 
pure helium to which any holder of a contract with 
the Secretary for the acceptance, storage, delivery, or 
redelivery of crude helium from the Federal Helium 
System is a party. 
‘‘(11) REFINER.—The term ‘refiner’ means a 
person with the ability to take delivery of crude he-
lium from the Federal Helium Pipeline and refine the 
crude helium into pure helium. 
‘‘(12) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior.’’. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY. 
Section 3 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167a) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) EXTRACTION OF HELIUM FROM DEPOSITS ON 
FEDERAL LAND.—All amounts received by the Secretary 
from the sale or disposition of helium on Federal land shall 
be credited to the Helium Production Fund established 
under section 6(e).’’.
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‘‘(5) SAFETY VALVE.—The Secretary may adjust 
the quantities specified in paragraph (2)— 
‘‘(A) downward, if the Secretary determines 
the adjustment necessary— 
‘‘(i) to minimize market disruptions 
that pose a threat to the economic well-being 
of the United States; and 
‘‘(ii) only after submitting a written 
justification of the adjustment to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate and the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives; 
or 
‘‘(B) upward, if the Secretary determines 
the adjustment necessary to increase participa-
tion in crude helium auctions or returns to the 
taxpayer. 
‘‘(6) AUCTION
FORMAT.—The Secretary shall 
conduct each auction using a method that maximizes 
revenue to the Federal Government. 
‘‘(7) PRICES.—The Secretary shall annually es-
tablish, as applicable, separate sale and minimum 
auction prices under subsection (a)(1) and para-
graphs (1) and (2) using, if applicable and in the fol-
lowing order of priority:
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‘‘(A) The sale price of crude helium in auc-
tions held by the Secretary under paragraph (2). 
‘‘(B) 
Price 
recommendations 
and 
disaggregated data from a qualified, independent 
third party who has no conflict of interest, who 
shall conduct a confidential survey of qualifying 
domestic helium transactions. 
‘‘(C) The volume-weighted average price of 
all crude helium and pure helium purchased, 
sold, or processed by persons in all qualifying 
domestic helium transactions. 
‘‘(D) The volume-weighted average cost of 
converting gaseous crude helium into pure he-
lium. 
‘‘(8) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall re-
quire all persons that are parties to a contract 
with the Secretary for the withdrawal, accept-
ance, storage, transportation, delivery, or rede-
livery of crude helium to disclose, on a strictly 
confidential basis— 
‘‘(i) the volumes and associated prices 
in dollars per thousand cubic feet of all 
crude and pure helium purchased, sold, or
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processed by persons in qualifying domestic 
helium transactions; 
‘‘(ii) the volumes and associated costs 
in dollars per thousand cubic feet of con-
verting crude helium into pure helium; and 
‘‘(iii) refinery capacity and future ca-
pacity estimates. 
‘‘(B) CONDITION.—As a condition of sale or 
auction to a refiner under subsection (a)(1) and 
paragraphs (1) and (2), effective beginning 90 
days after the date of enactment of the Helium 
Stewardship Act of 2013, the refiner shall make 
excess refining capacity of helium available at 
commercially reasonable rates to— 
‘‘(i) any person prevailing in auctions 
under paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(ii) any person that has acquired 
crude helium from the Secretary from the 
Federal Helium Reserve by means other 
than an auction under paragraph (2) after 
the date of enactment of the Helium Stew-
ardship Act of 2013, including nonallocated 
sales. 
‘‘(9) USE OF INFORMATION.—The Secretary may 
use the information collected under this Act—
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‘‘(A) to approximate crude helium prices; 
and 
‘‘(B) to ensure the recovery of fair value for 
the taxpayers of the United States from sales of 
crude helium. 
‘‘(10) PROTECTION
OF
CONFIDENTIALITY.—The 
Secretary shall adopt such administrative policies 
and procedures as the Secretary considers necessary 
and reasonable to ensure the confidentiality of infor-
mation submitted pursuant to this Act. 
‘‘(11) FORWARD AUCTIONS.—Effective beginning 
in fiscal year 2016, the Secretary may conduct a for-
ward auction once each fiscal year of a quantity of 
helium that is equal to up to 10 percent of the volume 
of crude helium to be made available at auction dur-
ing the following fiscal year if the Secretary deter-
mines that the forward auction will— 
‘‘(A) not cause a disruption in the supply 
of helium from the Reserve; 
‘‘(B) represent a cost-effective action; 
‘‘(C) generate greater returns for taxpayers; 
and 
‘‘(D) increase the effectiveness of price dis-
covery.
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‘‘(12) AUCTION
FREQUENCY.—Consistent with 
the annual volumes established under paragraph (2), 
effective beginning in fiscal year 2016, the Secretary 
may conduct auctions twice during each fiscal year 
if the Secretary determines that the auction frequency 
will— 
‘‘(A) not cause a disruption in the supply 
of helium from the Reserve; 
‘‘(B) represent a cost-effective action; 
‘‘(C) generate greater returns for taxpayers; 
and 
‘‘(D) increase the effectiveness of price dis-
covery. 
‘‘(c) PHASE C: CONTINUED ACCESS FOR FEDERAL 
USERS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall offer 
crude helium for sale to Federal users in such quan-
tities, at such times, at such prices required to reim-
burse the Secretary for the full costs of the sales, and 
under such terms and conditions as the Secretary de-
termines necessary to carry out this subsection. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL PURCHASES.—Federal users may 
purchase refined helium with priority pipeline access 
under this subsection from persons who have entered 
into enforceable contracts to purchase an equivalent
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quantity of crude helium at the in-kind price from 
the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection applies 
beginning on the day after the date described in sub-
section (b)(4)(B). 
‘‘(d) PHASE D: DISPOSAL OF ASSETS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not earlier than 2 years 
after the date of commencement of Phase C described 
in subsection (c) and not later than September 30, 
2022, the Secretary shall designate as excess property 
and dispose of all facilities, equipment, and other real 
and personal property, and all interests in the same, 
held by the United States in the Federal Helium Sys-
tem. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE
LAW.—The disposal of the 
property described in paragraph (1) shall be in ac-
cordance with subtitle I of title 40, United States 
Code. 
‘‘(3) PROCEEDS.—All proceeds accruing to the 
United States by reason of the sale or other disposal 
of the property described in paragraph (1) shall be 
treated as funds received under this Act for purposes 
of subsection (e). 
‘‘(4) COSTS.—All costs associated with the sale 
and disposal (including costs associated with termi-
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nation of personnel) and with the cessation of activi-
ties under this subsection shall be paid from amounts 
available in the Helium Production Fund established 
under subsection (e). 
‘‘(e) HELIUM PRODUCTION FUND.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—All amounts received under 
this Act, including amounts from the sale or auction 
of crude helium, shall be credited to the Helium Pro-
duction Fund, which shall be available without fiscal 
year limitation for purposes determined to be nec-
essary and cost effective by the Secretary to carry out 
this Act (other than sections 16, 17, and 18), includ-
ing capital investments in upgrades and maintenance 
at the Federal Helium System, including— 
‘‘(A) well head maintenance at the Cliffside 
Field; 
‘‘(B) capital investments in maintenance 
and upgrades of facilities that pressurize the 
Cliffside Field; 
‘‘(C) capital investments in maintenance 
and upgrades of equipment related to the storage, 
withdrawal, transportation, purification, and 
sale of crude helium from the Federal Helium 
Reserve;
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‘‘(D) entering into purchase, lease, or other 
agreements to drill new or uncap existing wells 
to maximize the recovery of crude helium from 
the Federal Helium System; and 
‘‘(E) any other scheduled or unscheduled 
maintenance of the Federal Helium System. 
‘‘(2) EXCESS FUNDS.—Amounts in the Helium 
Production Fund in excess of amounts the Secretary 
determines to be necessary to carry out paragraph (1) 
shall be paid to the general fund of the Treasury and 
used to reduce the annual Federal budget deficit. 
‘‘(3) RETIREMENT
OF
PUBLIC
DEBT.—Out of 
amounts paid to the general fund of the Treasury 
under paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Treasury 
shall use $51,000,000 to retire public debt. 
‘‘(4) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 
2013 and annually thereafter, the Secretary of the In-
terior shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee 
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives 
a report describing all expenditures by the Bureau of 
Land Management to carry out this Act. 
‘‘(f) MINIMUM QUANTITY.—The Secretary shall offer 
for sale or auction during each fiscal year under subsections
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(a), (b), and (c) a quantity of crude helium that is the lesser 
of — 
‘‘(1) the quantity of crude helium offered for sale 
by the Secretary during fiscal year 2012; or 
‘‘(2) the maximum total production capacity of 
the Federal Helium System.’’. 
SEC. 6. INFORMATION, ASSESSMENT, RESEARCH, AND 
STRATEGY. 
The Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by repealing section 15 (50 U.S.C. 167m); 
(2) by redesignating section 17 (50 U.S.C. 167 
note) as section 20; and 
(3) by inserting after section 14 (50 U.S.C. 167l) 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 15. INFORMATION. 
‘‘(a) TRANSPARENCY.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Bureau of Land Management, shall make available on 
the Internet information relating to the Federal Helium 
System that includes— 
‘‘(1) continued publication of an open market 
and in-kind price; 
‘‘(2) aggregated projections of excess refining ca-
pacity; 
‘‘(3) ownership of helium held in the Federal He-
lium Reserve;
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‘‘(4) the volume of helium delivered to persons 
through the Federal Helium Pipeline; 
‘‘(5) pressure constraints of the Federal Helium 
Pipeline; 
‘‘(6) an estimate of the projected date when 
3,000,000,000 standard cubic feet of crude helium will 
remain in the Federal Helium Reserve and the final 
phase described in section 6(c) will begin; 
‘‘(7) the amount of the fees charged under section 
5; 
‘‘(8) the scheduling of crude helium deliveries 
through the Federal Helium Pipeline; and 
‘‘(9) other factors that will increase trans-
parency. 
‘‘(b) REPORTING.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, 
to provide the market with appropriate and timely infor-
mation affecting the helium resource, the Director of the Bu-
reau of Land Management shall establish a timely and pub-
lic reporting process to provide data that affects the helium 
industry, including— 
‘‘(1) annual maintenance schedules and quar-
terly updates, that shall include— 
‘‘(A) the date and duration of planned shut-
downs of the Federal Helium Pipeline;
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‘‘(B) the nature of work to be undertaken on 
the Federal Helium System, whether routine, ex-
tended, or extraordinary; 
‘‘(C) the anticipated impact of the work on 
the helium supply; 
‘‘(D) the efforts being made to minimize 
any impact on the supply chain; and 
‘‘(E) any concerns regarding maintenance 
of the Federal Helium Pipeline, including the 
pressure of the pipeline or deviation from nor-
mal operation of the pipeline; 
‘‘(2) for each unplanned outage, a description 
of— 
‘‘(A) the beginning of the outage; 
‘‘(B) the expected duration of the outage; 
‘‘(C) the nature of the problem; 
‘‘(D) the estimated impact on helium sup-
ply; 
‘‘(E) a plan to correct problems, including 
an estimate of the potential timeframe for correc-
tion and the likelihood of plan success within the 
timeframe; 
‘‘(F) efforts to minimize negative impacts 
on the helium supply chain; and
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‘‘(G) updates on repair status and the an-
ticipated online date; 
‘‘(3) monthly summaries of meetings and com-
munications between the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment and the Cliffside Refiners Limited Partnership, 
including a list of participants and an indication of 
any actions taken as a result of the meetings or com-
munications; and 
‘‘(4) current predictions of the lifespan of the 
Federal Helium System, including how much longer 
the crude helium supply will be available based on 
current and forecasted demand and the projected 
maximum production capacity of the Federal Helium 
System for the following fiscal year. 
‘‘SEC. 16. HELIUM GAS RESOURCE ASSESSMENT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, 
the Secretary, acting through the Director of the United 
States Geological Survey, shall— 
‘‘(1) in coordination with appropriate heads of 
State geological surveys— 
‘‘(A) complete a national helium gas assess-
ment that identifies and quantifies the quantity 
of helium, including the isotope helium-3, in 
each reservoir, including assessments of the con-
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stituent gases found in each helium resource, 
such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and natural 
gas; and 
‘‘(B) make available the modern seismic 
and geophysical log data for characterization of 
the Bush Dome Reservoir; 
‘‘(2) in coordination with appropriate inter-
national agencies and the global geology community, 
complete a global helium gas assessment that identi-
fies and quantifies the quantity of the helium, includ-
ing the isotope helium-3, in each reservoir; 
‘‘(3) in coordination with the Secretary of En-
ergy, acting through the Administrator of the Energy 
Information Administration, complete— 
‘‘(A) an assessment of trends in global de-
mand for helium, including the isotope helium- 
3; 
‘‘(B) a 10-year forecast of domestic demand 
for helium across all sectors, including scientific 
and medical research, commercial, manufac-
turing, space technologies, cryogenics, and na-
tional defense; and 
‘‘(C) an inventory of medical, scientific, in-
dustrial, commercial, and other uses of helium in 
the United States, including Federal uses, that
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identifies the nature of the helium use, the 
amounts required, the technical and commercial 
viability of helium recapture and recycling in 
that use, and the availability of material sub-
stitutes wherever possible; and 
‘‘(4) submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee 
on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives 
a report describing the results of the assessments re-
quired under this paragraph. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$1,000,000. 
‘‘SEC. 17. LOW-BTU GAS SEPARATION AND HELIUM CON-
SERVATION. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Energy shall 
support programs of research, development, commercial ap-
plication, and conservation (including the programs de-
scribed in subsection (b))— 
‘‘(1) to expand the domestic production of low- 
Btu gas and helium resources; 
‘‘(2) to separate and capture helium from nat-
ural gas streams; and
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‘‘(3) to reduce the venting of helium and helium- 
bearing low-Btu gas during natural gas exploration 
and production. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(1) MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH.—The 
Secretary of Energy, in consultation with other ap-
propriate agencies, shall support a civilian research 
program to develop advanced membrane technology 
that is used in the separation of low-Btu gases, in-
cluding technologies that remove helium and other 
constituent gases that lower the Btu content of nat-
ural gas. 
‘‘(2) HELIUM
SEPARATION
TECHNOLOGY.—The 
Secretary of Energy shall support a research program 
to develop technologies for separating, gathering, and 
processing helium in low concentrations that occur 
naturally in geological reservoirs or formations, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) low-Btu gas production streams; and 
‘‘(B) technologies that minimize the atmos-
pheric venting of helium gas during natural gas 
production. 
‘‘(3) INDUSTRIAL HELIUM PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary of Energy, working through the Advanced
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Manufacturing Office of the Department of Energy, 
shall carry out a research program— 
‘‘(A) to develop low-cost technologies and 
technology systems for recycling, reprocessing, 
and reusing helium for all medical, scientific, in-
dustrial, commercial, aerospace, and other uses 
of helium in the United States, including Fed-
eral uses; and 
‘‘(B) to develop industrial gathering tech-
nologies to capture helium from other chemical 
processing, including ammonia processing. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$3,000,000. 
‘‘SEC. 18. HELIUM-3 SEPARATION. 
‘‘(a) INTERAGENCY
COOPERATION.—The Secretary 
shall cooperate with the Secretary of Energy, or a designee, 
on any assessment or research relating to the extraction and 
refining of the isotope helium-3 from crude helium and 
other potential sources, including— 
‘‘(1) gas analysis; and 
‘‘(2) infrastructure studies. 
‘‘(b) FEASIBILITY STUDY.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of Energy, or a designee, may carry 
out a study to assess the feasibility of—
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‘‘(1) establishing a facility to separate the iso-
tope helium-3 from crude helium; and 
‘‘(2) exploring other potential sources of the iso-
tope helium-3. 
‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Nat-
ural Resources of the House of Representatives a report that 
contains a description of the results of the assessments con-
ducted under this section. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$1,000,000. 
‘‘SEC. 19. FEDERAL AGENCY HELIUM ACQUISITION STRAT-
EGY. 
‘‘In anticipation of the implementation of Phase D de-
scribed in section 6(d), and not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 
2013, the Secretary (in consultation with the Secretary of 
Energy, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation, the Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Di-
rector of the National Institutes of Health) shall submit to 
Congress a report that provides for Federal users—
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‘‘(1) an assessment of the consumption of, and 
projected demand for, crude and refined helium; 
‘‘(2) a description of a 20-year Federal strategy 
for securing access to helium; 
‘‘(3) a determination of a date prior to Sep-
tember 30, 2022, for the implementation of Phase D 
as described in section 6(d) that minimizes any po-
tential supply disruptions for Federal users; 
‘‘(4) an assessment of the effects of increases in 
the price of refined helium and methods and policies 
for mitigating any determined effects; and 
‘‘(5) a description of a process for prioritization 
of uses that accounts for diminished availability of 
helium supplies that may occur over time.’’. 
SEC. 7. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) Section 4 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167b) is 
amended by striking ‘‘section 6(f)’’ each place it appears 
in subsections (c)(3), (c)(4), and (d)(2) and inserting ‘‘sec-
tion 6(d)’’. 
(b) Section 8 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167f) is 
repealed. 
SEC. 8. EXISTING AGREEMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—This Act and the amendments 
made by this Act shall not affect or diminish the rights and 
obligations of the Secretary of the Interior and private par-
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ties under agreements in existence on the date of enactment 
of this Act, except to the extent that the agreements are re-
newed or extended after that date. 
(b) DELIVERY.—No agreement described in subsection 
(a) shall affect or diminish the right of any party that pur-
chases helium after the date of enactment of this Act in ac-
cordance with section 6 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167d) 
(as amended by section 5) to receive delivery of the helium 
in accordance with section 5(e)(2) of the Helium Act (50 
U.S.C. 167c(e)(2)) (as amended by section 4). 
SEC. 9. REGULATIONS. 
The Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate such 
regulations as are necessary to carry out this Act and the 
amendments made by this Act, including regulations nec-
essary to prevent unfair acts and practices. 
SEC. 10. AMENDMENTS TO OTHER LAWS. 
(a) SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF 
DETERMINATION PROGRAM.— 
(1) SECURE PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUN-
TIES CONTAINING FEDERAL LAND.— 
(A) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—Section 
101 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7111) 
is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘2013’’.
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(B) ELECTIONS.—Section 102(b) of the Se-
cure Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter-
mination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7112(b)) is 
amended— 
(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking 
‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking 
‘‘2012’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘2013’’. 
(C) DISTRIBUTION OF PAYMENTS TO ELIGI-
BLE COUNTIES.—Section 103(d)(2) of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determina-
tion Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7113(d)(2)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘and 2012’’ and inserting 
‘‘through 2013’’. 
(2) CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT 
SPECIAL PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND.—Title II of 
the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter-
mination Act of 2000 is amended— 
(A) 
in 
section 
203(a)(1) 
(16 
U.S.C. 
7123(a)(1)), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 
‘‘2013’’; 
(B) in section 204(e)(3)(B)(iii) (16 U.S.C. 
7124(e)(3)(B)(iii)), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2013’’;
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(C) 
in 
section 
205(a)(4) 
(16 
U.S.C. 
7125(a)(4)), by striking ‘‘2011’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘2012’’; 
(D) in section 207(a) (16 U.S.C. 7127(a)), 
by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’; and 
(E) in section 208 (16 U.S.C. 7128)— 
(i) in subsection (a), by striking 
‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (b), by striking 
‘‘2013’’ and inserting ‘‘2014’’. 
(3) CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY TO RESERVE 
AND USE COUNTY FUNDS.—Section 304 of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7144) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2012’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2013’’ ; and 
(B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘2013’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2014’’. 
(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Sec-
tion 402 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7152) is 
amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’. 
(b) ABANDONED WELL REMEDIATION.—Section 349 of 
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(i) FEDERALLY
DRILLED
WELLS.—Out of any 
amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
$46,000,000 for fiscal year 2014 and $4,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2018 shall be made available to the Secretary, without 
further appropriation and to remain available until ex-
pended, to remediate, reclaim, and close abandoned oil and 
gas wells on current or former National Petroleum Reserve 
land.’’. 
(c) NATIONAL PARKS MAINTENANCE BACKLOG.—Sec-
tion 814(g) of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Man-
agement Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 1f) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) AVAILABLE FUNDS.—Out of any amounts 
in 
the 
Treasury 
not 
otherwise 
appropriated, 
$50,000,000 shall be made available to the Secretary 
of the Interior for fiscal year 2018, without further 
appropriation and to remain available until ex-
pended, to pay the Federal funding share of challenge 
cost-share 
agreements 
for 
deferred 
maintenance 
projects and to correct deficiencies in National Park 
Service infrastructure. 
‘‘(5) COST-SHARE REQUIREMENT.—Not less than 
50 percent of the total cost of project for funds made 
available under paragraph (4) to pay the Federal 
funding share shall be derived from non-Federal
† HR 527 EAS 
sources, including in-kind contribution of goods and 
services fairly valued.’’. 
(d) ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION FUND.—Section 
411(h) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 
of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1240a(h)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(6) SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING.— 
‘‘(A) WAIVER
OF
LIMITATION.—Notwith-
standing paragraph (5), the limitation on the 
total annual payments to a certified State or In-
dian tribe under this subsection shall not apply 
for fiscal year 2014. 
‘‘(B) LIMITATION
ON
WAIVER.—Notwith-
standing subparagraph (A), the total annual 
payment to a certified State or Indian tribe 
under this subsection for fiscal year 2014 shall 
not be more than $75,000,000. 
‘‘(C) INSUFFICIENT AMOUNTS.—If the total 
annual payment to a certified State or Indian 
tribe under paragraphs (1) and (2) is limited by 
subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) give priority to making payments 
under paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(ii) use any remaining funds to make 
payments under paragraph (1).’’.