I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1552
To repeal the Helium Act, to require the Secretary of the Interior to sell
Federal real and personal property held in connection with activities
carried out under the Helium Act, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 31, 1993
Mr. COX (for himself, Mr. NEAL of North Carolina, Mr. FRANK of Massachu-
setts, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. HOAGLAND, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. GOSS, Mr.
POMBO, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. WOLF, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. FRANKS of New
Jersey, Mr. KYL, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. LEWIS of Florida, Mr. BEREUTER,
Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr. FAWELL, Mr. FOWLER, Mr. ALLARD,
Mr. WALSH, Mr. ROGERS, Mr. DOOLITTLE, and Mr. BOEHNER) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources
A BILL
To repeal the Helium Act, to require the Secretary of the
Interior to sell Federal real and personal property held
in connection with activities carried out under the
Helium Act, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) the United States Government’s helium re-
covery program was instituted in 1925, when helium
conservation was deemed to be a matter of national
security and no private sector helium recovery indus-
try existed;
(2) today, as compared to 1925, there is little
likelihood that the United States will have to field a
fleet of blimps on an emergency basis;
(3) private sources of helium are more than
adequate for serving existing and foreseeable future
national needs;
(4) since 1925, there has been a dramatic in-
crease in private industry’s involvement in helium
recovery, as a result of the free market discovery of
numerous commercial uses for helium;
(5) currently, private industry accounts for 90
percent of all helium extraction and consumption;
(6) the Government’s helium recovery program
currently owes the Department of the Treasury
$1,400,000,000 
and 
loses 
an 
additional
$120,000,000 yearly on interest alone, and there is
no prospect for repayment of this debt without sig-
nificant reform; and
(7) with combined public and private helium re-
serves considerably in excess of foreseeable national
helium needs, there is no longer any need for the
Federal Government to own and operate a helium
extraction and reserve program.
SEC. 2. REPEAL.
The Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 161 et seq.) is repealed.
SEC. 3. SALE OF PROPERTY.
The Secretary of the Interior shall sell or otherwise
dispose of, at the best possible terms available to the Unit-
ed States, all facilities, equipment, and other real or per-
sonal property, or rights thereto, held by the United
States in connection with activities carried out under the
Helium Act, unless such facilities, equipment, or other real
or personal property, or rights thereto, are required for
other Federal purposes.
SEC. 4. SALE OF HELIUM RESERVE.
The Secretary of the Interior shall sell or otherwise
dispose of, at the best possible terms available to the Unit-
ed States, all helium reserves held by the United States
other than amounts required for the specific immediate
needs of the Federal Government. Such sale shall be con-
ducted in a manner consistent with the orderly conduct
of commercial helium markets.
SEC. 5. REDUCTION OF FEDERAL DEBT.
All funds received pursuant to sections 3 and 4, and
all amounts remaining in the helium production fund es-
tablished under section 6(f) of the Helium Act, shall be
considered full repayment of loans made under section 12
of the Helium Act. Such funds shall be applied, subject
to appropriations, solely to the retirement of outstanding
United States Government debt, and may not be obligated
or expended for any other purpose, notwithstanding any
other provision of law that does not specifically reference
this section.
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