House Passes, Senate Introduces Helium Bills

The House of Representatives passed a bill last week that would allow the government to continue operating the Federal Helium Reserve after October 2013. The measure (H.R. 527) would also direct the reserve to auction off all but 3 billion cu ft of its stored helium. Current law requires that the government stop commercial sales of helium from the Federal Helium Reserve as soon as it pays off a $1.3 billion debt. It accrued this debt when helium demand was low and expects to pay it off this fall. The closing of the reserve worries industry and university consumers that use helium in research and manufacturing. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced legislation (S. 783) last week that would also allow the government to gradually privatize most of the reserve while retaining 3 billion cu ft of helium for federal users. It is expected to come for a vote before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee this week.