
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 50USC167]

 
                   TITLE 50--WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
 
                         CHAPTER 10--HELIUM GAS
 
Sec. 167. Definitions

    As used in this chapter:
        (1) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior;
        (2) The term ``person'' means any individual, corporation, 
    partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private 
    institution, or State or political subdivision thereof; and
        (3) The terms ``helium-bearing natural gas'' and ``helium-gas 
    mixture'' mean, respectively, natural gas and gas mixtures 
    containing three-tenths of 1 per centum or more of helium by volume.

(Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 426, Sec. 2, as added Pub. L. 86-777, Sec. 2, Sept. 
13, 1960, 74 Stat. 918.)


                            Prior Provisions

    A prior section 2 of act Mar. 3, 1925, authorized Bureau of Mines to 
produce helium gas and was classified to section 163 of this title, 
prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 86-777.


                    Effective Date of 1960 Amendment

    Section 3 of Pub. L. 86-777 provided that: ``The amendment made by 
this Act [enacting this section and sections 167a to 167n of this title] 
shall become effective on March 1, 1961.''


                      Short Title of 1996 Amendment

    Pub. L. 104-273, Sec. 1, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3315, provided 
that: ``This Act [amending sections 167a to 167d, 167f, 167j, and 167m 
of this title] may be cited as the `Helium Privatization Act of 1996'.''


                      Short Title of 1960 Amendment

    Section 1 of Pub. L. 86-777 provided that: ``This Act [enacting this 
section, sections 167a to 167n of this title, and provisions set out as 
notes below] may be cited as the `Helium Act Amendments of 1960'.''


                               Short Title

    Section 1 of act Mar. 3, 1925, as added by Pub. L. 86-777, Sec. 2, 
provided that: ``This Act [enacting this section, sections 167a to 167n 
of this title, and provision set out as a note below] may be cited as 
the `Helium Act'.''


                              Separability

    Section 17 of act Mar. 3, 1925, as added by Pub. L. 86-777, Sec. 2, 
provided that: ``If any provision of this Act [enacting this section, 
sections 167a to 167n of this title, and provisions set out as a note 
above], or the application of such provision to any person or 
circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of this Act or the 
application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than 
those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby.''


            Severance Package for Helium Operations Employees

    Pub. L. 106-113, div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(3) [title I, Sec. 112], Nov. 
29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1535, 1501A-157, provided that:
    ``(a) Employees of Helium Operations, Bureau of Land Management, 
entitled to severance pay under 5 U.S.C. 5595, may apply for, and the 
Secretary of the Interior may pay, the total amount of the severance pay 
to the employee in a lump sum. Employees paid severance pay in a lump 
sum and subsequently reemployed by the Federal Government shall be 
subject to the repayment provisions of 5 U.S.C. 5595(i)(2) and (3), 
except that any repayment shall be made to the Helium Fund.
    ``(b) Helium Operations employees who elect to continue health 
benefits after separation shall be liable for not more than the required 
employee contribution under 5 U.S.C. 8905a(d)(1)(A). The Helium Fund 
shall pay for 18 months the remaining portion of required contributions.
    ``(c) The Secretary of the Interior may provide for training to 
assist Helium Operations employees in the transition to other Federal or 
private sector jobs during the facility shut-down and disposition 
process and for up to 12 months following separation from Federal 
employment, including retraining and relocation incentives on the same 
terms and conditions as authorized for employees of the Department of 
Defense in section 348 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 1995 [Pub. L. 103-337, 10 U.S.C. 1597 note].
    ``(d) For purposes of the annual leave restoration provisions of 5 
U.S.C. 6304(d)(1)(B), the cessation of helium production and sales, and 
other related Helium Program activities shall be deemed to create an 
exigency of public business under, and annual leave that is lost during 
leave years 1997 through 2001 because of 5 U.S.C. 6304 (regardless of 
whether such leave was scheduled in advance) shall be restored to the 
employee and shall be credited and available in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 
6304(d)(2). Annual leave so restored and remaining unused upon the 
transfer of a Helium Program employee to a position of the executive 
branch outside of the Helium Program shall be liquidated by payment to 
the employee of a lump sum from the Helium Fund for such leave.
    ``(e) Benefits under this section shall be paid from the Helium Fund 
in accordance with section 4(c)(4) of the Helium Privatization Act of 
1996 [probably means the Helium Act, which is classified to section 
167b(c)(4) of this title]. Funds may be made available to Helium Program 
employees who are or will be separated before October 1, 2002 because of 
the cessation of helium production and sales and other related 
activities. Retraining benefits, including retraining and relocation 
incentives, may be paid for retraining commencing on or before September 
30, 2002.
    ``(f) This section shall remain in effect through fiscal year 
2002.''
    Similar provisions were contained in the following prior 
appropriation acts:
    Pub. L. 105-277, div. A, Sec. 101(e) [title I, Sec. 112], Oct. 21, 
1998, 112 Stat. 2681-231, 2681-254.
    Pub. L. 105-83, title I, Sec. 113, Nov. 14, 1997, 111 Stat. 1562.
