PUBLIC LAW 104-273—OCT. 9, 1996 110 STAT. 3315 Public Law 104-273 104th Congress An Act To amend the Helium Act to authorize the Secretary to enter into agreements n f-q iQQfi with private parties for the recovery and disposal of helium on Federjd lands, ——!: and for other piuposes. [H.R. 4168] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. Helium Privatization Act SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. of 1996. This Act may be cited as the "Helium Privatization Act of 1996". SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF HELIUM ACT. Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167-167n). SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY. Sections 3, 4, and 5 are amended to read as follows: 50 USC 167a-167c. " SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY. "(a) EXTRACTION AND DISPOSAL OF HELIUM ON FEDERAL LANDS.— "(1) IN GENERAL. —The Secretary may enter into agreements with private parties for the recovery and disposal of helium on Federal lands upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems fair, reasonable, and necessary. "(2) LEASEHOLD RIGHTS.— The Secretary may grant leasehold rights to any such helium. "(3) LIMITATION. — The Secretary may not enter into any agreement by which the Secretary sells such helium other than to a private party with whom the Secretary has an agreement for recovery and disposal of helium. "(4) REGULATIONS.— Agreements under paragraph (1) may be subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by the . Secretary. "(5) EXISTING RIGHTS.—An agreement under paragraph (1) shall be subject to any rights of any affected Federal oil and gas lessee that may be in existence prior to the date of the agreement. "(6) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— An agreement under paragraph (1) (and any extension or renewal of an agreement) shall contain such terms and conditions as the Secretary may consider appropriate.
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