Manufacturers of computer chips, fiber-optic cables, semi-conductors, life-saving medical imaging devices, and other advanced technologies are already calling for passage of H.R. 527, The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act. This bipartisan legislation, introduced this week by Chairman Doc Hastings, would prevent the closure of the Federal Helium Reserve, which by law is scheduled to close later this year resulting in a 30 percent reduction in the global helium supply. The legislation applies free-market reforms to the sale of helium from the Reserve, ensuring its continued operation while providing American taxpayers with a fair return on the public’s resources.
What They’re Saying about H.R. 527:
Information Technology Industry Council
"ITI applauds the bipartisan work by Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey on the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act. Helium is necessary to many of our companies’ manufacturing processes, and any disruptions in the market could literally require their facilities to stop production. That’s an outcome that the nation’s economy simply cannot afford. The Committee's urgent and timely attention to this issue is greatly appreciated, and ITI looks forward to working with the Committee as the bill moves through the legislative process."
Medical Technology and Imaging Alliance
“Failure to preserve our domestic helium supply will have reverberating effects on medical imaging manufacturers as well as the entire health care industry, as manufacturing facilities will have no choice but to slow or shut down production and physicians will be forced to turn away patients due to the shortage. We applaud Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey for their leadership in introducing bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting access to the Federal Helium Reserve. Congress needs to pass legislation to prevent the premature closure of this reserve, and this bill is an important step forward in finding a solution.”
Semiconductor Industry Association
“Helium is a critical gas used in the semiconductor manufacturing process and other types of advanced manufacturing and innovation. The severe shortage of helium supplies is already impairing key industrial sectors. Without prompt congressional action, the supply of helium controlled by the federal government would be off-limits to private users, adversely impacting advanced manufacturing in the U.S. We appreciate the bipartisan leadership of Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member Markey in introducing this legislation, and we urge Congress to make swift passage of legislation a high priority.”
