County payment bill sent to President
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September 26, 2013 |
Federal legislation that will send $270 million
to rural counties to help offset tax-free
federal land within their borders is on its way
to the President’s desk for signature.
The U.S.
Senate today passed the county payments language
as part of H.R. 527, the Helium Stewardship Act,
which was approved in the U.S. House of
Representatives yesterday.
The legislation calls for payments through the
Secure Rural Schools program through Fiscal Year
2014. It also benefits industry leaders,
including semiconductor manufacturers, such as
Micron in Boise and ON Semiconductor in
Pocatello, by authorizing sales from the Federal
Helium Reserve, which will continue operation
without change through the end of Fiscal Year
2014. A portion of the revenue raised from the
continued sale of helium is also designated to
pay down the federal debt.
“Passage of the Helium Stewardship Act is a
victory for the entire state of Idaho,” Crapo
said. “Idaho’s rural communities, with limited
revenue due to the large amounts of neighboring
federal land, will be able to continue providing
for schools, road maintenance, law enforcement,
emergency response and other various needs.
Additionally, this legislation provides for
responsible management of the national reserve
while averting a potential shortage. This fix
does not change the need for a long-term
solution that provides a consistent mechanism
for the federal government to meet its
obligation to rural communities accommodating
federal lands and I will continue to work with
Senator Risch and all my colleagues to achieve
this objective.” |
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