On October 2, following the government shutdown on October 1, President Obama signed H.R. 527, the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, averting the shutdown of the federal helium reserve in Texas. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) federal helium reserve, which supplies the U.S. with 40 percent of its helium supply, was in danger of shutting down due to a lapse in funding.

H.R. 527 also provides $263 million for the Secure Rural Schools Program, $50 million for National Park infrastructure projects, $50 million for the remediation of abandoned oil and gas wells, and more.

Sources: E&E News, the Government Printing Office